Dessalines attacked the garrison at Gonaïves, sending the French soldiers into retreat to their ships in the harbor. He wrote to the French officer commanding in nearby Saint-Marc, explaining that the people of Saint-Domingue had come to see clearly the "intentions" of the Leclerc mission, which were "openly manifested" by officers serving under him who "fiercely massacre all the blacks and mulattoes." "I am French, a friend of my country and of liberty," Dessalines continued. "I cannot watch such atrocities with a serene eye." He announced his intention to take Saint-Marc, demanding that the French officers retreat and "return to Europe."

Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ …, loc. 421