In late October 1791 elderly slaves gathered at the gates of their plantations on the northern plain to enjoy a novel sight. Down the road marched a group of white prisoners, flanked by insurgent soldiers who were hitting them with sticks. The "old negroes and negresses humiliated us with their words," recalled one of the prisoners, a local official named Gros, "and celebrated the exploits of their warriors." For nearly a century, escaped slaves had been similarly captured and marched off to prison. Now the roles were reversed.

Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ …, loc. 171