Chapter 656: The Script
Two teams of Black soldiers burst from the dense jungle on either side of Nassau, shouting as they charged the French forces besieging the city.
At the same moment, cannon fire erupted from within Nassau, immediately halting the advance of the French infantry.
Gardner watched the Black soldiers loading cannons through his telescope, astonishment etched on his face. He stammered,
"They, how do they have cannons?"
Galissonnière issued a series of deployment orders to his staff, then turned back, his face ashen, stating,
"More importantly, they actually know how to fire them!"
His acting was truly superb, leaving the British without a hint of suspicion. In reality, it was his own artillery officers who had secretly come to the Bahamas months ago, personally instructing the Black soldiers on how to use the cannons.
While there was little hope for the Bahamian artillery's accuracy, they could at least operate the cannons proficiently, creating a formidable display.
Before long, a blood-soaked cavalryman galloped up, reporting in a panic-stricken voice,
Gardner quickly raised his telescope and saw, beneath swirling clouds of gunpowder smoke, French forces fleeing in disarray, countless Black rebels hot on their heels.
Most of these Black soldiers had few flintlock muskets, wielding mostly sugarcane-cutting machetes and similar implements.
He cursed under his breath, retracting all his previous pronouncements about the "formidable combat strength of the French army." Yet, he quickly recalled that his own General Brand had also been defeated by these negroes, and a sense of understanding settled over him.
Lieutenant Colonel Galissonnière soon received one report after another of his army's collapse. Finally, clenching his jaw, he ordered a single infantry battalion to cover their retreat, while the rest were to withdraw south immediately.
At dusk, Gardner retreated with the French forces to a beach. The Black army finally pulled back slowly.
Several officers gravely reported the troop losses to Galissonnière, and Gardner's heart tightened instantly—the French had lost nearly 1,000 soldiers, with most of their cannons and warhorses either captured or destroyed.
Then, a staff officer entered the tent, pointing to the map as he addressed Galissonnière:
"Sir, here, here, and here have all been occupied by the rebels. I've already ordered the soldiers to begin constructing defensive positions. We're surrounded by at least five or six thousand Black islanders."
In truth, the French suffered no real casualties; most of the "lost" 1,000 soldiers were "captured" and were currently enjoying a plentiful dinner within Nassau. The provisions were quite generous.
Moreover, there were only about 3,000 Bahamian soldiers in the vicinity, and they had received strict orders from Louverture not to engage the French forces without authorization.
Everything was a script that had been meticulously planned beforehand.
However, Galissonnière acted utterly terrified, dispatching three separate groups to Santo Domingo for aid. Then, he seized Gardner, his voice laced with urgency:
"I came here to help you suppress this rebellion; you absolutely cannot leave me to die!
"Please, write to the Governor of Jamaica and have him send troops here, for God's sake!"
Gardner, listening to the agonizing groans of the wounded outside, and fearing he might also be killed by the Black rebels, hastily wrote a plea for help and handed it to a messenger.
A nearby staff officer added, "Right, we can also appeal to the Spanish on Juana Island for assistance."
The lights in Galissonnière's tent burned all night. The next morning, before any reply to their pleas for aid arrived, an urgent message came from Santo Domingo itself.
Galissonnière's eyes widened as he stared at the newcomer, exclaiming, "Are you saying Fort Magua has been breached by the rebels?!"
"Yes, sir. After you led your troops away, the rebels launched a fierce assault on the fort, and by noon yesterday, they had already penetrated the outer defenses! Marquis La Bayelette insists you return immediately, or the expeditionary force will be driven into the sea!"
Galissonnière froze for a few seconds, then abruptly pointed at Gardner, roaring,
"This is all your fault! If not for helping you deal with the Bahamian rebels, Magua wouldn't be in trouble. Get Brand here to reinforce Santo Domingo immediately, hurry!" Soon, military forces across the entire Caribbean Sea region began to mobilize simultaneously due to the French forces' defeat in Santo Domingo.
Lord Cumberland, Governor of Jamaica, dispatched a force of 800 soldiers to aid the Bahamas.
The Spanish from Juana Island allocated nearly 1,000 soldiers to head for Santo Domingo—the Bahamas belonged to the British, and a French island was comparatively more worth saving.
Upon receiving the letter, Brand, in turn, had no choice but to order the British Expeditionary Force, which had only just caught its breath, to board transport ships and head for Santo Domingo to reinforce the French.
In his view, the interests of Britain, France, and Spain were currently perfectly aligned, so they should strive to hold Santo Domingo and, incidentally, reclaim the one hundred thousand pounds sterling they had previously advanced.
However, when the British fleet was only half a day's journey from Port-au-Prince, astonishing news arrived from Magua—nearly 4,000 soldiers of the French Expeditionary Force had surrendered to Ogé!
Aboard the British Expeditionary Force flagship, the Black Mountains, Brand slammed his fist on the table, bellowing,
"The French are utterly useless! To surrender to those negroes! Do they have no shame?!"
A whistle blew from the masthead, signaling the approach of a warship.
Before long, an officer entered the ship's cabin and addressed Brand, "General, it's Count Mably, the Governor of Santo Domingo. He wishes to see you."
"He escaped?"
"Yes, General, it seems the Spanish rescued him."
"Bring him in. No, wait, I'll go myself."
On the deck of the Black Mountains, Count Mably, his face grim, confronted Brand,
"If you hadn't diverted the garrison from Magua, those rebels would never have breached the fort!"
A Spanish officer nearby also looked somber, saying,
"I believe you have an obligation to rescue the thousands of French troops in the Bahamas. Afterward, we can then jointly suppress the rebellion in Santo Domingo."
Brand nodded immediately. "We'll head for the Bahamas at once!"
Three days later.
A combined British and Spanish force of 3,700 soldiers successfully landed on the Bahamas, dispersed the Black rebels surrounding the French, and made contact with the French army.
Lieutenant Colonel Galissonnière, upon meeting Brand, immediately and anxiously demanded that they work together to retake Santo Domingo. Brand, however, countered that they should first defeat the rebels in Nassau before proceeding to Santo Domingo, thereby securing the Bahamas as a logistical supply base.
The French were ultimately convinced—though, according to 'the script,' even if Brand hadn't suggested attacking Nassau first, Galissonnière himself would have declared that, out of gratitude for the British rescue, Nassau should be retaken first.
The tripartite coalition force made virtually no preparations—seven thousand troops against numerically inferior negroes, they thought, was a battle they could win effortlessly—and thus they marched toward Nassau.
It seemed the previous defeat had left Lieutenant Colonel Galissonnière with a psychological complex; this time, he adamantly insisted that the British army lead the main assault, while he would take responsibility for the flanks and rear.
Brand, seeing his timid demeanor, agreed without much thought.
The following day, Nassau was once again encircled by several thousand troops from three directions.
Comments