Chapter 656: Waves of Independence in the Caribbean Sea
The British cannons began to roar.
And the Black rebel army in Nassau City – or rather, the "Bahamian National Army" as they were now called – immediately returned fire with their own cannons.
Last time, Galiçonnière had sent them 10 cannons, and combined with their existing arsenal, the city now boasted a total of 17 guns. Their firepower surpassed that of the British.
General Bland incessantly urged his troops forward. Based on his months of experience fighting the Black rebel army, he knew that if his soldiers could close in to within flintlock musket range, they could swiftly crush the enemy with their superior training and equipment.
Even if his own forces were only half or even a quarter of their numbers, those 'savages' wouldn't dare engage the British in a firefight.
Moreover, he now held a significant numerical advantage.
Reclaiming Nassau City was merely a matter of time.
Inside the temporary French command post, Lieutenant Colonel Galiçonnière observed through his telescope that the British forces were already very close to the Bahamian National Army's defensive line. He then turned to look behind him, slightly frowning.
Just then, a burst of gunfire echoed from the southeast.
Soon after, a messenger on horseback galloped up, calling out loudly, "General, our flank is under attack! The enemy has over two thousand infantry and a small contingent of cavalry."
Galiçonnière nodded, then calmly instructed his staff officer, "Relay the order: the 17th Infantry Regiment and the Charolles Infantry Regiment are to withdraw toward the harbor. Cavalry, ensure cover."
"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel!" the staff officer replied, then suddenly froze. "You mean, withdraw?"
"Precisely. The enemy's assault is too fierce; if we hold out any longer, our forces will suffer immense casualties."
"But..."
Galiçonnière declared loudly, "Execute the order at once, Captain Bertrand! Oh, and instruct the officers: avoid conflict with the enemy as much as possible. Preserving our soldiers' lives is paramount. The rest, we leave to the British."
"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel!"
Soon, the three thousand French soldiers defending the flank began their "retreat" eastward. The Bahamian National Army, however, did not engage them at all, but instead pressed directly towards the British forces attacking from the front.
General Bland naturally heard the gunfire on both flanks. While somewhat surprised that those 'savages' had launched a flanking attack, he didn't give it much thought.
Thousands of French soldiers would surely have no trouble defending against the 'savages'. He believed he could breach Nassau City's defenses within two or three hours, then turn his attention to the enemy on the flanks. It was even more likely that the French would help him rout the 'savage' army.
Suddenly, sustained horn calls erupted from the direction of Nassau City, followed by a flurry of military drums.
Bland raised his telescope and saw a large number of Black soldiers, arrayed in a crooked line formation, charging out of the city!
"These idiotic 'savages'," a cold sneer formed on Bland's lips.
If the Black rebels had remained entrenched behind their defenses, he might have lost hundreds of soldiers to capture Nassau City, yet now they dared to charge out.
In a frontal assault, his soldiers would crush those 'savages' in an instant.
'Victory is assured!'
Just as Brigadier General Bland was already formulating his victory speech for entering Nassau City, he noticed the gunfire on both flanks seemed to be growing closer.
He frowned, raising his telescope again, only to discover with a start that the left flank of the British infantry line formation was falling into disarray.
"What's happening?"
A scout rushed over, urgently reporting, "Report! The French forces on the left flank have been routed by the rebels. Over a thousand rebels are now approaching our infantry line formation!"
Bland was aghast. He hastily ordered his reserves to the left flank to plug the gap, muttering under his breath, "Are the French utterly useless? They can't even defeat a bunch of 'savages'!" Just as his over 600 reserves began to form ranks and turn, another officer rushed up to report that the French on the right flank were also collapsing, with over a thousand Black rebels appearing there as well.
Bland's face instantly turned ashen white.
At 3 PM, the 1,300 British soldiers below Nassau City laid down their weapons and surrendered to the Bahamian National Army.
The British had been fully confident they could crush the untrained Black soldiers in a frontal assault, but instead, they faced a three-sided encirclement.
To ensure the suddenness of the attack, Louverture didn't even have the Black soldiers form ranks; they charged directly from the flank and rear into the British line formation, tearing apart British soldiers with cutlasses and axes.
Under the cover of his cavalry, Bland barely managed to escape to a beach on the southern side of the Bahamas – precisely the encampment left behind when Galiçonnière's French forces had been "routed" previously.
Only fewer than a thousand soldiers remained by his side.
The situation for the Spanish was slightly better; the Bahamian rebels were clearly uninterested in them, focusing their fierce assault solely on the British, which allowed the Spanish to withdraw most of their soldiers.
As dusk fell, the Black residents of Nassau City took to the streets, torches in hand, celebrating their hard-won victory with abandon.
Everywhere, members of the Abolition Movement could be seen standing on high ground, delivering speeches: "That's right, our French friends, who champion freedom and equality, refused to see us enslaved! They voluntarily withdrew from the battlefield, giving us the chance to defeat the British scoundrels!"
"The French army only came to the Bahamas under pressure from the British; they never fired a single shot at us. In fact, French friends have been secretly supplying us with ammunition all along..."
This was public opinion guidance arranged by the Bahamian Parliament at the request of the Santo Domingo "Abolition League."
Similar propaganda was being spread in Jamaica, the Lesser Antilles, and other places.
Joseph had expended so much effort helping the Black people of the Caribbean Sea regain their freedom; he couldn't afford to only reap their hatred in the end.
What he wanted was gratitude.
It was the dependence and reciprocation of these newly established Caribbean nations towards France.
Given Santo Domingo's immense influence within the Caribbean Abolition Movement, guiding public opinion was not a difficult task.
Two days later, the Republic of the Bahamas, riding the wave of its victory in the Battle of Nassau, held a national election.
In truth, the Bahamas had yet to establish an effective administrative system. The Parliament's control extended primarily to the vicinity of Nassau. Thus, the general election concluded in just three days.
Over 60,000 people cast their votes, and Bahamian rebel commander Kenneth Liddington was elected as the first president.
Louverture, a native of Santo Domingo, surprisingly received over 50,000 votes – the Bahamas adopted the American model, where each person could cast more than one vote – but he ultimately declined the invitation to serve as Vice President.
Meanwhile, Santo Domingo also began its general election.
Compared to the Bahamas, Santo Domingo's parliament had been established for much longer and had developed effective governance over its various cities, making its election process more protracted.
However, Ogé's renown had already spread throughout the Caribbean Sea; all enslaved people viewed him as a savior, making his election practically a certainty.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica, Auriol had, through several months of effort, reassembled an army of 1,500 men.
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