The Pearl of the Antillies. - The Haiti Campaign - The Battle for Bahon 6th August 1791

Dawn on the 6th August and Dutty Boukman's forces enter the field of battle looking to seize the Fort at Bahon from the French. Each side had a battle plan but who would come out on top?

Both commanders had chosen their support options carefully with Dutty selecting ladders and a moveable deployment point, which the French picked a secondary point to stop themselves being pinned in the fort. 

The Fort at Bahon was situated on high ground it was large enough to 2 units but could it hold back the insurgent forces?

Dutty Boukman's forces and local support. 

4 Groups of Conscripts, 1 Militia Unit, 1 Skirmishers units and some freed slaves.

The forces of Viscount de Blanchelande.

Three groups of Regulars, a 4 Pdr and war dogs.

Boukman's forces make the first move rushing the centre ground and seeking cover behind the ridge line. The French 4 Pdr was only able to get one round off before the slaves dropped out of sight.

The French are forced to deploy the line Infantry to counter the slave flanking move.

Boukman makes his move deploying from the coffee field the skirmishers seek cover amongst the French tents, whilst the bulk of his forces appear from among the tall plantation field.

The Royalist began to sweat from behind their stockade walls as they see the insurgents are armed with ladders to scale the walls.

The French expand their frontage bringing on the remainder of their forces as the insurgents advance on the fort. 

Dutty and his forces reach the foot of the hill, they had taken canister fire crossing the open ground and shock was starting to mount. If only they could grab the initiative and get into some kind of order.

After several turns of jostling for position things were speeding up now fearing a direct assault on the ramparts Blanchelande orders the dogs forward to clear the road, whilst Dutty calls forward the freed slaves.

Caught in an impossible position Boukman's formation starts to break up and his force morale starts to crumble. The dogs had done their work driving the right company backwards, drive away from the shelter of the steep slope they come under canister fire which forces them to flee.

The French Guyane Regiment advance to the lip of ridge and fire down into the pinned slaves, Dutty is knocked unconscious and his force moral slips still further. 

His men carry him from the field and his battered command retires as the French breath a sigh of relief. 

The French hold the field and with a superior force morale are able to replace their wound on the day,

They also hold the initiative plundering the slave camp and seizing six bags of supplies from the insurgent forces. 

Dutty despite his shattered morale only loses 2 men and suffers a further 4 wounded from his core force the majority of the casualties were taken from the locals pressed into service.

Both sides have learnt much and as they rest up on Sunday thinking hard about the reinforcements now available to them.