Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1889 — AWFUL BUTCHERY IN HAYTI. [ARTICLE]

AWFUL BUTCHERY IN HAYTI.

Three Huadred 9C Legitime’* Soldier* Rarronnoed ana 8h t dowu Like D g*. News of the most exciting conflict yet waged in the Hay tian rebellion came to hand on the 7th by the steamer Harold, which arrived at' New York from the blockaded northern porta of St. Marc and Port de-Paix. A horrible scene was witnessed the 27th of January at the little seaport town of Grandaeleine, about twenty-five miles from St. Marc, where a detachment of Legitime’s army wascompletely annihilated. It was abont half past 7 in the morning of the 24th, when the distant booming of heavy guns was heard to the northward. General Montpoint, General Hippo yte’s Secretary of War and of the Navy, was in command at St. Marc. He had only 301 troops at band, but there was a general call to arms, and every man in the town capable of bearing arms was required to respond at once. l«i scarcely more than an hour the army was in motion. With the civilian volunteers it .pumbered about 500, The troops set out at once for Grandseleine, expecting to join forces with abont 2 0 troops which wqre known to be at Gonaives, and some 200 more scattered at interior points. The troops arrived at Grand-eleine on the following mornihg. They advanced cautiously and camped under the shelter of a tropical forest The soldiers from St Marc had met those from Gonaires and the interior meantime. The bombardment had continued from the gunboats in the harbor and the whole town bad been completely destroyed and laid in ruins. Abt ut three hundred soldiers had been sent ashore.to hold possession of the town after the shells of the gunboats had reduced it to ruins. Many of the inhabitant of the town had bean killed and wounded in the attack, but most of the people had fied to the woods when the bombardment began. After having put the troops ashore the naval vessel steamed away from Grandaeleine, thus leaving the landing party without means of retreat and entirely dependent open their own resources to bold the town. With A-force outnumbering the Le gitime troopstwo to to one, Hippolyte’smen quietly surounded the town, still remaining concealed until jthe invaders should feel Comparatively secure at the apparant absence of any foe, Then the soldiers of the North poured into Grandseleine from all sides. No quarter was shown. The Legitimists scattered and fled, but they were pursued and shot down like rats. Not one was spared. Nothing was left to mark the site of the little town but smoldering ruins and heaps of dead and dying. Meantime, the meu-of-war had proceeded to Honaives. They shelled the town, but did not do very much damage. The men-of-war arrived oft Bt. Marc on the morning of the 26th. At 11 a. m. the Touissaint I’Ou.verture opened fire on the town. >he British steamer Harold was in the harbor,and several foreigners, the consuls and some women and children sought refuge on board of her, under the protection of the British flag. Many buildings were destroyed, two men were killed, a dozen men, women and children were mortally wounded, and many others were more or less injured. Toward nightfall the gun boat* withdrew. Ou the 27th inst. the Toussaint I’Ouverture suddenly paid St. Marc another visit, and fired about twenty steel shell* into the town. Not much damage was done to property and no lives were lost. Fort Diamant returned the fire and managed to drop some shells so close to the gun-boat that she gave up the fight and sailed away. There was an engagement on the 2 th at a town in the interior called Hisbie. About eight hundred men were engaged on both sides. The Northern army came off victorions, capturing eighteen prisoners. Fifteen of these prisoners were shot immediately, and the remaining three were sent back to St. Marek to be put on the rack and otherwise tortured until they give information as to the movements of Legitime’s troops. Then tbev too will be mercifully shot to end their agonies. The steamer Caroline Miller arrived at New York on the llth with reports from Hayti to Jan. 22d. Hippolyte’s cause is constantly gaining strength. He has 13.000 troops in the field and every member of his Cabinet bat one is at the front in command of troops. Provisions are scarce.