Haiti's aid to the U.S in 1779? Have any of you heard of that?

Question

As a history student I came upon a part of the U.S history that Americans students never read in History books, that is the Haitian had also fought in Savanah, Georgia to help the Americans. This fact is only available in some reference books that are lock in library and it is not open to the public. The story goes like this, below is a quote

"Haiti’s aid to US in 1779
Dialog from Bob Corbett’s Haiti List, October 1995

"Haiti’s Aid in 1779: How Eight Hundred of Her Freedmen Fought for America

The New York Tribune, 6 July 1921

To the Editor of the Tribune.

Sir: The generous Haytian contribution to the cause of the independence of the United States is scarcely known in this country, for the American historians do not mention the fact.

In 1779, 24 yrs before Haytian independence, responding to the call of the Comte d’Estang, the Affranchis, that is to say the Haytain freedmen numbering about 800 blacks and mulattoes, left their families and their homes and went to fight side by side with the soldiers of George Washington. At the seige of Savannah, the colored sons of Hayti fearlessly shed their blood for the independence of the United States.

In an official record prepared in Paris, secured by Richard Rush, the American Minister to Paris in 1849, and preserved in the Pennsylvania Historical Society, are these words: This legion saved the army at Savannah by bravely covering its retreat. Among the blacks who rendered signal services at that time were: Andre, Beauvais, Rigaud, Villatte, Beauregard, Lambert, who latterly became generals under the convention, including Henri Christophe, the future King of Hayti.

The Haytian legion in the army of Comte d’Estang was known in the army as Fontages’s legion, commanded by Vicomte de Fontages. They met the fierce charge of Lieutenant Colonel Maitland and saved the retreating Franc-American army from total disaster.

The Haytian people know that the great American nation, burning for liberty and justice, having the highest traditions of political ideals and human solidarity, the champion of the defenseless peoples of the world, is always working for the happiness of mankind.

Having aided the united colonies of N. Amer. in 1779 to achieve their independence, the Haytian people remain convinced that they can to-day expect from the spirit of justice and humanity of the American people and their present government a more attentive consideration of Hayti’s freedom, rights, and interests.

Signed by Stenio Vincent, NY July 4, 1921.

To set the context, this was published during the US occupation of Haiti, specifically while a Haitian Memorial (commission of Haitians) was in the US, under NAACP sponsorship, to provide testimony to the US Senate Select Committee investigating the US occupation.

Questions:
call of the Comte d’Estang??
Also, does anyone have any further info on this event or related events, as a whole?
I am currently researching info for an extensive lecture on US/Haitian relations (18 and 19th c’s). This article I found very interesting.

On a related note, what is the consensus on Alfred Hunt’s book, Haiti’s Influence on Antebellum America? I found the book to be nothing more than a diatribe on the dangers of Haitian independence for the US slavery institution. I, for one, grow tired of reading these type of accounts that can find no other redeeming quality in history of blacks than to talk of slavery (as if there were no other contributions made to history) This is why the above article caught my attention.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Glenn Inghram
Univ. at Albany.

Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 12:36:14—0700 (PDT)
From: Bob Corbett
To: Bob Corbett
Subject: Re: Haiti’s aid to US in 1779 (fwd)
Message-ID:
From: Stewart R. King
Thanks to Steward King for this informed reply to a subscriber’s request.
Bob Corbett

This is one of the important topics of my forthcoming dissertation Room to Wiggle: Social Mobility of Free People of Color in Pre-Revolutionary Saint-Domingue 1776-1789. Brief historical synopsis: the Comte d’Estaing, former governor of Saint-Domingue and recently appointed leader of the French expedition to Savannah, attempted to recruit colored militiamen to serve in the expedition. Coloreds had been recruited for regular military service before, during the 7 Years’ War and also for the expedition to Cartegena in the 1690’s. Free coloreds formed the majority of the colony’s military forces and military participation was important to the free colored’s view of themselves as active citizens. It proved important to their claim for expanded civil rights at the time of the French Revolution.

The colonial government had long wanted to regularize the militia as it had done in France. White colonists resisted increased militia obligation

Answer 1

Well considering that at that time Haiti, or rather Saint-Domingue, was part of the French Empire, is it really surprising that they would feel the need to join the French in fighting the British?



Thanks for posting this. I don't think that enough Americans realize that without the foreign aid, especially from France, that we received, the Revolution would have failed. There were many officers in the American army that came from other countries in order to help our cause, including Lafayette, von Steuben, and Pulaski just to name a few.

Answer 2

Who is saying that America is the ONLY bad guy? Is this just more crap from the GOP? Where is your link of how much America gives vs Cuba and why does it even matter? Oh that's right, you don't have one! Did you know that Canada, Asia, Britain and other countries are sending money to the Haitian victims? Or do you think that it's only America? Yeah, I can see YOU thinking the latter since you believe everything coming from Fox TV. I'm never going to hate those other countries that you mentioned dude. Know matter how much you Repubs whine about them.

Answer 3

Thanks for the reminder; I almost forgot.

Haitian blacks were known to be very brave and even fearless in battle; it was Toussaint who led an army of slaves to defeat the french army and start the abolition of slavery.

During that period, the French were at war with the British and by helping the Americans, they were also helping themselves. It's a shame that American History fail to mention the Black Haitian input in their military History...but that's not new; blacks who fought in the second world war were treated by dirt by their white commanders and while German refugees were allowed to sit at the front of the American buses, blacks were huddled in the back while the enemy had a seat of honor.

Thanks again.