Also known as: Battle of Crete-a-Pierrot, Crête-à-Pierrot battle
Last updated: April 26, 2026
From March 4-24, 1802, approximately 1,300-1,500 Haitian defenders under Jean-Jacques Dessalines held the fort of Crête-à-Pierrot against up to 14,000 French troops under General Charles Leclerc, suffering fewer than 300 casualties while inflicting over 2,000 on the French. Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière fought on the ramparts throughout the siege. The surviving garrison escaped through French lines on the final night. A tactical French victory, it was a Haitian strategic triumph that demonstrated the cost of the reconquest and pointed toward guerrilla warfare as the revolution's next phase.
crete-a-pierrot — the full siege context, March 4–24, 1802
crete-a-pierrot — the full twenty-day siege of which the first attack was the opening phase
crete-a-pierrot
crete-a-pierrot — The 1802 siege where Magny co-commanded the fort's defense.
Associated with the resistance at Crête-à-Pierrot (March 1802), a central battle of the Leclerc expedition where the revolutionary forces made their most determined stand.
His account of the Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot was drawn from interviews with veterans in the 1840s, making it a quasi-primary source — direct recording of participants' memories that preserves revolutionary detail unavailable to later historians.
Fought at Crête-à-Pierrot in March 1802, crossing the ramparts to distribute cartridges and load cannons, and firing at the frontlines when French forces pressed the assault.
The battle was the most famous engagement of the French Leclerc expedition
Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot
Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot - Revolutionary stand in the Cahos range
The fort sat east of Saint-Marc, controlling access to the Cahos Mountains
Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot - Ogou's presence felt
Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot - Detailed account
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"Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot." 1802. Rasin.ai, 2026. https://rasin.ai/connections/events/battle-crete-a-pierrot. Accessed 2026-05-05.