Also known as: Guerre des Couteaux, War of the Knives, Toussaint-Rigaud War, South Province War
Last updated: April 26, 2026
The War of Knives (June 1799 – August 1800) was the civil war between Toussaint Louverture's forces in the north and west and André Rigaud's regime in the South Province, a conflict that divided revolutionary Saint-Domingue along regional and racial lines. Toussaint delegated much of the southern campaign to Dessalines, whose reprisals against mulatto communities were brutal enough that Toussaint later reproved him: 'I ordered you to prune the tree, not to uproot it.' Rigaud's defeat unified the colony under Toussaint for the first time, but the destruction left Saint-Domingue vulnerable to the Leclerc expedition and created resentments that persisted into independence.
His great defeat
Fought as a general of brigade for Rigaud's mulatto southern forces against Toussaint Louverture's northern army.
Fought as a Rigaud partisan against Toussaint's forces during the War of Knives — civil war history that defined his distrust of the creole generals.
Made her name during the siege of Jacmel by organizing relief — food, clothing, and medicine — for the wounded and starving
Toussaint's victory in the War of Knives over Rigaud preceded the expedition and shaped the military landscape Leclerc encountered
War Of Knives
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"War Of Knives." 1799. Rasin.ai, 2026. https://rasin.ai/connections/events/war-of-knives. Accessed 2026-05-05.