Lamour Desrances

Lamour Desrances was a Haitian revolutionary leader. A former maroon, he was born in Africa and brought to Saint-Domingue as a slave. During the revolution, when local figures often gained power in control of small armed forces, Desrances became a local military leader in the mountains surrounding Port-au-Prince and Saint-Marc. [cite book|title=Études sur l'histoire d'Haïti, suivies de la vie du général J.M. Borgella|author=Beaubrun Ardouin, Jérôme MaximilienBorgella|date=1853|language=French|page=119]

At the time of the War of Knives, Desrances was loyal to André Rigaud in his battle with Toussaint L'Ouverture, and was one of the few black officers in the predominantly mulatto northern Rigaud-loyal army. [cite book|title=Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution|author=Laurent Dubois|year=2004|publisher=Harvard University Press|ISBN=0674018265|pages=232] After Rigaud's defeat by L'Ouverture, Desrances is referred to as a rebel in L'Oureverture's autobiography. Céligny Ardouin argues that L'Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines saw Desrances as a growing rival due to his power in the region, and determined to defeat him. [cite article|title=COMMENT SE CONCERTA LUTTE POUR L'INDÉPENDANCE|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=g-P2PZ5FXUcC&lpg=PA30&ots=Felkt2M3Vf&dq=Lamour+Desrances&pg=PA28&ci=227,324,567,113|author=Céligny Ardouin|page=30|language=French in cite book|title=Auteurs haïtiens: Morceaux choisis|author=Solon Ménos, Dantès Bellegarde, Georges Sylvain|date=1904|publisher=Impr. de Mme F. Smith] L'Ouverture marched on Desrances' forces in November 1802, and they scattered into the local forest. [cite book|url=http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/beard63/beard63.html|pages=308-309|title=Toussaint L'Ouverture: A Biography and Autobiography|trans=Beard, J. R. (John Relly)|author=Toussaint L'Ouverture|publisher=James Redpath|location=Boston|date=1863]

Two months later, the French forces arrived under Charles Leclerc and during L'Ouverture's open conflict with the French, Desrances notably changed his loyalty to the French under General Pampile de Lacroix to fight against Dessalines' forces. [cite book|title=Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution|author=Laurent Dubois|year=2004|publisher=Harvard University Press|ISBN=0674018265|pages=270] An enemy of L'Ouverture in both instances, L'Ouverture wrote of him: "L’Amour Desrances, who had caused all the inhabitants of the Plain of Cul-de-Sac to be assassinated; who urged the laborers to revolt; who pillaged all this part of the island." [ L'Ouverture also records that Leclerc raised Desrances to the rank of brigade commander.cite book|url=http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/beard63/beard63.html|pages=308-309|title=Toussaint L'Ouverture: A Biography and Autobiography|trans=Beard, J. R. (John Relly)|author=Toussaint L'Ouverture|publisher=James Redpath|location=Boston|date=1863] The combined force of French and Desrances' and others' local militias defeated Dessalines army at Port-au-Prince and forced their retreat.

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