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Battle of Port-au-Prince (1919)

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Coordinates: 18°31′59″N 72°19′59″W / 18.533°N 72.333°W / 18.533; -72.333
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Battle of Port-au-Prince (1919)
Part of the United States occupation of Haiti, Second Caco War, Banana Wars
Date6–7 October 1919[1][2][3][4][5]
Location
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
18°31′59″N 72°19′59″W / 18.533°N 72.333°W / 18.533; -72.333
Result American-Haitian government victory
Belligerents
 United States
Haiti Haitian government		 Haiti Cacos
Commanders and leaders
United States Kemp Christian Haiti Charlemagne Péralte[1]
Strength
Unknown 200[3]–300 rebels
"a number of Port-au-Prince sympathisers"[1]
Casualties and losses
Unknown, likely low casualties[3] 30+ killed
20 horses captured
1 field gun captured[1][3]

The Battle of Port-au-Prince took place on either the 6 or 7 October 1919[1][2][3][4][5] when Haitian rebels, known as Cacos, attacked the capital of Haiti during the Second Caco War and the American occupation of Haiti.

The assault began at 4:00 a.m., with between 200[3] and 300[1] Cacos, armed with "swords, machetes, and pikes"[3] and commanded by Charlemagne Masséna Péralte, entering the city from the North, only to be met by fearsome rifle and machine gun fire from the American Marines and Haitian gendarmes garrisoning the city. The latter were ready for the attack, since Péralte had "sent an advance warning to the British embassy." The defenders counterattacked and, within two minutes, the Caco raid disintegrated.[1]

On 8 October, Lieutenant Kemp C. Christian, leading 12 Haitian gendarmes, captured Péralte's base camp,[3] killing 30 Caco rebels and capturing 20 horses, some rifles and swords, and a field gun (Péralte's only one).[1] The rebel leader managed to escape.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Musicant, Ivan (August 1990). The Banana Wars: A History of United States Military Intervention in Latin America from the Spanish–American War to the Invasion of Panama. New York City: Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-02-588210-2.
  2. ^ a b Boot, Max (May 27, 2003). The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power. New York City: Basic Books. pp. 172–173.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Beede, Benjamin R. (May 1, 1994). The War of 1898 and U.S. Interventions, 1898–1934: An Encyclopedia. New York City: Routledge. p. 435.
  4. ^ a b Nofi, Albert A. (September 22, 1997). Marine Corps Book of Lists. Boston: Da Capo Press. p. 112.
  5. ^ a b Strecker, Mark (February 28, 2011). Smedley D. Butler, USMC: A Biography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 80.
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