who has just covered himself with such glory!" Then he saluted the Haitian warriors, returned to his position, and the fighting resumed. General Dessalines sent his reserves under Gabart, the youngest of the generals, while Jean-Philippe Daut, Rochambeau’s guard of grenadiers, formed for a final charge. But Gabart, Capois, and Clervaux, the last fighting with a French musket in hand and with one epaulette shot away, repulsed the desperate counterattack. A sudden downpour with thunder and lightning drenched the battlefield. Under cover of the storm, Rochambeau pulled back from Vertières, knowing he was defeated and that Saint-Domingue was lost from France. Aftermath The next morning, general Rochambeau sent Duveyrier to negotiate with Dessalines. By the end of the day, the terms of the French surrender were settled. Rochambeau got ten days to embark the remainder of his army and leave Saint-Domingue. The wounded French soldiers were left behind under lock and key with the expectation that they would be returned to France, but they were drowned a few days later. This battle occurred less than two months before Dessalines' proclamation of the independent Republic of Haiti on 1 January 1804. During the Second Restoration, the kingdom of France refused to recognize the independence acquired against the French Republic. In 1826, King Charles X demanded that Haiti pay a compensation of 150 million gold francs before France would recognize the young republic's independence. In 1838, under the July Monarchy, this debt was reduced by King Louis-Philippe to 90 million francs and was paid to France until well into the 2000’s like many African countries still do. November 18 has been widely celebrated since then as a Day of Victory in Haiti. References External links A Great moment in Haitian History: The Louverture Project: The Battle of Vertières The Louverture Project: French Capitulation in Saint-Domingue Conflicts in 1803 Vertieres 1803 Vertieres 1803 Haitian Revolution 1803 in France 1803 in North America November 1803 events