Victor Hugues, the Robespierre of the

Caribbean.

Hugues, Victor, a French soldier, was born in Marseilles in 1761 and passed away near Bordeaux
in November 1826. He was dispatched to Santo Domingo at the tender age of seventeen, where
he thrived. Upon the commencement of the French Revolution in 1789, Hugues openly espoused
the novel democratic doctrines. After some turmoil on the island, he was moved back to France.
The committee of public safety appointed him prosecutor of Brest, and later, Rochefort. After the
committee of safety, he was elected by the convention in February 1794 as the commissioner to
the French West Indies with the mission to recapture Guadeloupe from the British.

On April 23, 1794, Hugues embarked from Aix on the frigate "La Pique" with a limited team. On
May 24, he sighted Pointe à Pitre, which was heavily guarded by a British force. He decided to
strike Basse Terre and successfully seized the Fleur de l'Epee fortress that overlooked the bay on
May 30. He expelled the British from the city and then pursued and captured Pointe à Pitre on
June 6, despite its defense by 4,000 soldiers.

Despite receiving reinforcements from English admiral Jervis, Hugues was forced to withdraw
from Pointe à Pitre due to superior enemy forces. He retreated to rural areas and rallied the local
population, arming 2,000 individuals. With this force, he re-engaged the British. On October 6,
he compelled the British general to surrender at his Barville camp along with his entire force,
which included 800 French emigrants and 900 colored soldiers. Hugues ordered the execution of
300 emigrants as traitors and assigned 100 colored soldiers to public works. After these brutal
acts, he focused on pacifying and restructuring the colony, bringing the guillotine with him to
every major city. His ruthless behavior earned him the nickname "Robespierre of the West
Indies."

However, Guadeloupe flourished under his military rule. With reinforcements from France,
Hugues conducted several expeditions that took back Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, La Desirade,
and Sainte-Lueie et Saint Martin from the British. He returned the latter island to its original
owners, the Dutch, in 1795.

When the English planned an expedition against him, Hugues enforced conscription on the island,
raising an army of 15,000 men, equipping the coast with floating batteries, and deploying
privateers. Over two years, his forces seized over 150 merchant ships. But these forces also
targeted US vessels, leading to complaints to the French government. The attacks by Hugues's
privateers were significant factors in the 1798 break in relations between the United States and
France.

In the spring of 1798, Hugues faced a 20,000 strong English invasion led by General
Abercrombie. Although Abercrombie seized Sainte-Lucie, his forces suffered significant
casualties that left them in a precarious position. The directory, which succeeded the convention,
recalled Hugues, and he left the colony's administration to General Desfourneaux in December
1798.

The following year, General Bonaparte made Hugues governor of Cayenne, cautioning him to
handle the inhabitants more gently than he had in Guadeloupe. He held this position until January
12, 1809, when he surrendered the colony to the English fleet. Hugues was subsequently accused
of incompetence and treason but was acquitted by a French military court in 1814. In 1817, he
was appointed special commissioner of Louis XVIII to Cayenne, and he managed the colony for
an additional two years. After his term ended, he stayed on as a private citizen and managed his
vast estate. Hugues returned to France in early 1826.