Ordinary insurgents threatened to murder their own generals’ envoys

Evidence

When a delegation of leaders, including Toussaint, marched to Le Cap to bring the white prisoners to the commissioners, they were stopped on the way by a crowd of “negroes,” who, as Gros described it, “swords in hand, threatened to send only our heads to Le Cap, swearing against peace and against their generals.” Only the firmness of the escorts saved the whites. — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 436

Categorization

• CANDY: A striking image—an armed crowd swearing to send only severed heads to town—that makes a good conversation piece about revolutionary fervor turning inward.