Fort Picolet: A two tiered battery without embrasures protected in rear and on both flanks by a high loop holed wall and in front by a natural casework of rock. The lower tier mounts 12 x 48 pounders en barbette, and the upper 4 x 48 pounders. All the guns are honeycombed, without sights or disparts, and the carriages are rotten.
Fort St. Joseph: Mounts 6 x 48 pounders en barbette, no embrasures, in very bad condition.
Mortar Battery: Mounts 5 x 12 ½ inch Mortars in good order, no appearance of having been used for many years.
Gun Battery: This is a small earthwork on the top of a hill overlooking the Arsenal, Mounting 2 x 12 pounders cannonades protected by a stone wall 8 feet high and 3 feet thick; on each side of the wall are gabions, and on the top 2 tiers of sand bags.
8 Gun Battery: This battery is en barbette without embrasures, the front is a wall of concrete 12 feet thick - the muzzles of the guns are just clear of the top of the wall. It has positions for 8 guns, 2 guns are lying on the ground where they appear to have been for many years, 3 guns have been lately mounted and worked, and dismounted by the fire from H.M.S. "Bulldog", one of these guns had the muzzle knocked off. All the guns are 48 pounders, very old, rusty and without sights or disparts.
Water Battery: A "fleur d'eau" with 22 rear embrasures, but no place for guns, nor is there any appearance of guns having been in position for many years.
Fort Belair: A stockaded earthworks on the top of a hill commanding the entrance to the town, the walls of this defence are about 3 feet high and 3 thick, built of stone and protected on each side by gabions and on the top by sandbags. This fort commands a smaller one which protects the entrance to the town by the upper road. The armament consists of 2 Iron 32 pounders in position, 1 Brass 12 pounder Field Piece, 1 Brass 6 pounder Field Piece.
Fort St. Pierre: Same description of defence as Belair, mounting 1 Brass 12 pounder, 2 Iron 12 pounder Cannonades.
Fort Boutille: Same description as the preceding, mounting 2 x 6 pounder Cannonades. This position commands the entrance to the town by the main road from Port-au-Prince. All of these defences, with the exception of the two last are old French Forts.
Fort St. Michel: This is an earthwork raised on the ruins of an old French Fort built of stone and concrete. It occupied a commanding position with respect to the surrounding country, as it is built on the top of a hillock about 60 feet high, rising in the midst of a long range of mangrove swamps. It mounts 8 guns, 4 in position and 4 on field service carriages. They are as follows: In position, 2 Iron 12 pounders, 2 Brass 9 pounders, On carriages, 1 Brass 18 pounder, 10 feet long ( muzzle knocked off on 9 inst.), 1 Brass 9 pounder, 1 Brass 4 pounder, 1 Brass 2 pounder ( mountain gun ). The guns in position are all en barbette, and the fittings in fair condition.
The forces under the command of General Salnave appear to have consisted of 700 regular soldiers, about 500 armed irregulars, and an unknown number of women who filled the office of labourers in the forts.
( Gunnery Lieutenant )
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