#3047: Haitian Forts: Perdue adds

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Perdue and Persinos <vtandwi@erols.com>

In response to your requests, pleased to be of assistance with the GPS
locations:

Fort Riviere:   19.28.83N   72.10.27W

Fort Salnave:  This GPS is for a tower (probably for communications) on
Mt. Salnave.  The fort is 100 m SE of the tower.
                        19.26.46N   71.53.06W

Fort Neuf:       19.28.65N   72.10.71W

My interest is the history of the old Plantation Dauphin and the Fort
Liberty area.  I am interested in anything that happened in the area or
any event that was initiated in the area.  The "Battle of Fort Riviere"
falls into that category because it was from Fort Liberty that the
marines began the patrol that led them to Riviere and other forts like
Dipitie.

When I last flew from PaP to CH I asked the pilot to fly near Riviere so
I could at least see it and get a photo.  He missed by several miles but
I did get a photo in which the fort is about 1/2 inch across.

Imagine my response when I became acquainted with a geologist at my
hotel in CH when he asked me if I would like to visit Riviere.  It was
great but I don't have time to hike up that mountain. His response was
that he had a helicopter and that is how I. got there,  We flew over
what he said the Haitians call the New Fort, landed at Riviere and
explored for at least an hour and then stopped at Fort Salnave.

I have some very good photos of New Fort from the air and Riviere and
Salnave from the ground.  Salnave is just a pile of rubble completely
hidden by vegetation  but the other two are spectacular from the air.
Riviere looks like a star with four points.

New Fort, from my photo, appears to consist  of a walled-in rectangle
with what probably were barracks on one side and a parade ground on the
other.  At  one end there are two outlying smaller fortresses, both
square and surrounded by what looks somewhat like a "moat".  In the
distance there is a third structure, probably like the other two
outliers.  Below the rectangle there is/are other structures, largely
hidden by vegetation.

I am a Huguenot in origin, high school French, put in practice in France
during WWII, where I became fairly fluent, and used what I had then many
years ago to pass a language exam for PhD.  But now at a loss as I have
forgotten. it all.  I have read everything I can find in English but  at
a loss with the literature in French.   I suspect there is something in
the literature on these and other such forts and I suspect it may be
under different names as Neuf and Salnave are names to which these sites
are known to the local people who live nearby.

I suspect there are other such forts on isolated mountain tops.  If you
know of others, especially in the north I would like to learn more.

It is my understanding Riviere was built by the French and I feel
confident Salnave was built by the Haitiens.  I would guess Neuf was
built by the French as it appears more sophisticated but those who built
the Citadelle could easily have constructed this as well.

I think there is much more to be learned about these old forts and at
one time considered seeking a grant to undertake their exploration but I
have more projects now than I can complete in my lifetime and this is
really a job for an archaeologist which I am not.

I have some quite good photos which I would be willing to maake
available if someone can get them on the net for all to see and enjoy.

Glad you enquired and would like to hear from you if you have more to
add on this subject.

Bob Perdue