I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 692 693: The Caribbean Nightmare

United States, Philadelphia.

In the Congressional Hall, Alexander Hamilton stood at the speaker's podium, his right hand raised, his voice thundering through the chamber:

"Twenty years have passed since the arrogant British last trampled on our trade rights and crushed our dignity beneath their feet!

"The federal government must spare no effort to defend our trade routes in the Caribbean. We must adopt an uncompromising stance to force the British to release all unlawfully seized merchant ships and pledge to cease intercepting and arresting our ships and sailors!"

As a staunch leader of the hawkish faction, Hamilton's speeches often elicited little response from the assembly.

This time, however, the hall erupted with thunderous shouts:

"We must stand strong against the British!"

"Send a diplomatic protest immediately!"

"Free trade must not be undermined!"

Over a dozen impassioned congressmen walked up to stand behind Hamilton on the platform, raising their hands in solidarity.

Their unified outrage wasn't surprising. Just over a month ago, the newly formed government of Santo Domingo issued special trade licenses to the United States.

It was like manna from heaven. In the wake of Santo Domingo's independence, no merchant ship could procure a single cane of sugar from the island without a valid trade license.

This unexpected permit allowed American merchants to fill their ships with sugarcane from Santo Domingo and sail to Europe, where the skyrocketing price of sugar could yield a staggering 140% profit!

Of course, the license itself was actually negotiated by French advisors from Paris. According to a secret agreement between France and Santo Domingo, the republic was to sell its sugar exclusively to buyers authorized by France for the next ten years.

Joseph had accurately predicted that Santo Domingo's government would likely outlast the British expeditionary forces. Still, given the island's reliance on external supplies, he decided to enlist the assistance of the nearby United States.

As expected, the Americans descended into a frenzy.

A fleet of merchant ships, driven by the scent of profit, swarmed toward Port-au-Prince like starving wolves to fresh meat.

However, the British Navy, intent on preventing the Black government in Santo Domingo from receiving external supplies, imposed a blockade on the port.

Within weeks, several American merchant ships were seized under the charge of "aiding and abetting rebellion."

But this didn't deter the Americans.

Lured by the promise of 140% profits, they persisted undaunted, no matter the risk of cannon fire—or even divine retribution.

Crafty merchants shifted their operations to less conspicuous ports like Azua and Puerto Plata, circumventing the British blockade.

The British Navy, forced into relentless island-wide patrols, found itself stretched thin and overwhelmed, leading to even more American ships being detained.

Finally, the United States government reached its breaking point.

Notably, many American politicians—or the wealthy elites they represented—had invested in the Caribbean sugar trade. Each ship detained by the British Navy felt like money being plucked from their pockets.

Hamilton gestured for the chamber to quiet down, his expression grave as he declared:

"I propose deploying naval escorts to protect our merchant vessels and ensure the British can no longer infringe on our lawful interests!"

Once again, the chamber roared with approval:

"Deploy the Navy!"

"We will not bow to Britain!"

"Use our warships to secure our trade routes!"

The U.S. Navy, which had recently demonstrated its prowess in the Caribbean by decimating pirate fleets, was a source of great confidence for the Congress.

With unprecedented speed, Congress unanimously passed the Caribbean Special Trade Act the very next morning.

The swift passage of this act was fueled not only by the lucrative sugar trade but also by lingering resentment over the slave uprisings in Georgia.

While some Americans found Britain's alleged support for Black insurrection suspicious, without concrete evidence, most congressmen were content to pin the blame squarely on the British.

A few days later, three unassuming U.S. frigates appeared off the coast of Santo Domingo...

Southern Santo Domingo, Azua.

Brigadier General Toussaint Louverture, the Republic's Minister of War, examined a map spread before him. He instructed a nearby officer:

"We're approaching Cocos. Have the soldiers stay close to the forest and remain as quiet as possible.

"And recall all the scouts. We mustn't risk alerting the British."

"Yes, General!"

The officer had just turned to leave when the sound of heavy gunfire echoed in the distance.

Louverture frowned deeply. Had their movements been discovered?

He had only brought 700 soldiers. If the British were prepared, his force would struggle to overcome the 300 troops stationed at the Cocos camp.

As he deliberated whether to retreat to the Duarte Mountains, a mixed-race scout galloped toward him, shouting:

"General! A resistance force is attacking Cocos, and they've already breached the northern part of the town!"

The so-called resistance consisted of civilian militias formed across Santo Domingo.

Louverture was stunned. He was well aware of their combat limitations—most were recently freed slaves who could barely operate firearms. Yet somehow, they had overrun a British encampment!

Without hesitation, he ordered:

"Double time to Cocos! We must assist them!"

When Louverture's troops arrived at Cocos, the battle was in full swing.

Over a hundred British soldiers had fortified themselves in the town's mill, locked in a fierce gunfight with 200-300 militia members.

The appearance of Louverture's forces shattered the British resolve. A white flag was quickly raised over the mill.

Soon, Louverture met with the resistance commander. After praising their efforts, he asked curiously:

"How many men did you lead in the attack on Cocos?"

"We had 260 fighters, General," replied the commander.

"That few?" Louverture was stunned. "How did you breach the town? My reports indicated over 300 British soldiers stationed here."

The commander nodded.

"There were 300 whites here, General, but my relatives in the town informed me that over a hundred had fallen ill with yellow fever, and many of the rest were suffering from diarrhea.

"So, I decided to take a chance."

The outbreak of yellow fever had sapped British morale, allowing an untrained militia to overwhelm them.

Reports soon confirmed the state of the battlefield. Of the British troops in the town, only 130 were in good health. The rest were afflicted by yellow fever, dysentery, and dark urine syndrome, which had ravaged the unit.

Similar conditions plagued British forces across the island. Yellow fever, in particular, spread with alarming ferocity.

Even in October, the island's temperatures remained above 25°C (77°F), and mosquitoes capable of transmitting the disease were omnipresent.

For British soldiers lacking immunity, Santo Domingo had become a living nightmare.

[Note 1]: Yellow fever is an acute viral disease transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever, headaches, jaundice, proteinuria, relative bradycardia, and bleeding. The disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South America, with high mortality and significant contagious potential.

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