03-17 March 17th

1772. Birth of General Charles Victor-Emmanuel Leclerc:
Born in Pontoise, a commune located not far from Paris, he enlisted in the army of
Napoleon, of whom he became the brother-in-law by marrying his sister Pauline. One of the
actors in the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire 1799 (9 November 1799), he became a
man of the Consul’s trust, and was responsible for leading the expeditionary force that
was to bring Saint Domingue back under the full authority of France, re-establish
slavery and eliminate black leaders who were disobedient.