Summary
Highlights
After a victory known as the Battle of March 19th in Azua, the Haitian army retreated to the banks of the Jura River. However, General Pedro Santana unexpectedly ordered the withdrawal of his entire Dominican army from Azua during the night, leaving the town abandoned and its supplies, including ammunition, to the Haitians. This left the Dominicans demoralized and created a sense of panic regarding their impending doom.
Facing the possibility of losing their independence, the Dominican government issued a rallying cry, urging the populace to take up arms. As a solution, they sent reinforcements under General Juan Pablo Duarte to the southern army. Duarte aimed to unite forces with Santana to attack the Haitians in Azua, but Santana, who had full control of the southern troops, refused to attack and preferred to wait for the enemy in Sabanaby.
While Duarte and Santana debated, the Haitians planned to advance through the Maniel path to Baní. Unbeknownst to them, a small group of Dominican soldiers, including the mysterious Antonio Duvergé, had positioned themselves along this path. Duarte, frustrated by Santana's inaction, even wrote to the government requesting permission to confront the enemy alone. However, the government ordered Duarte to return to the capital, leaving Santana in full command.
On April 13, 1844, with Pedro Santana's army inactive, Antonio Duvergé, leading a small force with limited resources, prepared to stop the Haitian advance. He chose a narrow mountain pass known as Las Lomas del Memizo. Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned by the Haitian army, Duvergé's men bravely used the terrain and, most notably, large stones to impede the enemy's progress. Santana, upon hearing of the attack, feared the worst and, despite the dire situation, he chose to remain inactive and even reported an assumed defeat to the government before receiving any confirmed news.
Duvergé's strategic use of rolling rocks down the mountain trapped the Haitian army, turning the narrow pass into an impassable obstacle. The Haitians, realizing their disadvantage, were forced to retreat in disarray. Duvergé's courage and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds secured a victory that saved Santo Domingo and ultimately the Dominican Republic. Shortly after, the Haitian president, facing a coup at home, ordered his army to retreat from Dominican territory, burning Azua as they left. Duvergé was the first to arrive in Azua and re-establish the Dominican flag. His actions earned him a promotion to Brigadier General and his victories changed the course of Dominican history.