ORDER OF BATTLE // January 1, 1800
Action of 1 January 1800
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
1 sides catalogued · combined 400–500 estimated
République française
400–500
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Action of 1 January 1800 was a naval engagement of the Quasi-War fought off the coast of present-day Haiti near the island of Gonâve in the Bight of Léogâne. The engagement pitted USS Experiment, an American naval schooner escorting four merchant vessels, against a squadron of armed barges manned by Haitian picaroons operating under André Rigaud. The confrontation reflected the broader instability in Haitian waters during the Quasi-War period, where American commercial shipping required naval escort against irregular maritime threats aligned with French-backed factions.
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