The French version of the memoir is an exact transcript of the handwritten memoir (called “manuscript C” in the introduction) that is found in Folder 1, box AF/IV/1213 at the Archives Nationales in Paris, including passages not found in versions A, B, and D. All spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes were reproduced verbatim, as well as line and page breaks (see examples 1 and 2 below).
1. D manuscript, as reproduced in the 1853 Saint-Rémy edition:
M’arrêter arbitrairement et sans m’entendre ni me dire pourquoi, s’emparer de tous mes avoirs, piller toute ma famille en général, saisir mes papiers et les garder, m’embarquer et m’envoyer nu comme ver de terre, répandre des calomnies les plus atroces sur mon compte, et d’après cela, je suis envoyé dans le fond des cachots, n’est-ce pas couper les jambes d’un quelqu’un et lui dire: marchez; n’est-ce pas couper sa langue et lui dire: marchez; n’est-ce pas couper sa langue et lui dire: parlés; n’est-ce pas enterrer un homme vivant?
Tout cela a été bien combiné à ma perte pour m’anéantir et me détruire. Parce que je suis noir et ignorant, je ne dois pas compter au nombre des soldats de la République, ni avoir du mérite, en conséquence point de justice.
2. Literal transcript of the C manuscript:
arrete abitrairement sans
mentendre ni me dire pourquoi; en parrè toute mes avoire, pillie toute la
famille an general, saisire mes papier et les gard der, man barqué anvoier nud
comme ver deter, répendus des calomni les plus a tros sur mon conte,, da précela
je sui an voier dant le fons du cachot; nesce pas coupé la jambre dun
quie quin et lui dire marché, nesce pas coupè sa langue et lui dire parlé
nes ce pas en teré un homme vivant, tous cela a été bien conbiné a ma perte
pour ment ne antire, et me detruire parce que je sui noire et ingnorant,
et je nedoit pas conte au nombre des soldat de la republique ni avoire de merite,
et point des justice pour moi
The English version is a brand-new translation based on the original C manuscript, rather than an abridged translation of the Saint-Rémy edition, as was the case with Beard’s 1863 English-language edition. Whether and how to reproduce the idiosyncrasies of Louverture’s creolized French were difficult editorial choices. Instead of peppering the text with misspellings and grammatical mistakes (or translating the memoir into Gullah or Jamaican Patois), I decided to translate the C manuscript into modern American English, to correct the spelling of proper nouns, and to add punctuation marks where needed to improve readability. But I followed as closely as possible the rhythm and stylistic shifts of the original (see examples 3, 4, and 5 below).
3. 1863 abridged Beard translation:
They have sent me to France destitute of everything; they have seized my property and my papers, and have spread atrocious calumnies concerning me. Is it not like cutting off a man’s legs and telling him to walk? Is it not like cutting out a man’s tongue and telling him to talk? Is it not burying a man alive?
4. Literal translation of the C manuscript:
arrest abitrarily without hearingme een general, tak my paper and ke epp them, am barkme sand nakedd like earsworm, sprad the most a trocius calumni on my acount, bazedon this I amm se end too the botom of a cell; aint that cut the legge ofa somm one and tell him wallk, aint that cutt his tongue and tell him tallk ai nt that burry a man alive, whole that has been well cobined four ma loss to exst ermi natme, and destroy me because I amm blak and ingnorant, and I mustnott be coumt as one of the soldier of the republic or ave any meritt, and no justices for me;
5. New translation:
Arrested arbitrarily without
hearing me or telling me why; took all my assets; plundered all my
family in general; seized my papers and keep them; embarked me sent me naked
as worm; spread the worst calumnies on my account. Based on this
I am thrown at the bottom of a cell. Isn’t it like cutting the leg of
someone and telling him: “walk?” Isn’t it like cutting his tongue and telling him: “talk?”
Isn’t it like burying a man alive? All of this was well thought out to lose me,
to annihilate me, and to destroy me because I am black and ignorant,
and I must not count as one of the soldiers of the Republic or have any merit,
and no justice for me;