Cacos (military group)


Cacos were bodies of armed men, originally drawn from the enslaved population of Haiti, who came to wield power in the mountainous regions of Haiti following the victory of the Haitian Revolution in 1804. The nickname "cacos" was derived from local terms for the red-plumed Hispaniolan trogon because the insurgents "used to hide, like the bird of the same name, under the leaves so as to come unexpectedly upon and attack their enemy."

Fighting during US occupation 1915–1934

The United States invaded Haiti to "restore order" on 28 July 1915, and maintained a force of marines to occupy the island until 1934. While US forces were able to pacify the cities quite quickly, the Cacos maintained a rebellion in the mountainous areas to the north. Despite lack of local support, near Cap-Haïtien the Cacos threatened to defeat the US Marines at the Battle of Fort Dipitie, but skillful use of reinforcements enabled the Marines to launch a surprise counter attack that resulted in the entire Cacos force being either killed or taken prisoner. The marines then slowly advanced upon the mountainous Cacos territory, eventually trapping and defeating the remnants of the guerilla force at the Battle of Fort Rivière.

Prominent Cacos leaders