Victoria Montou
Victoria "Abdaraya Toya" Montou was a Dahomey in the Benin tribe and freedom fighter in the army of Jean-Jacques Dessalines during the Haitian Revolution. She was reportedly Dessalines's aunt. Toya was a slave in Henry Duclos estate. Toya Montou was not the only woman to serve in the Haitian army during the revolution. While most of the names of the female soldiers are forgotten, exceptions are Marie-Jeanne Lamartiniére, who served at the Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot, that took place from 4 March until 24 March 1802, and Sanité Belair.
Before the revolution, Montou had worked alongside Dessalines as a slave. She was described as intelligent and energetic, and shared a close relationship with Dessalines and the same hatred toward slavery. During the slave rebellion and civil war, she fought as a soldier in active service; on at least one documented occasion, she commanded soldiers in action during battle. In 1804, Dessalines became emperor and Dessalines gave her the title of Duchess. When Montou was dying, the emperor demanded the doctor to treat her as he would him, and stated that Toya was his aunt who had shared his feelings since before the revolution. She was given a state funeral with a procession of eight sergeants and Empress Marie-Claire Heureuse Felicite.
