Threatening the nation's independence were renewed Haitian invasions. On March 19, 1844, the Haitian army, under the personal command of President Hérard, invaded the eastern province from the north and progressed as far as Santiago, but was soon forced to withdraw after suffering disproportionate losses. According to José María Imbert's (the General defending Santiago) report of April 5, 1844 to Santo Domingo, "in Santiago, the enemy did not leave behind in the battlefield less than six hundred dead and...the number of wounded was very superior...on our part we suffered not one casualty."