Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-06-04

death became the only reward of undisci-
plined valor. Robert of Paris, the same
who had sat on the imperial throne beside
Alexis, was MORALLY wounded, Ter having
seen forty of his bravest companions fall by
his side. William, brother of Tancred, fell
pierced by arrows. Tancred himself whose
lance was broken, and who had no other
weapon but his sword, owed his life to Boz
hemond who came up to the rescue, and
extracted him from the hands of the Inf
delS.
"While victory was still uncertain be-
tween force and address, agility and valour,
fresh troops ofthe Saracens descended from
the mountains, and mingled in overwhel-
| ming proportion to the conflict. The Sultan
of Nice took advantage Of the moment when
the cavalry of the Crusaders withstood with
difficulty the attack of the Turks, and di-
| rected his forces against their camp. He
assembled the eliteof his troops, crossed the
river, and overcame with ease all the OBJ
stacles which opposed his progress In an
instant the camp of the Christians was in
vaded, and filled with a multitude of bar
barians. The Turks massacred, without
distinction, all who presented themselves to
their blows; except the women whom youth
| and beauty rendered fit for their seraglios.
If we may credit Albert d'Aix, the wives
and daughters of the knights preferred, in
that extremity, slavery to death; they were
seen in the midst of the tumult to adorn
themselves with their most elegant dresses,
and, arrayed in this manner, sought by the
display of their charms, 10 soften the merci-
less enemies.
"Bohemond, however soon arrived to the
succour of the camp, and obliged the Sui
tan to retrace his steps to his own army
Then the combat recommended on the banks
of the river with more fury than ever.
The Duke of Robert of Normandy, who
had remained with some of his knights on
the field of battle, snatched from his stand
ard bearer his pennon of white, bordered
with golo, and exclaiming, A moi, la Nor
mandie y penetrated the ranks of the enemy,
striking down with his sword whatever OPP
posed him, till he laid dead at his feet cnc
Of the principal emirs. Tancred, Richard,
the Prince of Salerno, Stephen Count of
Blois, and other chiefs, followed his exam
pie and emulated his valour. Bohemond,
returning from the camp, which he had de-
| livered from its cppressors, encountered a
| troop of fugatives. Instantly advancing
among them,h exclaimed, 'Whither fly you,
o Christian soldiers! Do you not see that
the enemies horses, swifter than your own,
will not fail soon to reach your Follow
| me will show you surer mode of safety
than flight With these words he threw
himself followed, by his own men and the
rallied fngitives, into the midst of the Sara
Gems, and striking down all who attempted
| to resist them, made frightful carnage. In
the midst of the tumult, the women who had
been taken and delivered from the hands of
the Mussulmans, burning to avenge their
outraged modesty, went through the ranks
carrying refreshments to the soldiers, and
exhol ting them to redouble their efforts to
save them from the hands of Turkish ser
vitude.
"But all these efforts were in vain. The
| Crusaders, worn out by fatigue, parched by
thirst, were unable to Withstand an enemy
who was necessarily recruited by fresh
troops. The Christian army, moment
victorious, was envelloped on all sides and
obliged to yield to numbers. They retired
or rather fled, towards the camp, which the
Turks were on the point of entering with
them. No words can paint the consterna-
| ton of the Christians, the disorder Of their
ranks, or the scenes of horror which the
interior ofthe camp presented. There were
to be seen priests In tears, imploring on
their knees the assistance of Heaven-there
women in despair rent the air with their
shrieks, while the more courageous of their
numbers bore wounded knights into the
tents; and the soldiers, desparing Of life,--
cast themselves on their knees before their
| 4 IL Ia ahe 49,
of their sins. In the frightful tumult, the
voice of the chief was no longer heard; the
most intrepid had already fallen, covered
with wounds, or sunk under the rays of a
vertical sun and the horrors of an agonizing
thirst. All seemed lost. and nothing to ap-
pearance could restore their courage. when
all of sudden, loud cries Of joy announced
the approach Of Raymond of Toulouse,
and Godfrey of Bouillon, who advanced at
the head of the second corps of the Chris
tian army.
"From the commencement of the battle
Bohemond had despatched accounts to them
of the attack of the Turks. No sooner did
the intelligence arrive, than the Duke Of
Lorraine, the Count of Vermandois, and the
Count of Flanders, at the head of the
corps-d'armee, directed their march towards
the valley Of Gorgoni, followed by Ray
mond and D'Adhemar, who brought up the
luggage and formed the rear-guard. When
they appeared on the eastern slope of the
mountains, the sun was high in the heav-
ems, and his rays were reflected from their
bucklefs, helmets, and drawn swords; their
standards were displayed and the loud -four
ish of their trumpets resounded from afar.
Fifty thousand horsemen, clad in steel and
ready for the fight, advanced in regular Or
der to the attack. That at once reanima-
ted the Crusaders and spread terror among
the Infdels.
"Already Godfrey, outstripping the speed
of his followers, at the head of the fifty
chosen cavaliers, had taken a part in the
combat. Upon this the Sultan sounded a
retreat, and took post upon the hills, when
he trusted the Crusaders would not venture
to attack him. Soon, however, the second
corps of the Christians arrived ON the field
still ree1ing with the blood Of their breth-
rem. They knew their comrades and COM
panions stretched in the dust-they became
\ svvan asax, tn and daSuandod