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

As specimen of our author's* powers
and style of description, we subjoin trans.
lation If the animated narrative he gives,
from the old historians of the famous bat
tie of Dorislaus, which first subjected the
coast of Asia Minor to the arms of the cru
sades.
"Late on the evening of the 3lst Of June,
1897 the troops arrived at spot where
pasturage appeared abundant, and they re-
solved 70 pitch camp. The Christian ar.
my passed the night in the most profound
security but on the following morning, at
break of day, detached horsemen presented
themselves, and clouds of dust appearing on
the joining heights, announced the pres
ence of the enemy. Instantly the trumpets
sounded, and the whole camp stood to their
arms. Bohemond, the second in command,
having the chief direction in the absence OF
Godfrey, fastened to make the necessary
dispositions TO repeal the threatened attack.
The camp of the Christians was defended
on one side by a river, and on the other
side by a marsh, entangled with reads and
bushes. The Prince vf Tarentum caused il
to be surrounded with palisades, made with
the stakes which served for fixing the cords
of the tents; he then assigned their proper
ports to the infantry, and placing the women,
children and sick in the centre. The cav
alry. arranged in three columns, advanced
to the margin Of the river, and prepared to
dispute the passage. One of the corps was
commanded bv Tancred, and William his
brother; the other by the duke OF Norman
DIV and the Count of Chartres. Bohemond,
who headed the reverse, was posted with his
horsemen on an eminence in the rear, from
whence he could descry the whole field of
battle.
"Hardly were these dispositions compile
thed, when the Saracens, with loud cries,
descended from the mountains, and, as soon
as they arrived within bow-shot, let fall q
shower of arrows upon the Christians.
This discharge did little injury to the
knights, defended as they were by their ar
mour and shields but great number of
horses were wounded, and, in their pain, in
troduced disorder in the ranks. The arch
ers, the singers, the crOsbowmen, scattered
along the tanks of the Christian army, in
vain returned the discharge with theirstones
and iavelins; their misselS could not reach
the enemy, and fell on the ground without
doing any mischief. The Christian horse.
impatient at being inactive spectators OF
the combat charged across the river. and
fell headlong, with their lances in rest on
the Saracens; bu: they avoided the shock,
and, opening their ranks, dispersed when
the formidable r0ass approached them
Again rallying at a distance in small bod
les, they let fly cloud of arrows at their
ponderous assailants, whose heavy horses,
oppressed with weighty armour, could not
overtake the swift steeds Of the desert.
aThis mode Of combating turned entiIe-
" to the advantage Of the Turks. The
whole dispositions made BY the Christians
before the battle became useless. Every
chief almost every cavalier, fought for him
self; he took council from his own ardor,
and IL alone. The Christians combated
almost singly on . ground with which they
were unacquaintsd; in that terrible strife,
tKI;aeawin Iam Hmn;an1aas