Vain ambush by defenders of Antioch to seize building materials coming from St Symeon

Summary:
A group was sent to the coast to escort Egyptian envoys, and return with pilgrims [building materials] from a Genoese [British] fleet: they were Bohemond, Raymond of Toulouse, Everard of Le Puiset and Garnier of Grez. When ambushed, they fought well but had to leave hundreds of pilgrims [the building materials] to their fate. There was a rumour in the main army that all had been massacred. Godfrey of Bouillon gathered the whole army for revenge, appointing as leaders Robert of Normandy, Robert of Flanders, Hugh of Vermandois and Eustace of Boulogne, speaking inspiringly. Bohemond and Raymond then arrived alive to a tearful welcome. Godfrey's plan, approved by Bohemond and Raymond, was to ambush the Turkish ambushers near Antioch; under determined attack the Turks were routed, while Godfrey waited by the gate and cut them off from the city. Yaghi-Siyan inside Antioch rejoiced at the crusader defeat, but soon realised it was being overturned. He collected all those in the city at the Gate of the Bridge for a sortie to help. For a time he shut the gate, to encourage resistance, but Turkish losses were such that he had to open it again; more troops drowned in a panic-stricken crossing of the bridge [Note: this probably conflates two events in the siege] 
Dates:
1098 March 6 
knight who escaped the ambush near St Symeon (Anonymus 26117)
  • The Turks attacked the column returning from St Symeon, hopelessly surprising the heavily-laden infantry; most of the knights, also expecting to die, turned back, but he, with a very fast horse, escaped to warn Godfrey 51 (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
Baldwin of Mons, count of Hainault (Baldwin 4004)
  • Fought well in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning to Antioch from the coast, killing the Turks like sheep (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 6.25-29
Bohemond of Taranto (Bohemond 61)
  • Returned alive to tearful welcome after Godfrey 51 had spoken to the army of plan of revenge, to which he agreed (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.39-44
  • Went to coast to escort Egyptian envoys, and returned as rearguard with pilgrims from Genoese fleet; was ambushed, put up stiff resistance but had to leave hundreds of pilgrims to their fate: in association with Raymond 61, Everard 4001 and Garnier 4001 (in fifth month of siege:in mensem quintum) William of Tyre bk. 5, 4.10-54
  • He was sent to St Symeon to farewell the envoys of al-Afdal 4001 and bring back supplies and experts on siege engines; he was accompanied by Raymond 61, Everard 4001, Garnier 4001 and many infantry; they were ambushed on the return (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
  • Used a trick against spies; as their language skills made it hard to detect them in a multilingual camp, he roasted some Turks, pretending they were for eating, a new punishment for spies; spies became fewer and information safer (: ) William of Tyre bk. 4, 23.1-56
  • After escaping the massacre near St Symeon on a goat-track over the mountain, he slaughtered many Turks when they were driven to a bridge near the city , and more when the gate had to be shut on them, a great blow in favour of the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
  • He and other leaders returning from St Symeon were at the rear when the Turks attacked, hopelessly surprising the heavily-laden infantry; most of the knights, also expecting to die, turned back, but Anonymus 26117 escaped to warn Godfrey 51 (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
Cono, count of Montaigu (Cono 4001)
  • When crusaders were ambushed near St Symeon, he and the crusader knights forced the Turks with a charge to a bridge near the city where many were killed fleeing, and more when the gate had to be shut, a great blow in favour of the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.65
Eustace III, count of Boulogne (Eustace 4001)
  • Was appointed a commander in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning from the coast; fought well in the battle, killing the Turks like sheep (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.15-6.29
Everard of Le Puiset (Everard 4001)
  • Escorted Egyptian envoys from Antioch to coast, returning with pilgrims from Genoese fleet; was ambushed, put up stiff resistance but had to leave hundreds of pilgrims to their fate: in association with Bohemond 61, Raymond 61 and Garnier 4001 (in fifth month of siege:in mensem quintum) William of Tyre bk. 5, 4.10-54
  • He was sent to St Symeon to farewell the envoys of al-Afdal 4001 and bring back supplies and experts on siege engines; he was accompanied by Bohemond 61, Raymond 61, Garnier 4001 and many infantry; they were ambushed on the return (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
Garnier (Warner), count of Grez (Garnier 4001)
  • Escorted Egyptian envoys from Antioch to coast, returning with pilgrims from Genoese fleet; was ambushed, put up stiff resistance but had to leave hundreds of pilgrims to their fate: in association with Bohemond 61, Raymond 61 and Everard 4001 (in fifth month of siege:in mensem quintum) William of Tyre bk. 5, 4.10-54
  • He was sent to St Symeon to farewell the envoys of al-Afdal 4001 and bring back supplies and experts on siege engines; he was accompanied by Bohemond 61, Raymond 61, Everard 4001 and many infantry; they were ambushed on the return (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower Lorraine, first Latin ruler of Jerusalem (Godfrey 51)
  • At rumour of total massacre of those from the coast, he gathered whole army for revenge and appointed as leaders Robert 63, Robert 62, Hugh 4001 and Eustace 4001, speaking inspiringly; Bohemond 61 and Raymond 61 then arrived alive (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.1-41
  • His plan, approved by Bohemond 61 and Raymond 61, was to ambush the Turkish ambushers as they neared Antioch; by determination of other crusaders, the Turks were routed; he waited near the gate and cut them off from the city (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.43-6.17
  • He determined to avenge the massacre of the infantry by capturing the hill on which a fortress was to be built, or dying in the attempt; as the numbers skirmishing on the hill increased, Bohemond 61, Raymond 61 and Garnier 4001 returned safe (:) Albert of Aachen III.64
  • Achieved a famous feat in battle near the Gate of the Bridge: having already decapitated several enemies with one stroke, he now cut one in half at the waist, although wearing a breastplate, causing fear and amazement (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 6.56-67
  • He was driving Turks into Antioch when Anonymus 26117 told him of the massacre of the infantry returning from St Symeon and the grave danger faced by the knights; he told his men and called them to arms, receiving more bad news from the knights (:) Albert of Aachen III.64
  • He joined the battle and amazingly cut a Turk in half; the crusader knights forced the Turks with a charge on to a bridge near the city where many were killed fleeing, and more when the gate had to be shut, a great blow for the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.65
Hugh of Vermandois, brother of Philip I of France (Hugh 4001)
  • Was appointed a commander in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning from the coast; fought mindful of his royal blood, in no way falling short of that great dignity (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.14-6.24
Hugh, count of Saint-Pol (Hugh 4002)
  • Fought well in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning to Antioch from the coast, killing the Turks like sheep (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 6.26-29
Raymond of Saint-Gilles, count of Toulouse (Raymond 61)
  • Went to coast to escort Egyptian envoys, and returned as advance guard with pilgrims from Genoese fleet; was ambushed, put up stiff resistance but had to leave hundreds of pilgrims to their fate: in association with Bohemond 61, Everard 4001 and Garnier 4001 (in fifth month of siege:in mensem quintum) William of Tyre bk. 5, 4.10-54
  • Returned alive to tearful welcome after Godfrey 51 had spoken to the army of plan of revenge, to which he agreed; fought well in the battle, full of Christian zeal (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.39-6.23
  • He was sent to St Symeon to farewell the envoys of al-Afdal 4001 and bring back supplies and experts on siege engines; he was accompanied by Bohemond 61, Everard 4001, Garnier 4001 and many infantry; they were ambushed on the return (:) Albert of Aachen III.63
  • After escaping the massacre near St Symeon, he and the crusader knights forced the Turks with a charge to a bridge near the city where many were killed fleeing, and more when the gate had to be shut, a great blow in favour of the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.65
Robert II, count of Flanders (Robert 62)
  • Was appointed a commander in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning from the coast; with his men he overthrew enemy columns and often inflicted on them the evils they had done to the crusaders (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.14-6.21
  • When crusaders were ambushed near St Symeon, he and the crusader knights forced the Turks with a charge to a bridge near the city where many were killed fleeing, and more when the gate had to be shut, a great blow in favour of the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.65
Robert [Curthose], count [duke] of Normandy (Robert 63)
  • Was appointed a commander in the battle to avenge the massacre of those returning from the coast; fought as well as Robert 62, in no way unworthy of his ancestors (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.13-6.22
  • When crusaders were ambushed near St Symeon, he and the crusader knights forced the Turks with a charge to a bridge near the city where many were killed fleeing, and more when the gate had to be shut, a great blow in favour of the besiegers (:) Albert of Aachen III.65
Wicher the German (Swabian) (Wicher 26101)
  • He sliced a mailed Turk in two on the bridge at Antioch (:) Albert of Aachen VII.71
Yaghi Siyan of Antioch (Yaghi Siyan 4001)
  • Rejoiced in the defeat of the crusaders returning from coast, but realised dangers which the victors still faced; collected all men remaining in Antioch at Gate of the Bridge for a sortie to help them (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 5.44-51
  • Shut the Gate of the Bridge for a time, to encourage those outside; but this only increased losses, so he had to open it again; there followed a panic-stricken crossing of the bridge, in which more troops were drowned (: ) William of Tyre bk. 5, 6.29-55
  • His morale and that of Antioch's defenders were dashed by defeat on the bridge after the ambush near St Symeon: several senior amirs were said to have been killed, and the nearby crusader castle was strengthened (:) Albert of Aachen III.66-IV.1