Manuel crossed rivers on pontoons, caught the Cumans & defeated them, recovering the booty

Summary:
Manuel still had no large ships, but he succeeded in ferrying 500 troops across the Danube by tying small boats together to make pontoons. He found a recent Cuman camp near Tenou Ormon Mountain towards the Russian border, and sent Alexios Giphardos to find their army. Giphardos soon discovered them, but was heavily outnumbered, so he summoned the emperor's help. The Cumans offered some resistance, so Manuel charged and defeated them, killing many and capturing more than a hundred, including their leader, Lazaros. He recovered all the booty previously taken from the Romans, especially Sotas, a noble, who made his escape during the battle 
Dates:
1148 
Alexios Giphardos (Alexios 17006)
  • Was sent ahead to track Cumans with Cuman mercenaries under his command: he soon found them, but, heavily outnumbered, he summoned the help of the emperor Manuel 1 (:) Kinnamos 94.16-24
Lazaros, Cuman leader captured by Manuel I (Lazaros 17001)
  • Was among the Cumans captured in battle by Manuel 1 and the Byzantines (:) Kinnamos 95.13-16
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • Summoned by the scout Alexios 17006, he attacked the Cumans who offered resistance; he charged and defeated them, killing many and capturing more than 100 including Lazaros 17001; he recovered all the booty, especially Sotas 17001, a noble (:) οὐ καθ᾿ ἕνα μόνον, ἀλλ᾿ ἤδη καὶ σύνδυο πολλοὺς ἐκείνων ἀποκτιννύς Kinnamos 94.24-95.21
  • Still without ships, he ferried 500 troops across the Danube by tying boats into pontoons; he found a recent Cuman camp near Tenou Ormon Mountain on the Russian border (:) Kinnamos 94.3-15
  • The Cumans had crossed the Danube and were ravaging the area of Haimos; he attacked them and drove them off immediately, then from Philippopolis he made straight for Kephallenia (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 78.39-42
Sotas, escapee from Cuman captivity (Sotas 17001)
  • Seized the chance to escape during the emperor Manuel 1’'s battle with the Cumans, and reached the Byzantine camp (:) Kinnamos 95.18-21