Preliminary skirmishing & reconnaissance before the battle of the Field of Blood

Summary:
Roger led his army to a site where food and water were scarce, requiring constant foraging: they camped at the Field of Blood with 700 knights and 3,000 infantry. His movements were observed by Ilghazi's spies selling birds. Roger sent men from the army to help the garrison of al-Atharib, which was under attack (a feint?). In a preliminary skirmish Alan of al-Atharib fought well, while Robert of Vieux-Pont and his knights defended with great determination and stamina, Arrangements were made for Peter of Narbonne, archbishop of Apamea, to have the whole army (and Roger) confess at dawn. A lunatic prophetess predicted disaster for the Antiochenes, and her skill was confirmed. He told Mauger of Hauteville to send forty men on reconnaissance and ten to a nearby hilltop. He met with his household, had a private discussion with Walter the Chancellor and arranged for valuables to be sent to the bishop of Artah. On the morning of the battle, his hunting was interrupted by a messnger who told him of many hostile columns approaching by unknown and inaccessible paths, one following the other. This made Roger concentrate on defence. After the planned confession to Peter of Narbonne, a second messenger reported the enemy closer, making the enormity of the danger clear. A priest was told to keep the True Cross contantly in Roger's view. News arrived of Mauger's forty scouts: Alberic his deputy steward reported the deaths by decapitation of of Jordan Jordan and Eudes Forestmoutiers, then Mauger himself and a companion arrived, badly wounded on dying horses, bearing even closer testimony to the danger. Roger's last act before being engulfed in the battle was to sent Reynald Mazoir with strong forces on a spectacular diversionary attack 
Dates:
1119 
Alan, lord of al-Atharib (Alan 4002)
  • He fought splendidly in the preliminary skirmish before the Field of Blood, in both attack and defence (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.2
Alberic, deputy steward and third messenger at the Field of Blood (Alberic 101)
  • As the third in the line of messengers, he was asked by Roger 4002 about the forty scouts who had been sent out with Mauger 101: he replied that many of them were already dead, especially Jordan 101 and Eudes 101 who had been beheaded; as they thought of Mauger, the man himself arrived (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
lunatic prophetess over the Field of Blood (Anonyma 233)
  • On the eve of the Field of Blood she prophecied disaster for the Antiochene army, which would confirm her prophetic skills - as it eventually did (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
bishop of Artah [1119] (Anonymus 842)
  • Before the Field of Blood, Roger 4002 arranged for all the valuables of the army to be sent to Artah and placed in his charge, as bishop of the town (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
first messenger reporting Muslim attacks at the Field of Blood (Anonymus 843)
  • He came galloping up on his horse, telling Roger 4002 that there were many hostile columns approaching by unknown and inaccessible paths, one following the other; Roger began to prepare the army for defence (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
second messenger reporting Muslim attacks at the Field of Blood (Anonymus 844)
  • He brought a similar message to the first - Anonymus 843, who was still present - but more urgent, as the hostile forces were closer; Roger 4002 also made his response more urgent, demanding from his troops immediate reaction to the bugle (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
priest carrying the Antiochene True Cross at the Field of Blood (Anonymus 845)
  • As the enormity of the situation became clear, he was ordered by Roger 4002 to carry the True Cross in front of him, so that it should be always in his sight and ready for his prayers (:) signum Dominicae crucis Walter the Chancellor 2.4
companion of Mauger of Hauteville, who survived to fight at the Field of Blood (Anonymus 846)
  • He had probably been sent out as one of the forty scouts dispatched with Mauger 101, but Alberic 101 reported that many of them had been killed by decapitation before the main battle began; he and Mauger then arrived, seriously wounded (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
  • When he suddenly appeared with Mauger himself, their horses, badly wounded by arrows and other weapons, expired, and they took others; the enemy too made their appearance, and the battle began (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
Eudes of Forestmoutiers (Eudes 101)
  • He had been sent out as one of the forty scouts dispatched with Mauger 101, but was reported by Alberic 101 to have been killed by decapitation before the main battle began (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
Najm al-Din Ilghazi, the Urtuqid (Ilghazi 4001)
  • He kept aware of the movements and condition of Roger 4002's army via spies acting as bird-sellers; he made an attack (a feint?) on al-Atharib, whose garrison was augmented by men from the main army, skilfully drawn away; in a preliminary skirmish Robert 26106 fought bravely (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.2
Jordan Jordan (Jordan 101)
  • He had been sent out as one of the forty scouts dispatched with Mauger 101, but was reported by Alberic 101 to have been killed by decapitation before the main battle began (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
Mauger of Hauteville (Mauger 101)
  • Just before the Field of Blood, he was asked to send forty knights on reconnaissance at a distance, and ten more to a hill-top to provide early warning for Roger 4002 of any further enemy approach to al-Atharib (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
  • He and his forty scouts were being discussed by Roger 4002 with Alberic 101, when suddenly Mauger himself appeared, with Anonymus 846; their horses, badly wounded by arrows and other weapons, expired, and they took others; the enemy too made their appearance, and the battle began (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
Peter of Narbonne, bishop of Albara, archbishop of Apamea (Petros 4005)
  • Arranged with Roger 4002 on the eve of the Field of Blood to have the army hear mass and confess at dawn; in his sermon he told them not to have confidence in their own strength, but in God's (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
  • On the morning of the Field of Blood, he was still involved in motivating the troops; he made it possible for Roger 4002, with the True Cross carried before him, to make a complete confession of his sins, as messengers brought more and more urgent news (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
  • Is said to have accepted confession of Roger 4002 on the day he died at the Field of Blood (: ) William of Tyre bk. 12, 10.30-35
Reynald Mazoir (Renaud 4004)
  • The last act of Roger 4002 before being engulfed by the enemy attack at the Field of Blood was to send Reynald with strong forces on a diversionary attack, giving him wide scope to raid wherever he wished, to make himself visible (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
Robert of Vieux-Pont (Robert 26106)
  • In a preliminary skirmish before the Field of Blood, he fought with great detemination and stamina to save his own life and those of his comrades; the knights fought much more courageously than the other troops (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.2
Roger of Salerno, prince (regent?) of Antioch (Roger 4002)
  • He led his army to the Field of Blood, where food and water were scarce and constant foraging was needed; he sent men from the main army to help the garrison of al-Atharib, which was under attack (a feint?); after a preliminary skirmish in which Robert 26106 fought, some of the men returned (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.2
  • Finally camped at Field of Blood with 700 knights and 3,000 infantry; Turks disguised attack by feint against al-Atharib; when battle began, divisions of Geoffrey 4003 and Guy 4005 attacked well, but that of Robert 4010 fled through Roger's division (: ) William of Tyre bk. 12, 9.31-64
  • He also told Mauger 101 to arrange reconnaissance, and decided with Petros 4005 to have the troops hear mass and confess at dawn; despite the diversion caused by Anonyma 233, he met with his household to put plans into operation, had a private discussion with Walter 101 and arranged for valuables to be taken to Artah in charge of Anonymus 842 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
  • On the morning of the Field of Blood, hunting was interrupted by Anonymus 843, who made him concentrate on defence, using Petros 4005 for inspiration and confession (for the army and himself); Anonymus 844 made the preparations more urgent, with Anonymus 845 told to carry the True Cross (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
  • Later in the morning of the Field of Blood, the news became ever more dire and urgent: Alberic 101 reported the deaths of Jordan 101 and Eudes 101, then Mauger 101 and Anonymus 846 bore even closer personal testimony to the danger; Roger sent Renaud 4004 on a diversionary raid, then was engulfed in the attack (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.4
  • He summoned his nobles for consultation (1) what to do about al-Atharib, (2) what to do next; the issues was fiercely debated, but he finally decided to march to al-Atharib the next day, expecting a battle, and if not, to make a pre-emptive attack on enemy forces the day after that (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3
Walter, chancellor of Antioch, historical writer (Walter 101)
  • The advance to the Field of Blood was described in the first person plural, though his participation was plainly unwilling; on the eve of the battle he had a private meeting with Roger 4002, to discuss non-military issues (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.3