pt/3
Because of all these safety measures and since there was very little transport to be had and part of the foot-soldiers were carrying stores and tents, the army moved on very slowly. This is apparent from the distances covered.
Thursday 23 August: from Acre to the river Belus, 2 miles
Friday 23 August: crossed the river Belus, 2 miles
Saturday 24: rest and preparation for continuing the march
Sunday 25: march to Haifa, 11 miles
Monday 26: rest at Haifa
Tuesday 27: march from Haifa to Athlit, with a diversion round Mount Carmel, 12 miles
Wednesday 28: rest in camp
Thursday 29: rest in camp while the fleet unloaded stores and
Friday 30: march from Athlit to Merla, 13 miles
Saturday 31: march to Caesarea, 3 miles. The fleet brought more stores and reinforcements
Sunday 1 September: from Caesarea to the Dead River, Nahr-al-Khudeira, 3 miles
Monday 2: rest in camp
Tuesday 3, from the Dead River to the Salt River, Nahr Iskanderuna, 7 miles
Wednesday 4: rest in camp
Thursday 5: from the Salt River through the Forest of Arsuf to the River Rochetaille, Nahr-al-Falik,
10 miles
Friday 6: rest in camp
Saturday 7, from the River Rochetaille to Arsuf, and the battle of Arsuf, 6 miles
Sunday 8: rest in camp at Arsuf
Monday 9: from Arsuf to Nahr-el-Aujeh, 6 miles
Tuesday 10: over 5 miles to Jaffa, where the fleet unloaded stores
At this slow pace it took 19 days to travel about 81 miles from Acre to Jaffa. They marched in the morning only, and were perpetually harassed by attacks by the Turks, who were trying to separate the elements of the column from each other, in order to be able to finish them off in one great battle. Even on the first day the Turks came out from the hills in little bands of twenty or thirty to harass the crusaders, but without effect.
On 25 August they succeeded in causing some loss among the waggoners of the baggage train as the army was going through a pass. But after this the crusaders marched in better order than before. At Haifa the footsoldiers threw away their surplus equipment, as they were too heavily loaded with food and weapons. Some men died of heat and thirst during the march. On 30 August and 1 September the army was again troubled all day by minor attacks. On 3 September the count of St Pol and his knights lost many horses, and so did the Templars who formed the rearguard.
Between the 26 and 29 August the crusaders were left in peace, since they were going round Mount Carmel and Saladin was forced to follow them by a detour which lay further inland. But from 30 August to 7 September the enemy was so close to the Christians that they expected a general attack at any moment.
Beha ed-Din, Saladin's biographer, has given an interesting description of this march by Richard's army.
'The enemy moved in battle order, the foot-soldiers in front of the cavalry, and packed together solidly like a wall. Each foot-soldier wore armor made of very heavy felt, and so stout a coat of mail that our arrows did no harm. But they shot at us with their great crossbows and wounded both horses and riders. I saw foot-soldiers with as many as ten arrows in their backs, who marched on just as usual without breaking rank'.
'The foot-soldiers were divided into two groups, one half protected the riders, while the other half was not supposed to fight and took it easy while they were marching along the coast. If one section became exhausted, or had many wounded, they were relieved by the other, and rested in their turn. The knights marched between two bodies of footsoldiers, and only emerged to charge. The cavalry were divided into three main corps. In the middle of the army there was a waggon with a turret built on it, as high as one of our minarets, from which they flew the royal standard. The Franks marched in this order, always fighting steadily'.
'The Moslems shot arrows at them from all directions to harass the riders and make them leave the protecting wall formed by the foot-soldiers. But it was all in vain: they remained unmoved, and went on marching without undue haste, while their fleet sailed along the coast till they reached the camping place'.
'They never made very long marches, because they did not want to overburden the foot-soldiers, half of whom were carrying baggage and tents because there were not enough transport animals. One could not help admiring the patience of these people: they bore the most extreme hardships although they had no good military organization of their own, and derived no personal advantage.'