Counselors to Saladin had warned that Acre would continue to excite and tempt Christians, therefore he should raze it to the ground. Others argued that the city was too beautiful to destroy and he need only strengthen it. Accordingly he had brought from Egypt a renowned strategist, Emir Caracusch, who built the walls of Cairo. This emir set ranks of prisoners to do the work. They were thickening the walls and heightening towers when King Guy appeared. More Latins arrived led by nobles of Bar, Dreux, Brienne, Archbishop Gerard of Ravenna, Bishop Philip of Beauvais, the count of Guelders, as well as Margrave Louis of Thuringia and others.
We are told that Saladin thought Beaufort unimportant, and considering how many Christians threatened Acre he marched south with much of his army, leaving only a detachment to reduce the castle. Muslims say that his nephew Taqi got through Frankish lines to open a corridor, enabling those inside Acre to communicate with the Turkish host. Still, weeks and months passed, neither force able to dislodge the other. English vessels put in, but from south and east came other enemies of our Lord.
If those trapped behind the walls of Acre suffered, the soldiers of Christ fared no better. They got much they needed through access to the sea, but illness caused their skin to rot. Nor had they food enough. Germans constructed a mill for grinding wheat and corn, turned by horses, with the millstones grinding loudly, the first ever built oversea, which puzzled and alarmed the Turks. Most earnestly did they gaze toward it, says Geoffrey de Vinsauf, fearing it might be some fresh instrument for their destruction or was meant to storm the walls. Similarly, Franks contemplated the high walls before them like the walls of Troy and a multitude of Turks camped behind. Among these soldiers of Christ that streamed to the Holy Land, how many did not pray fervently?
Now up leapt the Devil. Ambroise sang of how on a certain Friday his disciples rushed yowling and screeching at pilgrims along the coast. Templars and Hospitalers rode forth to scatter them but the Devil caused a German to lose his horse. Then he pursued it, shouting at his comrades for help but none of them was able to catch the horse. Turks saw them galloping away from battle and thought they were routed and so gathered up courage to fight once more. With truncheons, maces, and other weapons these iniquitous enemies left numbers of Christian dead beside the water, disemboweled, weltering. There was slain among others Andrew de Brienne, a valorous knight.
From that day the Saracen took heart, harrying and vexing. Saladin advanced from the north and got himself inside the city. He caused mangonels to be set up, petraries, and other machines. He was observed pacing the ramparts in ceaseless agitation. Some compared him to a lioness who had lost her young. He went three days with hardly any food, according to Beha al-Din who was there and joyously unleashed arrows toward the Christian host.
Franks on the hill of Toron saw a fleet of galleys bearing landward and thought they must be from Genoa or Venice or Marseille. But as they glided into the harbor they seized a transport full of men and victuals, took these captives inside Acre, slew them, dangled their mutilated bodies from walls to mock and defy the host. Yet is not our God a pillar of strength? Does He not hear and mercifully respond to the cries of His children? Down from Tyre with fifty vessels came Marquis Conrad de Montferrat. Saracens rowed out furiously to oppose him. Trumpets sounded. Greek fire was observed, Christian knights all ablaze hopping into the water. Others pierced by weapons tumbled overboard. Pagans climbed into one vessel and forced its mariners from the upper deck while those below sought to escape by rowing, hence the oars pulled different ways according to Franks below or Turks above. And here a Saracen galley was dragged to shore, assaulted by Christian women. Women grabbed Turks by their black locks, treated them shamefully, cut their throats with knives. Surely the Turks felt humiliated to be struck down by the weak hands of women.
Even so, like a multitude of insects here came more enemies, pagans of a different race, impetuous, hideous, savage heathen dark in aspect, of huge size and exceeding ferocity, abhorred by God and nature, showing crimson caps in lieu of helmets, wielding clubs notched with iron teeth, their standard a carved image of Mahomet. Ambroise reckoned their number at five hundred thousand. He likened these tossing waves of crimson caps to a cherry orchard ripe with fruit.
During the feast of Saint James a great company of destitute pilgrims, ten thousand at least, rushed against Saladin’s tents and unbelievers fled wildly in all directions. So the hungry pilgrims went about picking up food, whatever good things they could find. But the Turks, looking back, seeing them hampered, returned to hurl themselves at these foolish people. Seven thousand died. More would have perished except for certain
