Baldwin II of Jerusalem historian, Matthew of Edessa, described Baldwin as a coward who was "pitiful in body". Sökmen captured the town, but the fortress resisted his siege. Baldwin went to Antioch to raise new troops before returning to Saruj. He forced Sökmen to leave the town and executed all the townspeople who had cooperated with the Artuqids. One of his cousins, Joscelin of Courtenay, came to Edessa in 1102. Baldwin granted him lands to the west of the Euphrates. When the Egyptians invaded the Kingdom of Jerusalem in May, Baldwin of Boulognewho had been crowned king of Jerusalemsent envoys to Tancred (who ruled
Baldwin I of Jerusalem from his subjects. He appointed his relative, Baldwin of Le Bourcq, his successor in the county and Le Bourcq swore fealty to him. About 200 knights and 300–700 foot-soldiers accompanied Baldwin when he left Edessa on 2October 1100. He spent four days in Antioch, but did not accept the local inhabitants' offer to administer the principality during Bohemond's captivity. Duqaq of Damascus wanted to ambush him on the narrow road near the mouth of the Nahr al-Kaib River. Fakhr al-Mulk, the qadi of Tripoli, secretly warned Baldwin, enabling him to make arrangements to defeat the attack and he routed the