Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

poorly prepared to cope with the battle-hardened soldiers of his
father.
David divided his forces into three battalions under the
command of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai.
The Battle that Defeated the Rebellion
From the walls of Mahanaim, the long lines of Absalom's army
were in full view. The rebel was accompanied by a vast host;
David's force seemed only a handful in comparison. As the army
filed out from the city gates, David encouraged his faithful soldiers,
urging them to go out trusting that the God of Israel would give
them victory. But as Joab, leading the column, passed his king, the
conqueror of a hundred battlefields stooped his proud head to hear
the monarch's last message, "Deal gently for my sake with the
young man Absalom." And Abishai and Ittai received the same
instruction. But the king's plea, seeming to say that Absalom was
dearer to him than the subjects faithful to his throne, only increased
the anger of the soldiers toward the unnatural son.
The place of battle was a woods near the Jordan river. Among
the thickets and marshes of the forest, the great numbers of
undisciplined troops of Absalom's army became confused and
unmanageable. And "the people of Israel were overthrown there
before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty
thousand took place there that day."
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