The Sack of Utrecht occurred in 768 AD when the Westphalian Saxon army of Wulfstan captured and sacked the Frankish town of Utrecht in present-day Netherlands. While King Charlemagne's forces were occupied with the Aquitainian and Gascon rebellions in southern France, the Saxons found it safe to invade the northern territories of their ages-old rivals, the Franks, stirring up a renewal of old conflicts. Wulfstan led 1,260 Westphalian Saxons into Frisia and attacked the town of Utrecht, which was held by a small Frankish garrison of 360 troops led by Adalbert. The Frankish spearmen took to the walls of their town, while their archers opened fire on the advancing Saxons. While the Saxon cavalry suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Frankish spears and arrows, the Saxon infantry ultimately broke through the Frankish defenders and routed them. The Saxons proceeded to massacre the Franks, and Wulfstan placed the Frisian nobleman Bivin on the throne of a rebellious Duchy of Frisia, securing an ally in the war against Charlemagne. Charlemagne would send envoys to Bivin and make peace with him before his army could advance south and capture Ghent, while his forces would go on to confront and destroy Wulfstan's army at the Battle of Ghent, turning the tide of the Saxon Wars.