Abandonded a city - where did my army go?

I was defending Sinope from the Egyptians for 3 straight sieges. I ended up having 4 generals in there that couldn't get out. After the 2nd siege it was immediately sieged again without giving me anytime to retrain. I had like 12 units and most of them were half strength or less and there's no way I'd be able to hold off a 3rd time. I had a ship in the sea to the north and moved it right next to the city to get the guys out. He attacked with a full army and another half army of reinforcements while I had about 1/3 of a full army inside the city. I destroyed all the buildings (the turn before he attacked) and when he attacked I ran all my guys out the side gate and headed for the coast to save my 4 generals. I didn't lose a single guy and the Egyptians made it to the central plaza and the timer ran out and he won. But when I was back on the campaign map my army was gone! I was expecting they would be outside the city ready to jump into the boat that was right there waiting for them. I forgot to write down the names of the generals so I don't know what happened to them or all the other units they were with. I had saved it 2 turns earlier right before I destroyed the buildings so I tried to reload but it apparently autosaved and overwrote it. I reloaded to play it again and write down the generals names but it was past that point. I know I should have made a separate save with a name but I didn't know it autosaved. Any ideas where my army went? Did they vanish or get randomly spread out in other cities?

Unfortunately for you, I fear they are all dead and gone: an army defending a city is "fighting to the death" (see icon in the battle commences-screen) like an army that has no movement points left. Routers and others leaving the battlefield are destroyed if you lose the battle. They have no chance of retreat, no matter if you put a ship next to them. This does not go for any reinforcements you might have next to the city by the way: they might escape clean and healthy, but the city garrison would be destroyed: better to fight and take as many of the enemy with you in your defeat.

Thanks, looks like you are right. I went through my family tree and found 4 dead generals that said they died peacefully in 168BC which was the turn I tried to get them out. Oh well, that sucks!