Robert Bruce and the Battle of BannockburnWord下载.docx
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ChargeofEnglishHeavyHorse
LedbyGloucesterandHereford,theEnglishvanguarddashedwithgreatbraveryorfoolishnessattherightwingoftheScots,underEdwardBruce.ArivalrybetweenthesetwoEarlsmadethisattacksoprecipitateastodiminishitseffect.FirmstoodtheScottishspearmenintheirranks,presentingaserriedwallofsteelwhichresistedtheenemy.Therewasagreatcrashofspearsatthefirstshock,andgoodmanyknightsweredismountedandslain,whiletheirhorses,maddenedwithwounds,carriedconfusiontotherear.WhentheEarlofMoraysawtherightwingthussuccessfullyengaged,hebroughtupthecentretomeetthemainbodyofEnglishwithsuchspiritthathebegantogaingrounduponthemandtopiercetheirmassesatpushofspear,"
sothathismenappearedtobelostamidthemultitude,asiftheyhadbeenplungedintothesea."
Thisinitialcavalry"
charge"
howeverwasrepulsedbythesteadfastScottishschiltrons.Thechargeorrushwasafailure.TheEarlofGloucesterhadbeenunhorsed,andtheScottisharmyhadnotwaveredatanypoint.
InthemeantimeasmalldetachmentofEnglishcavalryunderCliffordanddeBeaumont,perhapssome700strong,felttheirwayalongthewithdrawnScottishwasternflank,graduallyeasingthemselvesintoanarrowfunnelbetweenStirlingandBruce'
sarmy.Bruce,realisingthathecouldnotfillthisgap,hadleftitopentotrapthisforceanddestroythembeforethemainEnglisharmycouldexpolitthisweakness.BrucewascleverandquickinhismilitarydecisionsandthisactionprobablysavedmanyScotsfromdeathandturneditintoanopportunityforaScottishroutofthetrappedEnglishforce.TheScottishtroopsontherightflanknowfellupontheEnglishcavalry.Insteadofmakingatacticalwithdrawl,CliffordfoolishlyengagedtwoofthewaitingSchiltrons.Hewaskilledimmediately,andthefewsurvivorsofhisforceweredrivenoff--sometoreturnedtotheirpositionsinthemainbodyofthearmy,otherstotakeshelterinStirlingCastle.
RandolphRestorestheRose
EdwardIIorderedaflankingmovementtotheeast,eithertoreconnoitertheScotsposition,ortoescortPhilipdeMowbraybacktohiscornerinthecastle,whereheshouldproperlyhavebeenbyrulesoftheday.Beforetheyreachedthecastle,orupontheirreturn,ThomasRandolph'
slightningdivisioncameoutoftheParkandattackedthem.Randolph,angeredorhumiliatedbyBruce'
staunt,thathehadletarosefallfromtheking'
schapletinallowingCliffordtopass,madeupforithisswiftattack.Theslopinggroundwasbroken,andClifforddrewbacktobringthescatteredattackfurtherintotheopen.Whenhefinallychargedthespearmentheycametogetherlikeirondusttoamagnet.
TherewasabloodymeleeaboutthebarbedandunbreakableSchiltronwithunsaddledknights,skeweredhorsesandmaskedindust.AstheScotsadvancedinslow,pace-by-paceschiltrons,theEnglishwereshockedandhorrifiedtoseethattheimmobileschiltronthatWallacehaddevelopedwasnowamoving,offensiveunitunderBruce.Itcameonslowlyandunstoppablylikeaslowmovingtrain.ThiswasanewdevelomentintheuseoftheschiltronandtheEnglishweretotallyunpreparedtofightagainstanoffensive,mobile,spearedunitwhichpreviouslyhadbeenastationaryobject.
ThecirclingridersoftheEnglishhurledtheirlancesandswordsagainstthecrawlingschiltroninimpotentfury,andthenbrokeoffthefight,someridingtothecastleandothersbackacrossthecarse.Bythelossofonlyonemanonly,itissaid,RandolphhadrestoredtherosetoBruce'
scrown.
ADarkWetNight
Itwastheonlymajoractionoftheday,nowdyinginasultrysummerdusk.BeforenightfalltheEnglisharmybegantomoveontothecarse,makingcampthreemilesorlessfromtheNewParkonanarrowgroundbetweentheBannockandabendoftheRiverForth.Edwardneededwaterforhisparchedmenandhorses,butitwasaninsanechoiceforacamp.Almostanisland,theForthtoitsrightandrear,andthedeep-sidedburnonitsleft.Theearthwasmarshy,veinedbytinystreamsandeachahazardtoheavycavalry.
DuringthatshortsimmernighttheEnglishnobleshadtakenwhattheysawasthebestoftheterriblegroundaroundBannockburnfortheirbriefrest.Thearchersandfoot-soldiershadbeenforcedtolieonsoggy,marshylandnearthestream.
Thecavalrywereforcedbackevenfartherintothedeepwatersoftheburnasthepressoftheinfantryhadleftnoroomanddrygroundwasnowheretobefound.Theknightswereforcedtoeitherstandandsleepagainsttheirhorses.Severalmendrownedthatnightintheblackcoolburnandstream.Thatnight,accordingtotheirownchroniclers,manyoftheEnglishfoot-soldiersweredrunk,butothersmadefascinesofwoodandbrushtofillthebrooksinthemorning.Ontheirfronttothesouth-west,thedarkriseoftheNewParkwashighlightedbyScottishcampfires.Duringthedarkhoursbeforedawn,Airth,anotherScotscommander,andhismenatCambuskennethwereattackedandkilledbytheEarlofAtholl,whothoughtthisafavourablemomenttogratifyhisfamily'
squarrelwithBruce.
ThenightfortheEnglisharmywasadisasteraswasthebattleofthepreviousday.AccordingtoEnglishchroniclers,foot-soldiersweredrunkandmoralewaslow.TheentirearmyhadbeenforcedbackbytheScots,andnowhadtocampinthechillywetburnandmanyEnglishlosttheirlivesinthecrushofhorsesandmenbeingpushedintotheburnwheremanydrowned.Theknights,havingnowheretoresttriedvainlytogetsleepbyleaningagainstthewearyandstartledhorses.Otherssimplyclimbedontothebacksoftheirmountsandtriedtosleepsittingup,furtherstressingthenearlypanickedbeastsinthefootdeepmarshandbog.
TheEnglishchronicler,SirThomasGray,saidthatBrucewasdoubtfulofthenextday'
sfightandtalkedofretiringsouthward,overtheCampsieFellsandintothestronggroundofLennox.HedecidedtostayafterhehadspokenwithadeserterfromEdward'
scamp.ThismanwasaScottishknight,SirAlexanderSeton,whosweetenedhisshamefularrivalwithnewsthatalthoughtheEnglishweredemoralizedtheycouldnotbelievethatBrucewouldleavehispostionsinthePark,tocomeagainstthem.Heofferedhisheadifthiswerenotso."
Ifyouattacktheminthemorningyouwilldefeatthemeasilyandwithoutloss."
I'
venotbeenabletoconfirmit.
ThataccountcomesfromGray'
s'
Scalachronia'
.Hehadheardthestoryfromhisfather,whowastakenprisonerinClifford'
sfight.Nootherchroniclersmentionit.MorayMcLaren,whowrote"
IfFreedomFail"
suggeststhatBrucehadalreadymadeuphismindtoattackandwhatGray'
sfatherheardwasadiscussiononapossiblelineofretreatintheeventofdisaster.Again,thisissomewhatspeculative.
TheEnglisharmy,itsnosebloodiedanditsmoraleshaken,shelteredforthenightinthemarshygroundaroundtheBannock.Thefollowingmorningafteramiserableandexhaustingnight,Sunday24June,MidsummerDay,theScottishpriestssaidmassbeforeeachoftheScotsschiltons.TheEnglishalsopreparedthemselvesinprayer.Despitethedifficultiesofthepreviousday,theEnglishthoughtitwaspossiblethatBrucewouldwithdrawhisarmyandsurrenderhispositionbeforeStirling.ButBrucehaddecidedtoriskallinonebattle,andastheEnglishtooktheirpositionstheyfoundthethreeScottishdivisionsadvancingtowardsthem.
June24,TheNextMorning
TheScotsroseearlyontheday,theFeastofSt.JohntheBaptist,anotherdayofsunandheat.TheytookanearlyMassthenbroketheirfastwithbreadandwater.WhenBrucehadknightedtheSteward,JamesDouglas,andothers,heorderedhisarmyforwardonthecarse.EdwardBruce'
sdivisionledtheadvance,followedonhisleftbyRandolphandtheSteward,withBruceandhisGaelscloselyintherear.Theyformedastaggeredline,scracelyamileacross,approachingthenarrowneckofmarshygroundwheretheEnglishstoodbetweentheRiverForthandtheburn.
Inthedawnlight,theEnglishknightsimpatientlymountedtheirhorses,keentoavengethehumiliationtheysufferedthepreviousday.TheyexpectedRoberttoremaininhisdefensiveposition,awaitingtheirattack.Theywouldbesurprised.
TheScotsarrivedonthecarsewithfourcoloureddivisionswithbannersandsteadyspears,marchinguponarmouredcavalry,theheavyhorseoftheEnglish.EdwardIIwasrightlyastonished."
Willtheyfight?
"
heasked.
Theywillfight"
saidIngramdeUmfraville,oncetheguardianofScotlandandnowitsenemy.Thekingcouldnotbelieveit,andwassoonsuretheScotswereyielding.Somedistanceacrossthecarsetheyhalted,probablytotightentheirformation.Withgooddisciplinetheycrouchedo