Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockburn.docx

Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockburn.docx

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RobertBruceandtheBattleofBannockburn

RobertBruceandtheBattleofBannockburn（PartIII）

TheBattleBegins

On22June,BrucedrewuphismenontheridgestraddlingtheoldStirling-Falkirkroad.TothesouthjustatthebottomwasthewindingstreamknownastheBannockburn.ItjoinedtheForthRiveramileortwonorth-eastacrosssomemarshes.There,about12,000menwaited,readyforbattleundertheircommanders,ThomasRandolph,Bruce'snephewandEarlofMoray,EdwardBruce,JamesDouglasandRobertKeith.TheEnglish,meanwhile,werecomingupalongsidethetheoldRomanroadfromFalkirktowardsBannockburn.EdwardIIdetachedastrongforce3,000ofhorsemenandinfantryundertheEarlofGloucester,andsentitonaheadtoattacktheScotsontheirhill.Simultaneously,hesentasmallerforceofcavalryroundthebackoftheridgetowaittodealwiththefleeingScotsastheyweredislodgedfromthehillbyGloucester,orsoheanticipated.

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