Bannockburn

Original at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

June 24th, always a day worth remembering and celebrating!

Victory over the invading English colonialists, and the slaughtering of thousands of them.  

A good day indeed!

Edward II, the 4th son of Edward the Thug, became king simply because he was the only heir left.  Three elder brothers had died rather than attempt to take Scotland and thus Edward II was in charge.  He appears to have had some tactical ability but decided that in between fighting his nobles re his boy Piers Gaveston.  Clearly the two related well, so well the Barons eventually killed him.  

In 1314, after the great man Robert de Brus had taken over Scotland, Edward, trained by his mad dad in stealing other people's land made as to take Scotland.  Silly boy!

Edward brought a large army, almost 30,000 men of various types.  Bruce had just over 6000.  His intention was to relieve Stirling Castle which was under siege.  

However, on the first day, Sir Henry de Bohun  riding in the cavalry vanguard, spotted Bruce sitting slightly ahead of his men.  

Inspired by typical English arrogance Sir Henry raced forward, lance pointing ahead, towards his target.  The Bruce at the point of collision merely sidestepped the lance with his well trained horse, and swiped Sir Henry with his battle axe.    That ner the heid till the harnys clave as they said at the time.  

The axe split the helmet, the skull and the brain.  

Sir Henry took no further part. 

The English forces came upon the Scots hiding in the woods, this they did to stop the English Bowmen from finding them, and limiting cavalry power, and the English were forced back across the Bannock Burn when the Scots attacked.  

The death of Sir Henry and the charge by the Scots inspired Bruce's men, the English army were now forced into the marshy banks of the stream.  

Around the woods an English cavalry squadron was devastated and their Lords killed or taken prisoner.  The English hesitated somewhat and awaited their instructions.

Scottish knight Alexander de Seton, in charge of Berwick, was fighting alongside Edward.  During the night he crossed over to Bruce and informed him of the low morale of the English troops.  It is easy to see how he got into high places.  

Bruce decided to attack!

During the night, another enemy mistake, they crossed the Bannock Burn thereby hemming themselves in.   The Scots schiltrons attacked.  These were solid squares of pike men, with very long pikes.  They attacked in force pushing the enemy back towards the Burn.  English longbow men could not help, the sides were immersed together, and an attack on the wing by bowmen, both Welsh and English, was stopped by 500 Scottish cavalry.

The attack failed, the triumphant Scots chased the English rout from the field and  thousands of Englishmen fell.

Hooray!

Edward was dragged from the field by Giles d'Argentan, h,e having saved his king then turned back into the fight as he 'never ran from a battle,' and was soon killed.  False heroics!   Edward was forced to make for Dunbar and then Berwick.  His men had 90 miles of Scotland to cover, most did not make it, exhaustion, hunger and patriotic locals disposed of those the army did not find.   It is thought only one sizeable group managed to reach the border at Carlisle.  They were Welsh spearmen, their commander had managed to keep them together.  

Robert the Bruce soon took all the captured castles, sent all remaining (important) Englishmen back to their own country, swapping them for his own wife and many others cruelly captured by Edward the Thug.  

The importance of this battle is noted in 1328 when the treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, accepted Scotland as independent and the Bruce as The King of Scots.