Battle of Halidon Hill

Dupplin Moor - Annan - Dornock - Halidon Hill - Boroughmuir - Culblean - Neville 's Cross

The Battle of Halidon Hill on July 19, 1333 was the last battle of the Scottish Wars of Independence. In an attempt to relieve the besieged town of Berwick -upon- Tweed, the Scottish troops were defeated by Sir Archibald Douglas on unfavorable terrain of the English devastating.

Prehistory

Edward Balliol had been crowned King of Scotland in 1332, but had been driven out by the followers of King David II and was forced to flee across the border into England. He asked the young King Edward III. for support, which was granted him. In the spring of 1333 with an English army marched Balliol under the leadership of Edward to the north. They arrived on April 1, Durham and began on 12 April with the siege of the border town of Berwick -upon- Tweed. After a two month siege the defenders to surrender Berwick agreed to if they should get no relief until July 20. In order to secure the agreement was the commander of the city, Sir Alexander Sutton, Edward, his two sons as hostages. They were later hanged.

Meanwhile approached the guardian of David II, Sir Archibald Douglas, with about 7,500 men, from Northumberland coming. He fell into northern England and made ​​a futile attempt to kidnap the Queen Philippa of Bamburgh Castle. After Eduard did not do them the favor to break the siege of Berwick contrary to contract around them, the Scots crossed the Tweed to Berwick afford relief. The English army was numerically smaller than that of the Scots and stood at Halidon Hill, north-west of Berwick before the battle.

Battle Record

Edward had his forces divided into three sections, which were covered on the flanks and possibly also in the front of longbowmen. The left wing was commanded by Edward Balliol, the right of the Earl of Norfolk and the center of Edward himself. A large part of the noble knight was allowed to settle Eduard and classified in the departments of infantry, Eduard himself fought as a foot soldier was unethical, which caused some stir.

The Scots were divided into three departments, of which Archibald Douglas, the left, and Sir Adam Gordon of Berwickshire the right led.

The battle on July 19, lasted all day and was a single massacre of the Scottish troops. The Scots had to advance over marshy ground on which they could move only with difficulty, and then storm the hill on which the English were posted. At their massed attack, they offered an easy target for the English longbow archers, who fired a volley after the other from the top down, while the Scottish spearmen remained largely ineffective. The Scots suffered by the Longbow fire devastating losses and were unable to develop the necessary force to break through the dense ranks of the established English. When their onslaught was dismissed, the English cavalry was on again and beat the remaining Scots to flight.

While the British suffered only minor losses, supposedly only 14 men, the Scots lamenting the loss of at least 4,000 men, including six counts, 70 barons, 500 knights, and Sir Archibald Douglas and Sir Adam Gordon. Few prisoners were taken, 100 of them had Edward III. morning beheaded after the battle. A whole generation of Scottish nobleman was wiped out by the battle, or at least considerably decimated. The Welsh longbowmen were later in the battles of Crecy ( 1346 ), Poitiers ( 1356) and Agincourt (1415 ) successfully used.

After the battle, the siege of Berwick was continued; The city capitulated the next day.

Edward III. Edward Balliol sat again as King of Scotland, and gave this self- asserting his claim to power. Since Edward III. feared a French invasion in the south of his country, he divided only Berwick in his kingdom, and took no further conquests in Scotland.

References and Notes

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