| Battle Of Halidon Hill |
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Battle of Halidon Hill ( July 19 , 1333 ) was the last of the Wars Of Scottish Independence , ending that forty year struggle. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed . BACKGROUND Edward Balliol had crowned himself King of Scotland in 1332, but supporters of David II soon forced him out. After losing at Arran he is reported to have fled across the border almost naked. Balliol returned in the spring of 1333 with an English army. He had appealed to Edward III and the young King agreed to support him, deciding that the cross-border skirmishing had broken the Treaty Of Northampton , and accompanied the force northwards. The army reached Durham by April 1 and laid siege to Berwick on April 12 . After a two month siege, as was not uncommon, the forces in Berwick eventually agreed to surrender on July 20 unless relieved. Sir Alexander Sutton (or Seton) gave his two sons to Edward as part of the agreement. They were later hanged. After an abortive attempt to take Queen Philippa from Bamburgh Castle, Sir Archibald Douglas , the guardian of David II , approached from Northumberland and crossed the Tweed to relieve Berwick with around 13,000 men. An English force of around 10,000 was arrayed on Halidon Hill to meet them. BATTLE The battle lasted throughout July 19 but was almost entirely a slaughter of the Scottish forces. In a reverse of the terrain at Bannockburn the Scots, laden with plunder from the North, had to approach through boggy ground and then climb up the hill to reach the waiting English, easy targets for the waiting archers. Attacking in a disorganized mass due to poor control by Douglas, over 500 Scottish nobles, including the general and five earls were killed, in addition to more than 4,000 soldiers. More were killed in the ensuing rout as the English cavalry finally charged down the hill and chased the fleeing Scottish troops from the battlefield. English casualties were around fifteen. The siege of Berwick was then renewed and the town surrendered soon afterwards. This battle is noteable for two particular reasons. Firstly, it was the first major battle of the career of the young King Edward III Of England , who would later become one of the greatest warrior kings of England. Secondly, this battle demonstrated Edward's understanding of the power of the Longbow and his tactical nous in defeating determined assaults with hand-to-hand weapons by husbanding his resources and making the best use of the terrain, even at his young age. |