Author Topic: Bosworth.  (Read 10219 times)

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Kurt Steiner

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2007, 10:21:25 AM »
The battle

The sun rose at 5.15 am. Richard had not slept well, as he commented to his companions. The Crowland Chronicler explains that he had nightmares and attributes them to a guilty conscience, and stastes that Richard's countenance was "on this occasion, more livid and and ghastly than usual". The king made the point that, whoever won the day would cause the destruction of England. If Richard won, he would crush his opponents. The same went about a victorious Henry Tudor.

It is not quite clear neither where exactly did the battle took place nor which was the deployment of the troops that day.

Henry was awake before dawn. Unlike his adversay, he managed to hear mass and to partake of breakfast. Then, his force of 5,000 men began his advance towards the royal army. Henry send most of his men in a single large division or "battle" under the command of the earl of Oxford, the best possible choice given his experience and reputation. It cointained Welsh archers, French and Scottish mercenaries, with the English men-at-arms on the wings, with George Talbot on the right and Lord Savage on the left. Henry remained in the rear, with a band of retainers, including the earl of Pembroke, the bishop of Exeter, Sir John Cheney and an elite guard, with William Brandon carrying Henry's standard, a red dragon floating on a backgron of white and green.

Richard was in a hurry, trying to array his forces, which were large, so an effort was neccesary to prodcue an ordered front in the cramped hill where he wanted to offer battle. Richard was surprised to see Henry marching bodly forward in the valley below. Perhaps he thought that the vision of the huge royal army who be enough to compel Henry or his followers -specially the mercenaries- to withdraw or surrender or even to desert. But not it didn't look as it was something quite likely to happen...

The royalist formed into divisions or "battles", so it's fair to suppose that they were organized into three, as it was the normal use of those days, but there is no evidence that supports this claim. It is suggested that Norfolk commanded one, Richard another and the earl of Northumberland the third one, altough Virgil just talks about a long battle-line commanded by Norfolk. We don't know exactly about how the battles where deployed, but it seems that Norfolk was on the right or to the rear of Richard's battle. However the deployment used, the hill was alive with armed men. Virgil states that Norfolk was one the van, with a mixture of horse and foot, with archers in the front ranks and the horsemen packed together to advance like a steel steamroller bristling with lances. Richard's select force was, according to him, to the reaer of this division.

The Stanleys forces amounted to 5,000-6,000 men, 3,000 of those under Sir William. Apparently, their position midway of both of both armies, but we have no clear idea about their exact situation.

Kurt Steiner

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2007, 12:36:56 PM »
Once Richard saw the inaction of the Stanleys, he was furious, as his worst fears were becoming real, and he ordered that Lord Strange was executed at once, but the order was never carried out.

Even if Ambion's Hill, where Richard's army was deployed, was filled with the enemy army, Henry's men didn't stop, although they must be a bit intimidated by the vision, and kept on marching towards the hill. They had a marsh to their right, protecting their flank, and the sun on their backs. As Oxford's men come closer, Richard ordered his guns to open fire. Then, Henry's troops, instead of massing against the main front line of the enemy, aimed instead against the flank, towards Richard, a move that, by the way, put them "closer" to the Stanley. Was this a move to stimulate these "allies" to join the fray? Or to provoke a royalist charge that would bog down in the marshes?

Either way, it failed. Perhaps Oxford just wanted to be beyond the range of the enemy guns until he faced the flank of Richard's line, where John Howard, duke of Norfolk, waited for the signal to attack. With a great shout, archers in both armies began to fire, and Norfolk ordered the van forwards, with the support of Brackenbury's troops. Somewhere the foot of the hill began to close combat butchery. Oxford's division didn't flee or was pushed back, for Richard's changrin. Both commanders were worried about the possibility of being surrounded, so both sides drew back for a moment.

Richard, afraid of a possible betrayal, looked at the scene very worried. Oxford renewed the fighting in a wedge formation in order to break up the enemy line. Evidently, the battle wasn't going to plan for Richard. It was Norfolk's battle, nor Oxford, the one more close to break. Indeed, some men had started to flee and, more dangerously, Lord Stanley hadn't moved yet. Then, Richard recognized Henry Tudor's standards.

Apparently, Henry moved to induce Stanley to join him and relieve the hard-pressed divison of Oxford. Then, Richard made his momentous decision. Seeing the failure of the battle at that point, he refused the suggestions to flee. Instead, he said:

"God forbid I yield one step.This day I will die as a king or win".

He placed on his head the helmet encircled with the golden diadem, and, with his close companions and a force around 800 mounted men, he spurred down the slopes of Hambion Hill, in a gallant attempt to kill his rival. Here was a chance to destroy his foe and to make his invasion force to crumble. So he put himself to the task.

Kurt Steiner

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2007, 12:51:12 PM »
Thundering down the slopes went the last charge of the medieval English chivalry. So powerful was Richard's charge that he was borne into the thick of the battle. His lance transfixed Henry's own standard bearer, William Brandon, who fell to the ground, but the kings' path was barred by Sir John Cheney. Seezing perhaps a battleaxe, a hammer or a mace, Richard beat him out of the saddle and looked for this target, the "Welsh milkshop".

Henry showed admirable courage and refused to give up his position. His bodyguard, heartened by this, refused to yield ground to Richard who was loosing his chance to finish the battle at a single stroke. Richard was being gradually pushed back. Sir Percival Thirlwall, Richard's standard bearer, was already unhorsed and had both legs hewn off. Heroically, he clung to the standard and refused to let it fall.

Then the Stanleys showed their hand. They joined the mêleé, sweeping across to the help of Henry, while Richard, now in the face of hopeless odds, showed a remarkable courage and bravery. Around him his loyal knights were being killed, and the king must have thought that his cause was lost. It is said that his horse got bog down in a marsh and that a Welshman slew him with a halberd. Whether or not this is true, his corpse was mutilated. Had he been killed by some knights, it would have been made known. All the chroniclers agree that he died fighting heroically.

Norfolk was slain, too. It is said that Sir John Savage cornered him near a windmill. It is also said that he was captured and executed by Oxford, as Norfolk had taken his lands. They had been ranged against each other since the battle of Barnet. The battle was over after two hours it had begun. With the king dead, the royal army began to melt away.

Richard III may have died heroically, but he was fated to be villified. His mangled corpse, bermisched with mud and blood, was stripped naked and shung over a horse. Meanwhile, Henry removed to a nearby hill, which was later known as Crown's Hill, where he received Richard's crown, which, according to later Tudor legends, was found in a thorn bush.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2007, 12:54:43 PM by Kurt Steiner »

FaithWhiteRose

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2007, 04:27:21 PM »
... and as it was foretold...

In the way to Bosworth Sir Thomas Bouchier and Sir Walter Hungeford joined Henry's side, having deserted Branckenbury's force, while the Stanleys had begun to array his men and had some words between them, as their actions look quite coordinated. By 19 August Lord Stanely blocked the way of the rebels to London, and denying King Richard access to the rebels.

By the evening of August 20 Henry was at Atherstone, while the Stanley were in an area bounded by the conjunction of the Sence and the Anker Rivers, and met Henry the following day. That nighfall, more deserters came to Henry: Sir John Savage, Sir Brian Sandford and Sir Simon Digby. That same day Richard left Nottingham in battle formation and reached Leicester by the evening. On 21 August Northumberland arrived and the king rode out of the city.

The battle would decide the fate of England.

You really know how to leave suspense in your writing  ;)

Kurt Steiner

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #19 on: May 02, 2007, 02:47:25 AM »
Just a bit, just a bit ;D

Offline Kimberly

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Re: Bosworth.
« Reply #20 on: February 19, 2010, 09:29:50 AM »
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