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Towton 1461 England’s bloodiest battle Christopher Gravett | ||||||||||||
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Cena okładkowa: 14.99 GBP
Cena detaliczna: 59.00 zł
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| With the death of his father, Richard, Duke of York, at the Battle of Wakefield in December 1460, Edward, Earl of March became Duke and head of the House of York. Returning from the west country where he had been suppressing a series of uprisings, he united with Richard, Earl of Warwick and hastened to London. The Lancastrian army was conducting a slow triumphant march on the capital having defeated Warwick at the Second Battle of St. Albans. On 4 March Edward of York was proclaimed king in London. The Lancastrians withdrew northwards and Edward departed London on 12 or 13 March in pursuit. The Lancastrian army withdrew beyond the River Aire. A Yorkist probe across the river was defeated at Ferrybridge by a Lancastrian delaying force under Lord Clifford. Edward IV ordered Lord Fauconberg to outflank the Lancastrians and Clifford’s force was routed and he himself killed in Dintingdale valley. The two armies met south of the village of Towton on 29 March 1461, Palm Sunday, a bitterly cold and windy day with snow on the ground. This unusually long and bitter battle began around 9.00am as the two armies advanced towards each other. The Yorkist archers discharged a volley into the Lancastrian ranks. The Lancastrian reply seems to have been ineffective. The two armies then closed with each other and a long and bitter struggle began. The Battle raged all day with the Lancastrians having the better of it. Around 3.00pm the Duke of Norfolk arrived with several thousand Yorkist reinforcements and moved to support the Yorkist right flank. The Lancastrian push was halted and the Yorkists began to drive them back. The Lancastrian line eventually broke and their troops fled, many being caught and slaughtered in the death trap which became known as Bloody Meadow. The Yorkists pursued their enemies to the gates of York, many Lancastrian nobles were killed with others captured and executed after the battle. Towton marked the resurgence of the Yorkist cause and established Edward IV as king. | ||||||||||||