Post by turniptom on Apr 16, 2024 21:36:27 GMT
The second battle of the Wars of the Rose began wet. The rain had poured down all night so all the fields and marsh in this Essex battlefield were sodden.
Emboldened from their previous victory however, the Yorkists arrayed themselves as best they could between sodden fields and a gentle hill to meet this second Lancastrian attack.
It felt like a repeat of Holdstock's Fields with the Lancastrians trudging forward in driving rain only in The Battle of the Bogs, as this combat came to be known, that was pretty well all that bounced off their armour.
Due to the terrible weather the Yorkists bow and cannon did about as much damage as the downpour, and Henry VI thanked God for His aid in this vengeance.
The only success the Yorkists saw was a mob of handgunners on their right flank. They had managed to keep powder dry and swamped a unit of Auxilia then Blades of Henry VI's, but this was scant good fortune to what befell the centre.
Realising their opponent's missiles were doing no harm the emboldened Lancastrian centre steamed forward.
Into bow range they got and their arrows caused much sorrow, killing one of Edward's precious blades. They also slew one of the heroes of Holdstock's Fields as the cannon crew of the Royal Armouries died under a storm of bodkins.
Not wanting to be left out and seeking blood, the remaining armoured might of Henry's household caught a unit of Essex Levy bow unaware and slaughtered them to a man.
Not to be outdone, the same archers, those of Oxford, saw Edward's battered household knights turn to face Henry's armoured threat. They were made to pay for that blunder with their lives killing yet another unit of Yorkist blades.
Feeling too much had been lost for too little by early afternoon Edward called his men to withdraw, concern etched on his face that this loss had cost him the support of the far off Cheshire Levy and their superior bowmen.
Emboldened from their previous victory however, the Yorkists arrayed themselves as best they could between sodden fields and a gentle hill to meet this second Lancastrian attack.
It felt like a repeat of Holdstock's Fields with the Lancastrians trudging forward in driving rain only in The Battle of the Bogs, as this combat came to be known, that was pretty well all that bounced off their armour.
Due to the terrible weather the Yorkists bow and cannon did about as much damage as the downpour, and Henry VI thanked God for His aid in this vengeance.
The only success the Yorkists saw was a mob of handgunners on their right flank. They had managed to keep powder dry and swamped a unit of Auxilia then Blades of Henry VI's, but this was scant good fortune to what befell the centre.
Realising their opponent's missiles were doing no harm the emboldened Lancastrian centre steamed forward.
Into bow range they got and their arrows caused much sorrow, killing one of Edward's precious blades. They also slew one of the heroes of Holdstock's Fields as the cannon crew of the Royal Armouries died under a storm of bodkins.
Not wanting to be left out and seeking blood, the remaining armoured might of Henry's household caught a unit of Essex Levy bow unaware and slaughtered them to a man.
Not to be outdone, the same archers, those of Oxford, saw Edward's battered household knights turn to face Henry's armoured threat. They were made to pay for that blunder with their lives killing yet another unit of Yorkist blades.
Feeling too much had been lost for too little by early afternoon Edward called his men to withdraw, concern etched on his face that this loss had cost him the support of the far off Cheshire Levy and their superior bowmen.