An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 218 pages of information about An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707).

An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 218 pages of information about An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707).
by whose help he was able to make serious attacks upon the English garrisons of Lanark and Scone (May, 1297).  These exploits, of little importance in themselves, sufficed to attract the popular feeling towards Wallace.  The domestic difficulties of Edward I rendered the time opportune for a rising, and, despite the failure of an ill-conceived and badly-managed attempt on the part of some of the more patriotic barons, which led to the submission of Irvine, in 1297, the little army which Wallace had collected rapidly grew in courage and in numbers, and its leader laid siege to the castle of Dundee.  He had now attained a position of such importance that Surrey and Cressingham found it necessary to take strong measures against him, and they assembled at Stirling, whither Wallace marched to meet them.  The battle of Stirling Bridge (or, more strictly, Cambuskenneth Bridge) was fought on September 11th, 1297.  Wallace, with his army of knights and spearmen, took up his position on the Abbey Craig, with the Forth between him and the English.  Less than a mile from the Scottish camp was a small bridge over the river, giving access to the Abbey of Cambuskenneth.  Surrey rashly attempted to cross this bridge, in the face of the Scots, and Wallace, after a considerable number of the enemy had been allowed to reach the northern bank, ordered an attack.  The English failed to keep the bridge, and their force became divided.  Surrey was unable to offer any assistance to his vanguard, and they fell an easy prey to the Scots, while the English general, with the remnants of his army, retreated to Berwick.

Stirling was the great military key of the country, commanding all the passes from south to north, and the great defeat which the English had sustained placed the country in the power of Wallace.  Along with an Andrew de Moray, of whose identity we know nothing, he undertook the government of the country, corresponded in the name of Scotland with Luebeck and Hamburg, and took the offensive against England in an expedition which ravaged as far south as Hexham.  To the great monastery of Hexham he granted protection in the name of “the leaders of the army of Scotland",[45] although he was not successful in restraining the ferocity of his followers.  The document in question is granted in the name of John, King of Scotland, and in a charter dated March 1298,[46] Wallace describes himself as Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland, acting for the exiled Balliol.  In the following summer, Edward marched into Scotland, and although his forces were in serious difficulties from want of food, he went forward to meet Wallace, who held a strong position at Falkirk.  Wallace prepared to meet Edward by drawing up his spearmen in four great “schiltrons” or divisions, with a reserve of cavalry.  His flanks were protected by archers, and he had also placed archers between the divisions of spearmen.  On the English side, Edward himself commanded the centre, the Earls of Norfolk and Hereford the right, and the

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.