William Wallace

TACTICS

Both the English and Scottish used different tactics from Stirling Bridge. The English again divided their forces, but this time they did it more balanced (2). We don’t know the exact numbers, but we know that the spearmen were divided between the four Brigades more or less equally. The longbow men were instead divided into four separate units with no infantry to protect them because there was no need for it as the Scottish would have been too busy trying to fight off the infantry. The Scottish had 8000 spearmen divided into four schiltronuses, which were round schiltrons in the shape of a shield, these were lead by Wallace. They were designed to stop an attempt from the English to flank them and penetrate the unit. Between these four schiltronuses, were three separate divisions of longbow men who were supposed to take out enemy longbows but inevitably failed.  The Scottish cavalry, made of 500 knights and troopers was commanded by James the High Steward and was kept a side to fight the vanguard before it could hit the schiltronuses. Both English and Scottish tactics were well planned even though the Scottish had not planned to fight an open field battle.

THE BATTLE

On the 22nd of July, the Scottish and the English once again came to face each other face to face in open field. The English army had set off early in the morning in search of the Scottish. As daylight came, the English saw the Scottish positioning on the border of Callendar Wood. At the sight of this, Edward ordered his troops to prepare and start marching straight toward them. Once the English ranks reached the river that separated them, Edward ordered his men to find safe passages throw the river were the water wasn’t too deep. Soon the English were again marching towards the Scottish. As the first soldiers came into range of bows, arrows were let loose by both sides and the English vanguard unleashed to the right flank of the Scottish. The Scottish cavalry set off to counter it. The second and third brigade were unleashed to the left flank of the Scottish whilst the fourth brigade was sent to support the vanguard on the right flank. Longbow men and crossbowmen were fighting against each other but soon there were not many Scottish longbow men left, at which point they turned towards the schiltronuses that were already being attacked on both flanks. The first ranks dropped leaving the less armoured Scottish soldiers in first ranks that against heavy infantry and cavalry stood little chance.  The Scottish cavalry outnumbered over four times, was decimated nearly immediately and fled, some away from the battle field others to the schiltronuses to join and continue fighting till the end. With no cavalry left, decimated longbow men, the schiltronuses stood little chance against the English. The slaughter continued until the schiltronuses were decimated, forced to flee the battlefield and run and hide into CallendarWood. King Edward was victorious, he had defeated the Scottish and William Wallace, but had not yet killed him.