Scottish Wars of Independence - the battle of bannockburn

Scottish Wars of Independence - the battle of bannockburn

1. Scottish Wars of Independence The Battle of Bannockburn

2. In today’s class, I am learning to: Describe events during the Battle of Bannockburn The Battle of Bannockburn

3. King Robert was gradually regaining control of Scotland from English rule. At Bannockburn his men would fight for control of Stirling Castle.. The Battle of Bannockburn

4. The Scottish army laid siege to Stirling Castle . The castle’s governor, Sir Philip Mowbray , had agreed to hand control of the castle to Bruce by Midsummer Day 1314 unless an English army was sent north. Edward II thus led an army north . The Battle of Bannockburn

5. There is a significant historical debate about the size of both armies at Bannockburn. It is definitely true that the English army was much larger than the Scottish army , however the specific numbers are not entirely clear. The Battle of Bannockburn

6. Some suggest that the English had around 2000 knights on horseback and 15,000 soldiers . Much of the English army was made up of foreign mercenaries (hired soldiers) as many English barons had sent only small numbers of men. The Battle of Bannockburn

7. The Scottish army is believed to have been as little as 5000 men . The Scots were divided into three schiltrons of roughly 1500 men each. There were some knights on horseback and also archers in Scotland’s army. The Battle of Bannockburn

8. Bruce had chosen the battle site so the Scots had trained on the field for weeks beforehand. They had also set traps (such as pits). Bruce was in command of the entire army , as well as one of the schiltrons. The Battle of Bannockburn

9. The fighting took place across two days: 23-24 June 1314 . Bruce used a nearby hill to shelter his men and hide their numbers. They dug holes as traps or and force the English to take a certain direction. The Battle of Bannockburn

10. It is not clear if either side actually planned to fight on the first day . Both sides wanted to know more about the size of the other army. Each country sent out scout groups to try and see the opposing army. The Battle of Bannockburn

11. As the English scouts travelled, an English knight, Henry de Bohun , saw Bruce riding on his own. de Bohun charged at Bruce. King Robert calmly sat on his horse, evaded the attack and crushed de Bohun’s skull with a battleaxe . The Battle of Bannockburn

12. Another English scout group, led by Sir Robert Clifford , also came across a Scottish schiltron . They tried to attack but were forced back by the schiltron’s pikes . The English retreated , either back to their camp or to Stirling Castle. The Battle of Bannockburn

13. Morale was very different in both camps. The Scots celebrated repelling Clifford’s forces and Bruce killing de Bohun . The English were still tired from their march and surprised at facing a difficult fight. The Battle of Bannockburn

14. Overnight, King Edward II decided to move the English camp, to allow for an attack from a different position the next day. The decision to move the camp meant the English army were given little rest, leaving them tired and angry the next day. The Battle of Bannockburn

15. The following day the Scottish army took up their positions. Before the battle they knelt in prayer before the Bishop of Arbroath . King Edward is said to have believed that this was in fact the Scots surrendering and asking for his forgiveness. The Battle of Bannockburn

16. The English prepared to fight but their new position meant that they could not use the archers without hitting their own men. As the Scots’ schiltrons advanced, the English army charged. However the boggy ground made it difficult for their horses. The Battle of Bannockburn

17. The English could not break the schiltrons but the Scots’ movement meant they were now exposed to English archers . Just as the firing started Bruce signalled for a reserve force on Coxet Hill – the sma ’ folk - to attack the English archers. The Battle of Bannockburn

18. As the Scots advanced, the English army retreated . Many English soldiers drowned in the burn; others died fighting. Edward II escaped and tried to go into Stirling Castle but was refused. The Scots had their victory . The Battle of Bannockburn