Wars of the Roses – 1461, The Battle of Towton!
‘My dear Queen Margaret, Richard, Duke of York may now be dead!
But he has a son, Edward, who will fight the Yorkist cause in his father’s stead!
On March 4th 1461, Edward of York was proclaimed king as Edward IV. England now had two kings, a source, no doubt of great anxiety to much of the populace. To King Henry VI, the matter was but a trifle, he was now so mentally withdrawn that this disturbing fact did not register with him in his distracted state.
Of we kings, there are two!
Who is the rightful monarch? Me or you?
There was no doubt in Edward of York’s mind as to who was the rightful monarch. However, the country was divided. The north backed the Lancastrians and the south supported the Yorkists.
The country is split into a north-south divide!
The north support the Lancastrian king, Henry VI, the south backed Edward on the Yorkist side!
Edward IV intent on wiping out Lancastrian opposition, northwards does take a ride!
What does this mean?
Under these most unusual circumstances, the only solution to the uncertainty was military victory. One side would have to decisively defeat the other on the field of battle.
The Battle of Towton.
The Battle of Towton would prove to be probably the bloodiest and longest battle ever to be fought in England. The two armies combined numbered between 50,000 to 65, 000 soldiers. Towton was a long, bitter slog war of attrition,which for much of the duration, no side appeared to be gaining the upper hand. It has been estimated that the death toll was some 28,000 men. Due to the horrific carnage wrought there, the battlefield was referred to as the ‘Bloody Meadow.’
Edward arrived at Pontefract castle in Yorkshire the day before Palm Sunday, March 29th.
‘A day in the Bloody Meadow.’
Hostilities commenced the next morning in the midst of a huge snowstorm. This slaughter would be known as the Battle of Towton.
This proved to be a decisive victory for the Yorkists. The outcome was due in no small part to the weather, which aided the Yorkists but hampered the efforts of the Lancastrians. Another factor was the leadership of Edward IV. Although only a fledging of eighteen years he proved himself a most competent commander.
The Lancastrian archers found themselves in a position where they were forced to discharge their arrows against the strong wind. This meant that their volleys, slowed by the wind, failed to reach as far as the Yorkist ranks.
King Edward might have said that his best commander was the weather!
Due to the direction of the icy strong wind, the Lancastrian arrow was of much use as a feather!
As the Lancastrian arrows landed harmlessly in front of the Yorkist ranks, the soldiers gathered them up for ammunition to fire back at the Lancastrians. Yes, the Lancastrians were now being killed by their own arrows.
Return to sender! Return to sender!
Position well known!
It’s great to hear those horrible Lancastrians grown
Later, the battle moved to dreadful hand to hand combat.
The two armies enveloped in smothering thick snow!
Twas King Edward who proved himself to be the man in the know!
Edward showed himself to be very much a hands on, resourceful commander. Showing great courage he moved amongst his men, giving orders and shouting words of encouragement. He remembered how his father and brother had died at Lancastrian hands and wished to return the dreadful compliment with heartfelt relish. The tale of his father’s head being paraded around to Lancastrian jeers and sneers drove him to tears of both anger and sadness. He had to exorcise the terrible memory, and the only avenue available was blood revenge.
You placed my father’s head upon a pole on which you all did spit!
For your actions I will see to it that you are all buried together in one great pit!
True to his word, Edward did exactly that.