Uneasy Lies the Crown
“When his troops checked the retreat of a Scottish army of ten thousand, rich with pilfered cattle, near the River Till, he rehearsed his options in his mind. It did not take him long to decide what to do next. With Hotspur’s army stationed securely on Harehope Hill, the sun flaring behind them and the wind pushing at their backs, he sent his five hundred mounted archers down into the valley. They left their horses out of range of the Scottish archers’ shorter bows and advanced on foot. When they had gone far enough, they rammed their long, pointed stakes into the earth to serve as defenses against the charge of Scots cavalry that was sure to ensue. At their feet, they arrayed their arrows, with swords and mallets close by for the inevitable hand-to-hand combat. Opposite them, on Homildon Hill, the Scottish schiltrons stood defiantly. Hotspur signaled and the command was relayed to the archers: “Engage the enemy!”Arrows arced through the sky and found their targets. Scots tumbled dead ...down the hill.MoreLess
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