Games of Otterburn 1388
Page 32
From across the field at the tree line Ralph Neville watched the whole development happen from his saddle. He had not gone headlong into the fight and was glad for his prudent decision. Only a few archers and knights had stayed by his side as the small isolated group watched the tragedy unfold.
But Umfraville was not defeated as yet. He wheeled his destrier and yelped his war cry once again meaning, follow him, and broke through the lines behind him and ran back to where Lord Neville was still sitting his mount.
“Got trapped, Milord?” asked Neville snidely.
Umfraville sneered back spitting, “I’ll not be a’savin’ your petty old arse ever again!”
“Did get the bastards off my castle lot,” gainsaid Neville. “For that I thank you!”
Umfraville growled and stared hard at his fellow lord.
“But,” continued Neville as the Scots were lining up for another run at the English, “I’m leaving and I’m taking my contingent with me!”
Umfraville was visibly shaken. He had been played for a fool twice by the Percys and their kin. He was seriously wondering how he could possibly have a gainful dog in the hunt, whatsoever.
From the firth side of the field they watched as the combined force turned tail and hied for Carlisle.
A great cheer went up on the side of the Scots.
The same cheer cringed the ears of Umfraville who already had his thoughts on licking his wounds at his manor house in Harbottle over a game of conflict he had little interest in from the beginning and even less since he lost.
- End -
Epilogue
The use of the word “games” in the title of this book is a philosophical viewpoint that in no way demeans the military of any nation or people. The life and death skirmishes, the tournaments, the Olympics, the games of all kinds are necessary to be prepared to save the liberty of any people when the homeland is seriously threatened. A blooded standing army has an indispensable worth to any nation determined to provide freedom for its people despite its dear cost to maintain in lives and personal pain. Such sacrifices are a terrible means to an end result for nations to stand for the rights that allow its whole population to seek that for which they most dearly cherish; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Scots winning the battle of Otterburn was an enormous source of income for them in ransoms alone. It was considered the most worthwhile battle fought by the Scots since the battle of Bannockburn some seventy-four years earlier. The large herds of cattle and horses additionally were of great worth and considering the capture of the national hero, “Hotspur” Percy, the English pride was most severely wounded.
To the immediate disposition of the people involved, I offer the following:
John Stewart, Earl of Carrick, lost his position as the Guardian to his brother Robert, the Earl of Fife, when his strongest ally, James Douglas, the second Earl of Douglas and Mar, was killed at Otterburn.
John Stewart did keep from being in front of his brother for another two years at which time their father, King Robert II died and John, who probably did not want to be associated with King John Balliol and much to the chagrin of his brother, was crowned Robert III.
As for the Douglas family, Earl James was buried at Melrose Abbey where his ancestors were buried. Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, the natural born son of the famed James “the Black” (or the Good) Douglas became the Third Earl of Douglas.
George Dunbar, Tenth Earl of Dunbar and Third Earl of March, was credited as being the real glue that held the Scottish forces together at Otterburn after Earl James Douglas went missing in the midst of the battle.
George’s brother John Dunbar, Forth Earl of Moray, continued his personal war against the English beyond Otterburn and was killed in that pursuit in 1391.
Henry “Hotspur” and Ralph Percy’s ransoms were eventually paid by King Richard II and the Lords Appellate. They both lived to fight for many another days.
The English falsely blamed Bishop Walter Skirlaw of Durham for losing the battle.
Hotspur, holding true to the nature of his sobriquet and because he thought it would be a rout easily accomplished within the last hour of sunlight of the day was the best reason for losing a battle that, with his far superior numbers, he may very well have won during daylight hours. There was, however, much more to the smaller Scottish contingent than he ever thought possible.
Sir Roger Clifford mysteriously died the following year. No one admitted to suspecting his wife, Maude, as a cause for his death but she was observed to have smiled much more after hewas underground.
King Richard did make a return to power with Anne at his side as his queen just as she predicted but what she did not predict were her worst fears that did come to pass as well.
A word about the time frame of the actual Otterburn battle adopted for this novel.
Many historians have ascribed the fifth of August as the date of the battle. I agree with Jean Froissart, a French historian, who actually interviewed warriors who fought on both sides in the battle of Otterburn within a year after the battle and placed the date on the nineteenth of August.
One considered look at a chart of the moon phases in 1388 convinced me that a warrior setting his sights on a raid into enemy territory in that day and time would most definitely consider the moon phases as an indispensably ally. The moon on the nineteenth allowed for the battle to continue for the long night. The full moon was on the twentieth of August, 1388.
Douglas’ forces left Scotland for England when the moon was waxing and the Otterburn battle was fought under the light of a near full moon. Since Douglas did not know how long he was to be in England raiding his time table was, in my opinion, blatantly prudent.
Charles Randolph Bruce