by Griff Hosker
The castle had a superb position. It was in a loop of the River Severn and had the river’s protection on all but one side. The neck of land close to the barbican was at its narrowest point. It meant an assault had to try to take the formidable barbican. I saw that other companies had arrived and were accommodated to the west of the castle where the loop of the river afforded more land and yet the camp was well protected by the castle. I saw the white swan standard flying from the castle. The Prince was at home.
I pointed to the field beyond the castle. “I am guessing we camp there. Take the men and make our camp. I will go with Harry and speak with the Prince.
We were expected and as we dismounted in the outer ward and ostlers took my horse a page arrived and said, “Sir John is awaiting you in the Great Hall. Prince Henry is in the camp speaking with the men who have recently arrived.”
Sir John Stanley was the Prince’s steward. He was a valiant knight and I liked him. Marginally older than I was, he was a Cheshire knight but a loyal one. He had done well marrying into a rich family, the Lathoms, and was now a rich man. He fought for the Prince and sought no recompense for doing so.
“Sir William, it is good that you came. We all heard of your illness and the attempts on your life. The Prince was most concerned.”
“Aye well, all is well that ends well. God spared me and I am now whole and we can root out the Prince’s enemies.”
“They have grown, my lord. You heard about Mortimer?” I nodded. “It brought Glendower that which he lacked, knights.”
I nodded, “And how stand our castles?”
“The ones in the north, Beaumaris to Conwy are secure but Harlech and Aberystwyth, which we recovered in November, are besieged. We learned from last year and the Prince keeps them supplied by sea but the cost is exorbitant. Holding on to Wales costs the Prince more than fourteen hundred pounds a year! Every lord who is able to, withholds his taxes. They are either rebels or cite the threat from the rebels as the reason they cannot pay. It is too bad.”
“And the Prince has a plan?”
“He does but he holds you in such high regard that he wished to wait until you arrived to formalise it.”
“And the forces at our disposal?”
“Twenty-four knights and barons, five hundred men at arms and two and a half thousand archers.” He shrugged, “Of course most of this is in the form of promises. We have less than half of that as yet.”
I was not downhearted. The fact that we had so many archers meant we could match the Welshmen and the land over which we would be campaigning did not suit large numbers of mailed men. I might not even need my war horse! When Harry arrived with our bags we were shown to our quarters. I was a senior lord and would be accommodated in the castle. I had come far since I had served in Spain.
I did not see the Prince until it was time to eat. I was the only baron present and so I was seated at his right hand. There were twelve knights present too. Harry was now used to his duties and he moved easily between the table and the kitchens. As in most castles, the kitchens were on a different floor. Negotiating the narrow stairs was never easy. Harry had learned from his brother.
“Well, Prince Henry, are we well prepared?”
“I hope so Baron, but we do not have enough men. I went around the camp today; I learned that from you and my peregrinations taught me much. The men are confident, especially yours. They told me how serious your illness was. You should have let me know.”
I shook my head, “Prince Henry, I knew nothing until I recovered. It was my family suffered.”
“And that seems to be your lot in life.”
I nodded, “When the threat of Glendower and Hotspur is over then I can enjoy some time with my children and grandson.”
“Your men seem to think that you believe they are linked.”
I nodded, “It is the Mortimer connection which tells me that. When I delivered your father’s letter Hotspur was too calm. It was as though he was unconcerned with the loss of ransom. Oh, he blustered and he expressed anger but it was for show. He now has an excuse for rebellion but he wishes to draw your father’s eye south. So, I have spoken to Sir John but I do not know your strategy.”
“That is simple. The Welsh have raided at will. English farmers have been slaughtered and their animals were taken.” I did not point out that I had been ordered to do the same to the Welsh. “We hit Glendower where it hurts him. Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy.”
“We burned Glyndyfrdwy, Prince.”
“He rebuilt it. It is not as grand as it once was but it is a gesture to show us that he is resilient. When we have destroyed them, we make his homeland of Cynllaith, a wasteland. I will be ruthless. Mortimer’s defection has shown me that we cannot play this as though it is a tourney with men applauding clever strokes with a sword. The people who look to me as their prince are suffering.”
I was seeing a Prince reborn. He was now a man. Just approaching sixteen summers he had spent the last three years learning how to be a leader and now he had made his decision. He would be a ruthless one. As we ate, he told me about his plans in detail. His father had been to war but Hal was a true warrior!
“My father is using his cunning to defeat our enemies. He has granted the Earl of Northumberland the earldom of Douglas and large parts of Scotland. It is a clever ruse and may buy us time to defeat the Welsh before Hotspur is ready to attack us.” I was not so sure but it seemed to me that the King had given away that which was not his and so it cost him nothing. It was a ploy which might succeed.
Over the next days, more contingents arrived. The knights were young ones. I was with the Prince when he greeted them and I saw a different approach to that of his father, the King. The Prince spoke to the men and not just the lords. He showed what appeared to be, to me, genuine interest. We were not a large army but we would be a closely knit one. A letter also arrived from his father confirming him as Lieutenant of Wales. It was he who would lead the army. He could be advised but he was in command. There would be no senior lord countermanding him. I hoped his father was showing confidence in his son and not distancing himself from any potential disaster. Then I remembered our last conversation in Northampton. His father had specifically asked for me. I was there as insurance.
The night before we left, he held a council of war with his barons and knights. He told them what he had told me the night I had arrived. He had a small army but it was all mounted and we would move quickly. “First, we ride to Sycharth. Sir William has already scouted it out and we know its strengths and weaknesses. It is made of wood and it is small. We surround it and we use our arrows to destroy all within. If we have to then we fire it and burn all those within. They have rebelled against me and they will pay the price.”
I was witnessing a butterfly which had emerged from its cocoon. Gone was the awkward caterpillar and in its place was a powerful beast which moved with grace and purpose. He was decisive and his words inspired the knights. These were not the lords like Hotspur and the Earl of Northumberland who sought power. These wished to serve a young lord who seemed to care about them. I now saw why King Henry had asked me to join this campaign. He could trust me and knew that Prince Henry could rely on my judgement. I suppose it was the mark of a good leader. Despite the fact that there were three thousand of us we were hardly ponderous for only the knights, less than thirty of us, needed a baggage train. The archers carried their spare shafts on horses while the men at arms just rode palfreys; we were not going into war horse country. As we had been at Sycharth most recently my men led. Alan of the Woods and my archers led the way as we headed towards the castle on the border.
We had less than twenty-four miles to go and the Welsh were not expecting an attack this early in the season. My archers rode hard. Behind them came my men at arms and, as we neared the castle, I sent Alan of the Woods to ride to the far side of the castle and ensure that none escaped. I rode, with my men at arms into Llansilyn. Behind me rode the Prince and he planted himself before the gat
es. Leaving Captain Edgar to secure the village I rode back to the gates and the Prince. He bravely placed himself within bow range and he took off his helmet. It bordered upon the reckless.
“I am Henry, Prince of Wales and Lord Lieutenant of Wales. This is the castle of the rebel Owain Glyndŵr. I demand that you surrender the castle to me to save useless loss of life for you are surrounded and this castle will fall!”
A Welshman peered over the top of the gatehouse and shouted, “This is not England, this is Wales and we bow the knee to the English invader no longer. Soon you will not have a throne Prince Henry so, be a good boy and go home!”
It was deliberately insulting to the Prince but I also picked up that there would be an attempt to take the English throne. I stored that information for later. The Prince did not react angrily. His voice was calm as was he, “I ignore your insults and I offer, once again, the olive branch of peace. Surrender to me and you shall leave here unharmed. Swear not to fight me again and you shall keep your swords. It is a reasonable offer and I make it once only. Reject it and the consequences will be dire.”
“We reject it!”
An arrow was sent from within the walls. It was poorly aimed for it struck the breastplate of the Prince but it caused outrage amongst our men who began baying at the walls. They were like a pack of dogs who wished to be unleashed. Prince Henry showed his class when he held up his hand and shouted, “Peace! They have made their decision and many men will rue that decision.”
Our men all banged their swords and spears and chanted, “Prince Harry! Prince Harry!” If there was one thing the common soldier liked it was when his leader showed he was not afraid of an enemy.
He turned his horse and rode back to me. “You were lucky, Prince Henry!”
He nodded, “Aye, but we now have the right of it and that helps. We will surround their walls and let them stew this night. We will stay in the village. Have your men evict the rebels.”
I looked at the young man who had grown up so much in the past year. “Yes, my Prince.” I turned my horse and galloped towards Captain Edgar. “Tell the people to leave. The garrison has annoyed the Prince and they must pay the price.”
“Aye, lord. You heard Sir William.”
As the people were moved out one man spoke out. I recognised him having seen him when I was playing an old man in the village, “This is not right, sir. We are just innocent people who go about our business.”
“Really? Then you did not profit when Glendower brought Mortimer here and you rubbed your hands at the profit you made?” He made the sign of the cross for how could I have known? “Leave and take just what you can carry on your backs. Go into Wales and ask your would be King for help! Let us see what he can do!”
Shoulders slumped, the villagers headed west. They had not had time to dig up their treasure. They took clothes and food and that was all. Glendower would know that the Prince was coming but, for once, we had the advantage of surprise. He would not know which direction we would take. We used the houses for accommodation and our campfires ringed the walls of the castle. We butchered and cooked the animals we found and we ate well.
The next morning the castle was ringed by two and a half thousand archers. They did not have bodkins nocked but war and hunting arrows; we would not waste the valuable bodkins. The Prince waited until every archer was in position and the walls were manned. For some reason, the Welsh did not send their arrows as soon as they saw our men. Perhaps they were waiting for some formal beginning. The Prince gave it to them. He had the horn sounded three times and two and a half thousand arrows descended into the castle. Many, in fact, most, would be wasted but it mattered not. Flight after flight was sent over and the Welsh responded. Eight of our archers were hit, three fatally. The Prince ordered the horn to be sounded once and the archers fell back. It was not generosity. He had served with my archers and knew that rest between flights increased their ability to rain death. The archers drank and some, like my men, changed their bows and strings.
Prince Henry waved his arm and the horn sounded twice. The archers returned and when the horn sounded thrice, they resumed their attack. A white flag was waved and the Prince had the horn sounded once. “Do you surrender?”
It was not the knight who had spoken before, it was another and he shouted, “Aye, we surrender. You have slain half of our men!”
“Then open the gates and throw down your weapons.”
The gates opened and we saw the devastation the arrows had caused. The men who had been wounded on the walls were being tended to by healers. As the Prince and I stepped in through the gate I saw bodies littering the walls. None were knights or men at arms. The Prince turned to Sir John, “I want all the knights gathered in the hall. Take the weapons from the rest. Each archer will lose three fingers from their right hand. The mail will be taken from the men at arms and then they will be taken back to Shrewsbury where they will be made to work.”
The steward nodded, “And the knights?”
“I will deal with those.” I went with the Prince and our squires to the hall where the knights were being herded. They stood in a disconsolate line. There were eight of them. “Where is the man who insulted me?”
They pointed to a body on the gate of the inner ward.
“Then he has cheated the hangman. Have you ransom?”
One knight said, “It will take me two weeks to raise the coin.”
The Prince turned to his squire, “Have my men at arms hang this one!”
The knight dropped to his knees, “But Prince Henry…”
“You are a rebel and I will not wait one day for ransom. The rest of you, take heed of this man’s death for it presages yours! Send your squires for ransom. If it is not here by dusk tomorrow, then you hang. We have no time to dally here! I have a country to win back.”
He was the only knight we hanged. We left a week later having burned the village and the castle. The ditch was filled with the Welsh bodies. It was a grisly sight and I did not think the Welsh would rebuild. We headed north for Glendower’s main home.
Part Three
The Battle of Shrewsbury
Chapter 17
The prisoners and the treasure had been taken to Shrewsbury and so, for Glyndyfrdwy, we had fewer men. This time it was the men at arms and knights who reduced the hall. Glendower had rebuilt it. There were men guarding its walls but we rode in at dawn, having scouted it out at night and we swept through the grounds sweeping all before us. This time there were no knights. The garrison were all slaughtered and we scattered the women and servants. The men were taken as prisoners to Shrewsbury. As we searched the hall for treasure I asked, “What will you do with the prisoners, Prince Henry?”
“It is simple, Sir William, when we catch up with Glendower, they become bargaining pieces. Let us see how he views the damage we do his own people?”
We left three days later leaving the hall and grounds burned and ruined. Glendower’s recently restored home was no more. We headed for Machynlleth and the heartland of Wales for that way we would pass close to the great mountain of Snowdon. There was a religious significance to the mountain in the centre of North Wales and the Prince was making a statement. The Prince decided that as the Welsh had been gathered at Machynlleth we would raid that too. There was no resistance as we moved into the higher ground and through the narrow valleys. Any potential ambush was negated by our mounted archers who were able to ride as a screen before us. We found deserted villages devoid of people and animals. It was fortunate that we had eaten well at Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy for there was little food to be had. It should have made our men resentful towards the Prince but as he endured the same privations that anger was turned towards the Welsh. The odd Welshman that was found died! Our archers were in no mood for prisoners.
The other problem we had was grazing. Three thousand horses need a great deal of grass. My men and I were lucky. We had brought oats from home. The Prince commented upon it, “Very clever Sir William yet you are th
e only knight who has done so.”
I nodded, “Perhaps I am the only knight who had to care for the horses of the Blue Company in the dry and desiccated land of Spain. If a man went afoot there then he had signed his own death warrant. I learned to husband horses.” I saw him taking that in. When he became King and led campaigns in France, the lessons he learned in Wales were well used.
When we reached Machynlleth we found a deserted town and so the Prince had it fired. We spent a couple of weeks ensuring that there were no more rebels and then we headed back to Shrewsbury. We had tightened our belts and they now rested on clearly visible ribs. We were in no condition to relieve the sieges of Aberystwyth and Harlech. The Prince was wise enough to know that we had hurt the Welsh but any further action would result in irreplaceable losses to us. As we headed back, I heard the frustration in his voice that the Welsh, and Glendower in particular, had not faced us. He was angry about Mortimer who had defected and yet not had the courage to use his own knights to fight us.
“Prince Henry, you are making the correct decision. The Welsh will just draw us deeper and deeper into their mountains. You chose the balance of this army wisely and our archers now outnumber anything the Welsh can field. They seek to weaken us and our horses by making us chase shadows. There is a plot and a plan to the enemy. I still believe that Hotspur is part of that plot. He has done nothing about the ransom for Douglas and his armies still sit in the north. I fear that Glendower seeks to draw us away from the heart of England.”
The Prince heard my words but was not convinced. Once back in Shrewsbury he set about feeding our men. The horses gorged on the new grass and I was privy to the letters he and Sir John wrote to his father. The men we had led had not been paid. An army the size of ours was expensive. His letters to his father begged for money to prosecute the war against the rebels. Parliament would not consider negotiation nor would they fund a war. The supporters of Richard saw this as a way of hurting King Henry. I had seen the fickle nature of Parliament when I had served King Richard. They were petty men using the power they had for their own advantage. They cared not a jot for the common man yet their rhetoric suggested that everything they did was for them.