Henry V: The Background, Strategies, Tactics and Battlefield Experiences of the Greatest Commanders of History Paperback Read Free Page B

of peas. Henry IV split his army into two main
    divisions, described as follows by the French chronicler Jean de Waurin:
    The king... made his dispositions of vanguard, main body, and rear guard,
    of whom he delivered the command to those whom he thought proper and
    worthy to undertake it. He in person led the main body, the Duke of York,
    his uncle, being with him, and the young Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of Arundel,
    the Earl of Rutland, and many other great lords. In the vanguard were the Earl of
    Warwick, the Earl of Exeter, the Earl of Somerset, the Lord de Ros, and many
    other great barons, and in the rear guard were the young Duke of Surrey and
    many wise and distinguished knights, and when they were all assembled they
    numbered fully twenty-six thousand archers and three thousand men-at-arms,
    but at last there were more than sixty thousand men.
    Prince Henry commanded a third force to the flank of the main army. There
    then followed a period of negotiations between the two sides, during which The sword of Henry V
    the Percys rejected extremely good terms from Henry IV. The battle itself started from Westminster Abbey.
    in the afternoon with the advance of the Royal vanguard under Edmund, Earl This arming sword was
    of Stafford, who had just been appointed constable of England by Henry. His found in the Triforium of force advanced uphill into the face of the Percys' force of Cheshire archers and Westminster Abbey in 1869
    took heavy casualties. The Chronica Maiora of Thomas Walsingham describes it and, although located as follows: Therefore the archers of Henry Percy began the fight and the place separately, is believed for the missiles was not on the ground... for men fell on the king's side as fast to be one of the funeral as leaves fall in autumn after the hoar-frost. Nor did the king's archers fail to do 'achievements' of Henry V.
    their work, but sent a shower of sharp points against their adversaries.'
    (Copyright Dean and
    Despite the arrow storm, Stafford's men came face to face with the Percy Chapter of Westminster)
    line and were driven back, with the Earl of Stafford being killed in the process.
    At this point, Henry IV led his main force forwards up the hill, while at the
    same time summoning his son to attack the Percy flank.
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    With his men being overwhelmed by the Royal force, Hotspur decided on
    a bold strike, launching a mounted charge of 30 men to strike straight into the
    enemy and kill the leaders - most importantly the king:
    Thenne was there a strong and an hard bataille, and meny were slayn on bothe
    sides: and whanne sere Henry Percy saw his men faste slayn he pressid in to the
    bataille with xxx men, and made a lane in the myddille of the ost til he cam
    to the kyngis baner, and there he slow the erl of Stafford and ser Thomas Blount
    and othir: and atte laste he was beset aboute and slayne, and anon his ost was
    disparblid and fledde.
    English Chronicle
    Hotspur's attempt had failed. Although he had killed the royal standard-bearer,
    Sir Walter Blount - who may well have been wearing a spare set of Henry IV's
    armour - he himself had fallen and his force now broke apart under pressure
    from Henry IV in the centre and Prince Henry on the flank.
    In the course of this action, Prince Henry himself was severely wounded
    in the face by an arrow, as described by his biographer in The First English Life
    of Henry V:
    Wherein the courage and strength of the younge Prince Henrie appeared
    maruelouslie excellent; for in the same bataille, as he with a feruent mynde
    fought (peraduenture unwarelie) amongst the rebbeles, he was wounded in the
    face wth an arrowe, so sore that they that they present wth him were in despaire
    of his life, wherefore they pained them to with drawe him from the bataille.
    But that noble Prince, perceauinge theire intent gaue to them this aunswere:
    'With what stomacke,' saide he, 'shall our people fight, when they see me theire
    Prince and the Kings sonn withdrawe my