Warwick The Kingmaker

BARNET

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The two hosts could not see each other more than they had the previous night due to the deep fog that swept up from the valley on Easter morning. The only audible sign that the other was still in place in front of them was the faint noise of unseen numbers.

We estimate that each of the two armies must have included about 25,000 soldiers. In the conflict of evidence, it is hard to determine which was more potent, but there needs to be a significant difference in force. Each had set up camp according to how a medieval army would typically be organized, with the primary fight in the centre, the van and rear positioned to its right and left, and a little reserve kept back behind the centre. According to the widespread English habit of the fourteenth century, practically all men on both sides had also dismounted. Even Warwick, who had a habit of leading his first line into battle before mounting and positioning himself at the head of the reserve to deliver the decisive blow, put his horse to the back on this particular occasion and fought all day on foot. He wanted to demonstrate to his troops that this was no ordinary conflict but that he was risking his name, power, lands, and life by working with them.

Warwick himself, with his own Midland retainers, had the left wing in the Earl's army, and with him was his old enemy Exeter, who had been his unwilling partner in the infamous procession of 1457 and his foe at sea in the spring of 1460. Montagu and Oxford, with their men from the North and East, held the right wing; Somerset, with his West Country archery and billmen, formed the centre. Old Lancastrians and Warwick partisans coexisted here and further along the line; the Cresset of the Hollands stood firmly by the Ragged Staff; the Dun Bull of Montagu and the Radiant Star of the De Veres were next to each other. We can't deny that many new friends—who had previously been longtime enemies—were regarded with distrust and that every heart must have had suspicions of future betrayal.

A similar order was used when assembling Edward's army. Although he was just eighteen, Richard of Gloucester oversaw the right side, and his brother had already come to rely on his enthusiasm and drive. The King personally led Clarence's troops in the middle. He was determined to keep his sly brother by his side lest he suddenly regrets his betrayal of his father-in-law. So, Hastings took the helm of the left-rear combat.

The troops were too close together for any manoeuvring to be possible, so the soldiers got up from the muddy ground where they had been lying all night and formed their line where they were. However, King Edward had made a mistake because of the darkness; he had arranged his troops to overlap the Earl's extreme left while opposing nothing to his extreme right. As a result, Gloucester in the one army and Montagu and Oxford in the other possessed each the power of outflanking and turning the wing opposed to them. If the day had been clear, the first rays of sunshine would have disclosed these truths to both forces, but the thick fog prevented either side from immediately recognizing its advantage or danger. Instead, the strength and position of each other were apparent to them when the lines collided.

The two hosts began to move in the direction of one another between four and five o'clock in the first grey of the morning. Each side finally saw the long line of bills and bows that opposed it, stretching to the right and left until it was lost in the fog. The two groups' archers and bombards cooperated for a while, but eventually, the two lines moved closer and converged on Gladsmore Heath from end to end. The first shock went Warwick's way rather than the King's way. In fact, the Earl himself was outflanked by Gloucester at the eastern end of the line, forcing him to retreat his wing and give ground to his centre. The Yorkists, however, suffered a much more significant loss at the other end of the line when Montagu and Oxford not only turned Hastings' flank but also rolled up his line, broke it, and pursued it straight over the heath and onto Barnet town. The rumour that the King had been killed and York's cause had been defeated circulated as many routed troops fled as far as London before they halted. However, the impact of Edward's left-wing defeat was less significant than anticipated. Due to the fog, it went unobserved by the winning right and even by the centre, where Somerset, the King, and Clarence worked diligently and made gains rather than losses. No fear spread down the line since nobody knew about the route except a few people closest to them.