Howard’s bold show had good effects. James halted to allow his guns to come into action, but Borthwick’s beautiful pieces, worked by ill-trained gunners, and badly placed on a slippery hillside, were rapidly silenced or dismounted. Lord Sinclair was slain directing his batteries, and the English guns soon gained the complete mastery. Then Surrey hurried into line with his son, and James’s great opportunity was gone. The English main-battle closed up on the Admiral and Constable; Dacre took post behind Howard; Sir Edward Stanley was hurrying to form on Surrey’s left. The English fire was directed with deadly effect on the heavy masses of the Scottish centre; the Scottish artillery was almost all out of action. Much has been said of the rashness of the Scots in charging, but in truth there was little alternative.
PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF FLODDEN.
Each block represents about 1,500 men. No attempt is made to differentiate infantry and cavalry; the Scots were all on foot during the battle and probably most of the English also. English movements shown with dot and dash, Scottish with dashes only.
At first, all went well for Scotland. Home and Huntly bore down on Edmund Howard’s division, while Crawford and Montrose charged the Admiral. The two English divisions became separated from one another, and Lord Edmund’s was completely broken and scattered, though he himself cut his way through a body of Homes,[H] who endeavoured to stay him, and joined his brother. The success of Home and Huntly was locally complete; but they could not control their undisciplined followers, many of whom scattered to plunder. Dacre hurried up his reserves, and, though his Bamboroughshire and Tynemouth troops wavered and broke, succeeded in checking the Chamberlain’s advance, and kept him at bay throughout the battle.
[H] This body was commanded by Sir David Home, the father of the famous ‘Seven Spears of Wedderburn.’ He himself was slain by Howard in single combat, and with him fell his eldest son. At Wedderburn Castle is a portion of a standard which was probably the rallying-point of this unfortunate detachment. After the fight it is said to have served as Sir David’s winding-sheet.
A SCOTTISH PIKEMAN.
The Scottish centre, moving down the hill, was met with a hail of cannon-balls and arrows, but the sturdy yeomen came on with the finest spirit, doffing their shoes to obtain firmer footing, never halting or wavering. They closed upon the English centre, despite its heavy fire, and under the weight and impetus of the charge it was forced backward. But it was not broken, and the fight raged fiercely along the line, James and his picked troops making repeated and desperate attempts to pierce the stubborn English front.
The non-arrival of Bothwell and the Highlanders left James’s right entirely uncovered, and Sir Edward Stanley, coming up from the Mill Ford, was directed against it. His left reached the crown of Branxton Hill without meeting any foe, but before he could develop his attack he was charged by the Highlanders, who had at last arrived, while Bothwell passed behind them down the slope to support the King.