The Moscow voevodas laid siege to Deman, the town nearest Russa, not wishing to leave it behind them. But the Grand Prince, on hearing of victory, sent them to Sheloni, where they joined Pskoff men; and to Deman he sent Prince Vereiski. At Sheloni Prince Holmski found the Novgorod horse on the opposite bank of the river. They intended apparently to fall on the Pskoff men, who had at last entered Novgorod regions, and were plundering and taking everything before them.
Seeing the preponderance on their side, the Novgorod men, keeping up the old custom, began to boast of their strength, and [[460]]ridicule their opponents. The sight of this well-armed and active body confused the Moscow troops somewhat, but only for a moment. They had made many campaigns, and were under trained leaders, while the defenders of the city were potters, carpenters and tanners, who had hurried to arms quickly under threat of losing their houses, or being drowned in the river. If they were trained it was only in boxing, or fighting with bludgeons, not in handling sharp weapons and horses. Obedience and concord were wholly unknown to them, and they had no experienced leaders.
When the Moscow voevodas reached the ford, they cried to those under them, “Brothers, it is better for us to lay down our lives with honor than to go back defeated.” With these words they urged their horses down the steep bank, and were the first to plunge into the river. After them rushed the whole army, wading and swimming to the opposite side, and with shouts of “Moscow! Moscow!” they hurled themselves against the enemy.
The city men, answering with “Holy Sophia!” “Great Novgorod!” rushed to the onset. The Moscow troops had a difficult task before them, but the attackers showed judgment; they struck mainly the horses. Thus, though the Novgorod men struggled desperately, the men of Moscow were overcoming them, for the rearing and plunging of their wounded beasts caused dreadful confusion in the ranks. Then a division attacked their rear, and this gave a decisive victory to Moscow.
A large number of Novgorod men fell or were captured; the remainder rushed wildly through forests or galloped home to the city. Among the captives were many boyars and some former posadniks; with these men were the sons of Martha Boretski.
The treaty between King Kazimir and Novgorod was found in the deserted camp and sent to the Grand Prince, together with news of the triumph. The Moscow camp was filled with delight and rejoicing. Ivan moved now to Russa, and there the captives were brought to receive judgment. The prisoners of importance he met with stern severity. Of those who would have given Novgorod to Kazimir four were beheaded: Dmitri Boretski, Vassili Selezneff, Yeremi Suhoscheka, and Cyprian Arbuzieff. Other notable persons, among them Vassili Kazimir and Matthew Selezen, were removed to Kolomna and kept there in irons; still [[461]]others he sentenced to imprisonment in Moscow; unimportant people were dismissed to their families.
From Russa, Ivan moved toward the mouth of the Sheloni. Meanwhile Holmski conquered all the west to the German boundary.
Moscow troops were now approaching Novgorod from various directions, to force the people to open the gates to them. Chaos reigned in the city. There was heard on all sides the wail of widows and orphans mourning for the men who had perished. The Boretskis, however, encouraged the people, and roused them to desperate effort. On the walls and the towers guards were changed frequently, both night and day. The defenders burned monasteries and houses near the city. A courier was sent to King Kazimir, imploring his immediate assistance. But the courier came back soon. The Livonian Grand Master had barred the way to him. Meanwhile a certain Upadysh had spiked guns on the walls of the city and straightway had suffered death for treason. Great numbers of people had come from the country to Novgorod; and now disease appeared. Communication with the world was interrupted, and hunger was approaching. To complete the disaster, evil news came from Dvina regions: The voevodas of Moscow had scattered the Novgorod army; Prince Shuiski, its leader, was wounded severely; the inhabitants had taken the oath to the Grand Prince.
The Novgorod adherents of peace and alliance with Moscow attacked the opponents for listening to women and destroying the Commonwealth. The Assembly sent envoys to Ivan. From the five ends of the city went five notable persons, and five ex-posadniks. At the head of those ten was the archbishop. The envoys sailed over the Ilmen to Korostyno, but were not admitted at once to an audience. When the Grand Prince saw them, the archbishop asked him to give pardon to Novgorod, and not take its territory.
Ivan listened kindly, and agreed to stop bloodshed. The question of peace he committed to boyars. August 9 and 11, 1471, papers were signed by which Ivan seemed to acknowledge the old-time conditions, and almost repeat the peace clauses framed by Vassili, his father. To these was added only the bond not to join Lithuania deceitfully and to have the archbishop ordained [[462]]always in Moscow, at the tomb of the first metropolitan, Peter. The Grand Prince returned the towns won from the city and its districts. Novgorod agreed to pay an indemnity of fifteen thousand five hundred rubles. Ivan’s voevoda was to take the oath from all Novgorod to observe this new treaty. After the oath had been given, Ivan went to Moscow.