|
Scotland's Lion Falls: The Last Stand of the
Earl of Douglas at Verneuil
History told as a story
In the hallowed fields near Verneuil-sur-Avre,
Normandy, on August 17, 1424, destiny unfurled its cruel banner.
Here, an English army faced a combined Franco-Scottish force,
bolstered by the might of Milanese heavy cavalry. The stakes were
high—the Hundred Years’ War raged, and the echoes of Agincourt
still reverberated.
Scotland, bound by a historic alliance
with the French crown, finds itself embroiled in the conflict.
Archibald Douglas, the 4th Earl of Douglas, a name that had long
been synonymous with Scottish ferocity on the battlefield, stands
poised to make his mark.
Generations earlier, his ancestors
had carved a bloody swathe through English armies. His own father,
"Archibald the Grim," had earned his moniker through relentless
campaigns against the Auld Enemy. The Douglases, a dynasty as much
as a family, ruled vast swathes of Scottish land, their power
rivaling that of the King himself.
Archibald, inheriting
this legacy, had proven himself a worthy successor. Now, with France teetering on the brink of collapse, he
led a contingent of Scottish troops across the channel, their
banners a flicker of hope for the beleaguered French king.
But the tide of war was turning. The English, under the ruthless
command of the Duke of Bedford, had recently crushed French forces
at Cravant. Undeterred, Douglas, with his characteristic boldness,
joined the French army, his presence a much-needed boost to their
morale.
The battle commenced with a swift archery exchange.
English longbowmen and Scottish archers traded lethal volleys. But
the true drama unfolded when the Milanese cavalry charged—a
thunderous onslaught that defied arrows and wooden stakes. They
penetrated the English formation, routing one wing of longbowmen.
On foot, well-armored English and Franco-Scottish men-at-arms
clashed. Steel met steel, and the air crackled with fury. For 45
minutes, they grappled—a desperate, ferocious melee. Some English
longbowmen rallied, joining the fray. But fate favored the
English.
The French men-at-arms faltered, leaving the Scots
alone in a last stand. No quarter was given. The Milanese cavalry,
having pursued the fleeing English, returned to witness the
aftermath. The field bore witness to carnage—6,000 French and
Scottish lives extinguished, 200 captured.
Among the fallen
was the valiant Earl of Douglas. His legacy, forged in battles
past, met its somber end. His son, Archibald Douglas, fought
alongside him and shared his fate. The Scottish army, once
formidable, lay broken.
The English claimed victory—a
second Agincourt. Their losses, they declared, were minimal. But
the echoes of Verneuil would resonate. The Army of Scotland, once
a force to be reckoned with, faded from the stage of the Hundred
Years’ War.
And so, the fields of Verneuil bore witness to
heroism, tragedy, and the inexorable march of history. The Earl of
Douglas, like so many before him, became a spectral figure—a
memory etched in blood and soil.
See also:
Archibald, 4th
Earl of Douglas
Battle of Verneuil
More stories from the Douglas Archives
|
