debor044

Many of the campaigns and major battles which comprise the rich history of the War of the Roses were short in length, lasting only a few days as opposed to weeks or months. Warfare was undergoing a slow transformation throughout c.1440-1499 as the medieval age waned into the renaissance age. The lords, barons, dukes, and knights of this period brought rather small forces to bear in combat, around 200-2000 men. This were relatively diverse forces comprised mostly of archers and infantrymen, with diverse forces  cavalry artillery, and mercenaries from the continent. Towton, March 1461 Combat was almost always decisive in this era and battles were relatively short but hard fought and costly as a result. Even in small scale skirmishes the bloodshed was shocking by all accounts that survived the period from 1400 onwards. The Lords, Earls, Dukes, or Kings who served as generals and commander of their households were often in the thick of the battle near their vanguards; th...

Henry Percy (b.1341-1408), the Earl of Northumberland did not remain quiet for long following the Battle of Shrewsbury and the death of his eldest son Sir Henry in 1403. He first had to answer for the crimes and treasons of his son which he denied involvement in and successfully distanced himself from despite strong supporting evidence that he knew and supported his late son’s rebellion. As a leading lord of the kingdom he must have been deeply troubled by the great upheavals caused by Welsh wars, the Scottish raids into his own lands, and the rebellion of his son now dead eldest son and heir which just been crushed by the king at  Shrewsbury  field. See Sir Hotspur's Uprising: The Battle of Shrewsbury, July 21, 1403 , for more. 18th century engraving of the elderly Earl of Northumberland As a father he must have grieved deeply, swearing atonement for his son and heir whose head now adorned the gate above the city of  York  as a lesson to would-be traitors and usurpe...