The Boar vs. The Dragon: Bosworth 22 August 1485 (Battle Concludes!)

[DemPGH]

Introduction

I meant to do this over the summer but did not have time. With the interment of King Richard III coming up in late March 2015 in Leicester, I wanted to go ahead and do this now that the holidays are here and there is time. I'll complete it sometime over the winter.

King Edward IV of England captured the crown in March 1461, ended the Wars of the Roses in 1471 at Tewkesbury, and died peacefully of what was probably diabetes in April 1483. It was decided that Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was illegitimate (which, by 15th century standards, it probably was), and thus so were his sons, the famed Princes in the Tower.

So, the Duke of Gloucester, Edward’s brother, became King Richard III on 26 June 1483. Richard had fought bravely and well at Barnet and Tewkesbury in command of Edward’s vanguard. Edward’s young sons, following his death in April 1483, were placed in the Tower of London where they literally vanished. Richard, in subsequent years, would be made into a villain by Tudor propaganda as the man who directly murdered them. The fate of the Princes in the Tower, however, is entirely unknown.

This is a re-telling of the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485, which was fought in a field between Atherstone and Leicester near Market Bosworth. I’ll show you how it could have turned out a little differently.

A bit more background to follow. . .

[DemPGH]

As it happened, Henry Tudor (The Dragon) defeated King Richard (The Boar) when three things happened:

1.   Richard was betrayed by Sir William Stanley: Stanley feigned sickness and sat on the sidelines with about 3,500 men before attacking Richard from behind when Richard made himself vulnerable. Stanley had fought for Edward, and Richard had rewarded him, so Richard had every reason to expect his support.
2.   Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, failed to engage the entire rearguard in support of King Richard. A commander other than Percy would have likely engaged the rearguard, which would have defeated Tudor.
3.   Against all that, Richard’s final charge failed by only a few feet. Richard personally killed Henry Tudor’s standard-bearer Sir William Brandon and unhorsed Henry’s bodyguard Sir John Cheney. Most accounts say that Richard got to within the length of a sword of Henry Tudor.

Interestingly, Percy (Northumberland) was murdered in 1489, and Stanley was executed in 1495 by Henry Tudor (as Henry VII) for treason.

I also want to speculate on the aftermath.

Richard III had financially supported universities like Queens’ College, whereas Tudor did not, and Richard also owned a copy of the New Testament in English, which was a “heretical” text. Would the Reformation have been less bloody under Richard's line? It's difficult to say.

Who would have become Richard's new wife and queen consort? Anne, Richard's wife, died in early 1485, likely from tuberculosis. Richard made a formal proposal to Princess Joanna of Portugal over the summer of 1485. She, however, had generally rejected marriage to live in a convent.

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Next is the timeline of the battle, which will start with several important events leading up to it.

[DemPGH]

1483

APRIL: King Edward IV dies of diabetes. His sons are too young to reign, so his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, becomes Protector of the Realm. Edward refers to Henry Tudor, in exile in Brittany, France, as “the last of Henry VI’s brood.” Edward is unable to have Tudor extradited to England due to the complex political scene.

JUNE: Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath, preaches a homily to the effect that Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, because Edward was contracted to marry another woman, was illegitimate. Edward’s sons, the princes, are also illegitimate.

Parliament agrees. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and brother to Edward IV, is petitioned to become king, as he is the next legitimate heir. He accepts. His wife Anne becomes queen consort. They have a young son aged 9, named Edward of Middleham, who becomes the Prince of Wales.

JULY: Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is crowned and anointed King Richard III.

Unlike Henry VI and Edward IV, Richard III appoints few new members to the aristocracy. He rewards the Stanleys for their loyal service during the Wars, promotes his loyal friend Francis Lovell to Viscount, and makes William Catesby and Sir Richard Ratcliffe ("The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our Dog") his closest associates along with John Howard, Duke of Norfolk.

Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, approaches Richard about the princes. Richard knows they are nearly as much a threat to him alive as dead (if they are dead, it may galvanize Richard’s opposition to unite behind someone else, namely Henry Tudor), so Buckingham implores Richard to let him deal with the princes.

AUGUST: The young princes, now in the tower of London, are murdered by Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. No public explanation is ever given, and Buckingham begins conspiring with disaffected gentry, including the Woodvilles, against Richard with the aim of placing Henry Tudor on the throne provided that Tudor will marry Elizabeth of York. The Woodvilles and Beauforts agree to the proposal. So does Tudor through writing. Rumors circulate that Richard murdered the princes.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER: Buckingham writes secretly to Tudor in Brittany to encourage him to invade England soon. Buckingham meanwhile raises a rebel army to oppose the king.

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER: Tudor raises an impromptu invasion army of French mercenaries, but inclement weather deters it, and he returns to Brittany. Buckingham’s rebel army collapses when the Royal Army under command of King Richard arrives to oppose him. Buckingham is captured and beheaded as a traitor after a brief trial.  

DECEMBER: The Titulus Regius (Title of the King) is prepared for January publication; the length of a pamphlet, it lays out the entirety of Richard’s claim to the throne.

[DemPGH]

1484
Part I

January: King Richard’s claim to the throne is published to the kingdom. He calls his first parliament.

Sir William Stanley is investigated following the failed rebellion under Buckingham since Stanley is an in-law of Henry Tudor's mother Lady Margaret Beaufort, but Stanley is cleared of wrongdoing. He nonetheless begins to feel distanced from Richard as Lady Margaret, a Lancastrian, successfully begins to drive a wedge between Stanley and Richard. Herein lies the seed of future rebellion.

February-June: Court proceedings under King Richard are markedly different from those under his elder brother Edward IV. Under Richard, sex parties and informal parties are reduced whereas formal receptions and banquets are increased. Foreign diplomats across Europe write of the splendor of Richard’s court and his formal graciousness. Fish, fowl, and wine are plenty on Richard’s table.

Richard begins to fall out of favor for being overly stern and oriented toward domestic affairs and legislation. He also expels some of the women who would be his mistresses in favor of his wife and the care of his son Edward, aged 9, who is sickly.

Elizabeth “Jane” Shore, foremost among Edward IV’s mistresses, and also a knowledgeable, witty, and seductive woman, is arrested for espionage. No proof is available that she spied for the Beauforts and disaffected gentry against Richard, so Richard smears her public image as that of a “holy whore.” She is later released from prison when one of Richard’s officers falls in love with her. She goes on to live to the age of 79.

Richard seeks to assert control over the judges of the realm; he is "perturbed" by stories of records being wrongly altered and for the favoritism frequently shown under Edward IV. Richard implores his subjects not to revolt if faced with injustice, and to instead seek justice from the courts and the Star Chamber.

Richard values stability, and legislation undertaken by the first parliament seeks to address the rising merchant class and to make attainders illegal prior to a full hearing.

[DemPGH]

1484
Part II

June-September: Cloth merchants prosper under Richard’s policies; long gowns and bright attire mark all formal occasions, and there are many. Richard welcomes the sale of books, and keeps for himself the New Testament in English, which is regarded as heretical. Richard also makes generous donations to Queen’s and King’s Colleges.

William Colyngbourne, feeling displaced when Richard promotes Francis Lovell to Viscount, publicly implores Henry Tudor to invade England. Colyngbourbe publishes a poem that reads:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

"The cat" and "the rat" are references to Richard’s closest associates and "the hog" refers to Richard and his personal device, the boar.

October-December: Colyngbourne is arrested, tried, and executed for treason. John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, presides over the hearing.

Uneasy and withered by the constant threat of invasion by Henry Tudor, who still hides in Brittany, Richard establishes a series of outposts along the southern shores of England to keep watch.

Richard’s failure in foreign policy is that he is unable to secure the extradition of Henry Tudor due to differences with the French. In fact, Richard fails to convince the French to even put Tudor under lock and key.

1484 nears its end, and Richard’s son Edward dies of Tuberculosis. The funeral is a formal dedication to a dead prince by a grieving father, awash in roses.

Queen Consort Anne falls ill as 1484 ends.

Henry Tudor establishes contact with “Tamorlant,” or Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. Tudor asks if Percy would join him should he invade, and Percy replies that he will think on it. Lady Beaufort implores Percy to join Henry because an invasion is imminent. She also begins to convince William Stanley that Richard is not a true Yorkist and is a usurper.

[DemPGH]

1485
Part I

January-February
William Stanley excuses himself from court on the grounds that he must see to his estates. King Richard demands that Stanley leave behind his son Lord Strange, more or less as a hostage. Stanley has little choice but to agree. Lord Strange is free, but confined to court.

Stanley continues correspondence with Henry Tudor. Tudor assures Stanley that he will marry Elizabeth of York should he be victorious over Richard; Tudor asserts that Richard is not a “true Yorkist” since Richard “usurped” the throne from Edward’s sons to whom Tudor had no loyalty at all.

February-March
Queen Consort Anne dies of tuberculosis, so Richard is now left without wife and heir.

Rumors persist that Richard poisoned his wife Anne with the intent of marrying his niece. Confronted with these rumors, an enraged and grieving Richard has his niece expelled from court.

March-April
King Richard enters negotiations to marry Princess Joanna of Portugal, although she has generally rejected marriage to live away from court in a convent.

King Richard is informed that an invasion by Henry Tudor is imminent for later in the summer. Richard instructs his outposts to keep close watch on the coastline.

As northern England had become sympathetic to the Lancastrian (red rose) side, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, nominally a Yorkist, agrees to stand by during the imminent fight to await the outcome of the battle “in a place of safety.” He will not fight for King Richard, nor will he fight for Tudor. This is good enough for Tudor since it neutralizes one of the king’s would-be Yorkist supporters.

Stanley also informs Tudor that while he is under duress, he will await the direction of the battle; if it is favorable to Tudor, Stanley will join on his side. But he will not enter the battle on the side of either. This is a de facto victory for Tudor since it neutralizes another powerful would-be ally of the king.

May-July
Richard, informed that an invasion is imminent, and having failed to gain Tudor extradition from the French, withdraws to Nottingham Castle in the old Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. He may, from there, strike quickly at any spot on which Tudor might land.

Writes Charles Ross, “Nottingham Castle, with its modern residential apartments, seems to have been [Richard’s] preferred residence, but probably because of its strategic position as centre to strike against invasion” (Richard III 176).

[DemPGH]

1485
Part II

"Prepare For Battle"

7 August
Henry Tudor lands at Milford Haven on the Welsh coast with approximately 2,500 hired French mercenaries and pikemen. He begins marching north and east, collecting support as he can.

11 August
Richard III learns of Tudor’s arrival and dispatches messages to John, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surrey (Norfolk’s son), the Earl of Northumberland, and Sir Robert Brackenbury. Norfolk in turn dispatches messages to his supporters, which reads, “The king’s enemies are upon land. Prepare for battle.”

A hasty assemblage of support and departure are both necessary for the king, so those who are closest and able will meet King Richard at Nottingham, those who are further away or who will require additional time will meet the king at Leicester. Richard plans to meet Tudor somewhere in the Midlands, so Leicester is considered the last stop.

Both King Richard and Norfolk command the Stanleys to appear on their behalf on pain of Lord Strange’s execution and loss of titles and lands, because the king knows that there is at least a chance of Stanley deserting him due to Stanley’s ties to the Beauforts. Stanley answers that he is ill but will make every effort to appear.

17 August
Tudor’s army has doubled to approximately 5,000. He meets secretly with Lord Stanley at which point his march nearly stops.

19 August
Tudor camps at Atherstone, his last stop.

21 August
King Richard departs Leicester in the morning following Mass, heading westerly into the heart of the Midlands. Intelligence arrives that Tudor is heading east to meet him with a force of around 5,000 men. King Richard’s army is rather larger at about 8,500 men. Stanley, however, has the potential to bring the forces equal should he enter on behalf of Tudor.

That evening both leaders, Richard and Henry Tudor, draw up their divisions or “battles”:

Henry Tudor

The Vanguard: John deVere, Earl of Oxford (experienced Lancastrian commander)
The Main: Gilbert Talbot
The Rearguard: Sir John Savage
Standard-bearer: Sir William Brandon
Standard:
 

King Richard III

The Vanguard: John Howard, Duke of Norfolk (Richard’s trusted friend and experienced Yorkist commander)
The Main: King Richard III
The Rearguard: Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (the rearguard is made up mainly of men Northumberland brought, so Richard sends Surrey as a second in command, surer of his loyalty)
Standard-bearer: Sir Percival Thirlwall
Standard:

22 August
7:24 a.m. Richard’s army deploys atop Ambien Hill with his Vanguard and Norfolk to the right and Percy to his left. His standard is raised at this time, signifying a state of war. The battle commences!

[DemPGH]

An interlude to say that an acquaintance of mine in the UK recorded over 3 hours of Richard III's funeral and posted the DVD to me. I've watched nearly an hour while eating dinner, and I have to say that I wish I could have been there. Over 20,000 people paid respects from all over Europe, Australia, and I knew one or two people here in the States who were going. I just wasn't able to attend. Maybe one of these summers I can see the tomb.

It's disputed whether or not Harold II Godwineson (1066) received a proper burial, but Richard III (1485) did not until now. Both were anointed kings who died fighting on their feet for their kingdoms on the field of battle.

Well, it's good that Tudor propaganda has been offset in recent decades, and my alternate timeline will resolve itself soon.

[DemPGH]

The Battle - First Half

7:35 a.m.
Tudor's army begins its march toward Ambien Hill and the king’s line. Oxford arranges a closed diamond formation for the approach while Tudor lingers behind with a small retinue of about thirty-five knights and soldiers as protectors. The diamond formation will be difficult to flank, and will reduce the effectiveness of Richard’s artillery, which opens fire. Cannons, otherwise known as bombards, open fire from the king’s position, in spectacular crashes of fire and smoke. Handgunners, armed with matchlock muskets, open fire. The effectiveness of the artillery is negligible since guns are in their infancy as military weapons. The musketeers are able to fire about one shot per minute. They kill about fifteen of Tudor’s soldiers.

Tudor also fields a small force of handgunners, who return fire. They are ineffective, and the king’s line atop Ambien Hill remains in full tact.

7:52 a.m.
The march is complete with minor casualties on Tudor’s side from gunfire, and hand-to-hand fighting ensues. Oxford’s force clashes with Norfolk’s vanguard, and here is the heavy fighting. It’s brutal and bloody, with soldiers and knights aiming to lodge bladed weapons into armpits, necks, through helmet beavers, and other semi-unprotected areas of the body. Maces are also used to bludgeon the opponent. Knights are protected by armor, common soldiers by leather jackets stuffed with straw and rudimentary headgear.

Because it is midsummer, potential fatigue and dehydration, coupled with armor and leather making the body even hotter, are issues to beware of. Early or decisive advantages may be crucial, and Richard has in mind a direct charge against Tudor himself should that opportunity present itself. Richard also knows that an army will not continue to fight once its commander has been killed.

8:21 a.m.
Northumberland (Percy) moves the king’s rearguard into position directly behind Richard’s Main, and effectively disengages! This enrages Surrey, who insists that the rearguard engage in defense of the king. Northumberland counters that his decision is to “await the decision of Lord Stanley,” who lingers on the sideline. This is unacceptable to Surrey, who wishes to engage and force Stanley’s hand.

8:44 a.m.
King Richard dispatches a message to Stanley, ordering him to enter the battle on behalf of the royal army, or Lord Strange, Stanley’s son, will be summarily executed. Stanley replies that he has “more sons than only Lord Strange” and remains unengaged. Richard knows that treachery is afoot.

9:03 a.m.
Stanley makes preparations to engage on the side of Tudor since the battle is a stalemate. Meanwhile, Percy’s rearguard “neither gives nor receives any blows,” and remains unengaged. Norfolk’s vanguard, however, sees heavy fighting against Oxford, and begins to lose ground.

9:14 a.m.
Oxford defeats Norfolk when Norfolk's helmet is dislodged and he is hit on the head with a halberd. Norfolk is dead, and the king’s line begins to give way.

9:20 a.m.
Stanley shows his hand finally and orders his force to deploy on behalf of Henry Tudor, an act of treason.

9:34 a.m.
Richard orders his household to prepare for a charge directly on Tudor himself, who hides well behind the lines of fighting, and is vulnerable.

. . . Concludes in the next few days!

[DemPGH]

Battle's End

22 August

9:38 a.m.
Surrey delivers a sucker-punch blow from his mace to the helmet of Percy, knocking him unconscious. Surrey takes charge of the rearguard and orders it to deploy on behalf of the king, skirting Ambien Hill and attacking Tudor’s force from the side. Norfolk had done this at Towton in 1461 in defense of Edward IV. Surrey feels that this action will tip the advantage to the king before Stanley can act.

10:07 a.m.
Surrey arrives with the rearguard, quickly overwhelms Sir John Savage, and defeats him and his retainers, giving new hope to the king’s beleaguered force. Savage lies dead with multiple sword wounds. The battle lines are shifted counter clockwise as Surrey teams with Viscount Lovell to seek out Oxford.

10:17 a.m.
The rearguard is fully engaged as Stanley arrives to support Tudor. Viscount Lovell and Surrey defeat Oxford at last. A bodkin arrow fatally pierces Oxford’s breastplate, and he is stabbed through the neck.

Tudor’s line is now stymied, and Stanley finds himself amid chaos.

10:20 a.m.
Richard now orders his household to charge on Tudor himself, seeing the opportunity. It will be about one hundred of Richard’s household against thirty-five of Tudor’s protectors. Richard knows that if he can eliminate Tudor now, the battle will be over.

10:27 a.m.
Shouting “Treason! Treason!” in the direction of Stanley, Richard charges from Ambien Hill across the field with his household, unobstructed, toward Tudor, the boar and the colors of the kingdom aloft. With Stanley having committed to the battle, no one is left to intercept or obstruct Richard. This is crucial.

Talbot, overwhelmed, flees the field with his retainers.

10:35 a.m.
Richard and his household of one hundred arrive to oppose Tudor’s much smaller reserve of only thirty-five. Richard himself lances Tudor’s standard-bearer, Sir William Brandon, who sustains a fatal neck wound. Blood pouring from the injury, the dragon banner crashes to the ground. Next, Richard engages Sir John Cheney, Henry Tudor’s bodyguard. With the help of Viscount Lovell, Richard unhorses Cheney, who is stunned in the fall.

10:38 a.m.
Richard is now able to engage Tudor at last as Tudor’s reserve falls to Richard’s household. Tudor is knocked from his horse after which Richard, protected by his household, dismounts and engages Tudor on foot. Lovell, with Richard’s household, closes as Tudor’s helmet is knocked from his head. The last things Tudor is conscious of are the colors of the kingdom and the boar racing toward him, held by Sir Percival Thirlwall.

A sword blow to the side of Tudor’s head knocks him unconscious, and Richard drives his sword into the head of Tudor as the household surrounds, delivering a dozen fatal blows to Tudor.

10:45 a.m.
Richard III defeats Henry Tudor.

The engagement of the rearguard was the difference. Richard’s battle crown still on his helmet, he turns to Thirlwall and Lovell to declare the insurrection over.

Tudor’s force, hearing word that Henry is dead, immediately surrenders. No Medieval force would continue fighting once its lord was killed, and such was the case here.

Richard pardons all but Stanley and Lord Strange, who will face summary trial in Leicester. The battle settled, Richard begins the march eastward as the Sun continues to rise in the sky, heating the green Earth around him.

Notable Casualties:
Lancaster: Henry Tudor, Earl of Oxford, Sir John Savage, William Brandon
York: Duke of Norfolk

Approximated Total Casualties:
Lancaster (Tudor): c. 835
York (Richard): c. 520

Victor:
York.