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On
May 4th with the Queen watching from the town, the Lancastrians,
some 6000 strong were arrayed on the high ground to
the south of Tewkesbury Abbey, known as the Vineyards.
They formed themselves into the customary three battles.
The right under the command of Edmund, Duke of Somerset.
The centre under the nominal command of Edward Prince
of Wales, aided by Lord Wenlock and Sir John Langstrother,
Grand Prior of the Knights of St. John. The left was
commanded by John Courtenay, Earl of Devon.
It
was a good defensive position protected by a river and
a marsh on the flanks. To their front the ground was
crossed by streams, hedges, dykes and muddy lanes. (A
right evil place to approach as could well be devised.
As one chronicler wrote at the time). The Yorkists seeing
the Lancastrian position knew they had a fight on their
hands.
Edward,
taking this into account deployed his army as follows;
first he sent a small body of cavalry (to employ themselves
in the best ways they could) to a low hill on his left
known as the park. He then arrayed his main strength
of about 5000 men in three battles to conform with the
Lancastrian positions. On his left was the battle of
Richard Duke of Gloucester, to his right the battle
of William Lord Hastings. Edward took command of the
centre, keeping his brother George Duke of Clarence
close by him.
The
battle commenced when Edward sent forward the archers
supported by his superior artillery in an attempt to
goad the Lancastrians from the hill. With Somerset's
battle bearing the brunt of this fire the ploy seemed
to have worked. Whether hi battle was in danger of breaking
or he had a prearranged plan to turn Edward with a flank
attack, Somerset charged down the sloped and hit Edward's
battle, possibly in a bid to put an end to him and the
battle there and then. However, Edward held Somerset
who was himself attacked in the flank by Richard's battle.
It is possible that Somerset may not have seen Richard
because of the nature of the terrain.
What
were the rest of the Lancastrians doing? In a word nothing!
Either they were not privy to Somerset's plan or they
were taken by surprise by his sudden departure down
the hill.
With
Somerset's attack unsupported he was soon overwhelmed
by the Yorkists and his battle routed back up the hill
towards their original position pursued by Edward's
cavalry who had emerged from the park. The whole Yorkist
army now moved in to attack the remaining Lancastrian
forces. It was at this point that Somerset returning
from the fight, allegedly rode up to Lord Wenlock and
accusing him of treason, dashed out his brains with
his mace.
Edward's
army now made a ferocious attack on the battles of the
Prince of Wales and Earl of Devon. After a short melee
the Lancastrians were swept away, the Prince of Wales
and the Earl of Devon both being killed on the battlefield.
The rest of the Lancastrians attempted to escape and
many were slaughtered in a place now called Bloody Meadow.
Somerset and Langstrother along with some other knights
and esquires sought sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey. Two
days later they were dragged out by force and were tried
and executed in the market place.
Queen
Margaret was captured a few days later by Sir William
Stanley and remained a prisoner until she was ransomed
by Louis XI. She died in her native France in 1482.
Edward on returning to London had Henry VI murdered,
although the Yorkists tried to spread a rumour that
Henry had died of melancholy, but blood was seen dripping
out of the coffin when his body was removed for burial
to Chertsey Abbey!
With
all Edward's enemies dead his reign was now secure.
The
battle site today is still overlooked by Tewkesbury
Abbey. The Vineyards are still relatively untouched,
but much of the Gastons has been built over. A plaque
marks the site of Bloody Meadow. In the town the museum
has a large diorama of the battle using 25mm figures.
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