218 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period 11. 



the arrows, when, owing to the steady advance of their 

 phalai'.x, the archers took a nearer and more level aim. 

 Numbers of the barons and gentlemen were killed and 

 mortally wounded. The horses, goaded and maddened, 

 reared and plunged and became unmanageable. The 

 Scotch, to the number of one hundred, under Sir John 

 Swinton, charged desperately, but were struck down and 

 dispersed. Douglas then charged with his cavalry. The 

 archers fell back on their own horsemen, still pouring in 

 volley after volley, slowly retreating, and inflicting appal- 

 ling carnage. Walsingham states that the coat of mail worn 

 by Douglas had occupied a skilful workman three years 

 in its construction, yet he was wounded in five places by 

 the arrows, and captured. This action was won by the 

 bowmen alone ; there was no hand-to-hand fighting, the 

 cavalry being only employed in the pursuit.^ 



The next important European battle was that of 

 Agincourt, fought on the 25th October, 1415, between 

 Henry V. of England, and the French army under the 

 Constable of France. The English forces were less 

 than 10,000 men, the French nearly 100,000. The 

 battle in its main features was very similar to Crecy 

 and Poitiers, the archers again exercising a great 

 influence upon the result of the action. 



Henry showed considerable skill in forming his army 

 for battle. He took up a strong position on a narrow 

 piece of ground between two woods which protected his 

 flanks. He placed in ambush in advance of his flanks, 

 two detachments, one consisting of 200 archers, the 

 other of 400 men-at-arms, who were to fall upon the 

 flank and rear of the French, when the battle had fairly 

 joined. In this he followed the example of his great 

 uncle the Black Prince, who first in later times used 

 this plan of tactical action. It will be remembered that 

 this stratagem was identic??! with the ambush of Mago 

 at the battle of the Trebbia. 



The English army was formed in three divisions. 

 The archers were placed in front of the men-at-arms in 

 the form of a wedge on each flank, and along the front in 

 ' Tytler's History of Scotland, ii. 430, 431, 432. 



of 



