Battle of Harefield

The **Battle of Harefield** (May 1241) was the final engagement of the Pale rebellion and a decisive victory for Henry III of England and the loyalists over the rebels. The death of Alexander II of Scotland and capture of Richard of Cornwall effectively ended the civil war.

## The battle

As Henry III's host neared a village of the name of Harefield his scouts reported that Richard of Cornwall had taken defensive positions in the muddy grounds outside the village, blocking the way to London. As night fell Henry's commander of Norfolk cursed the fact that thousands of men in London and Norfolk would go to sleep that night not having done any work while here they lacked for men of strength. King Henry gave a rousing speech in reply, declaring that he would not want any man who had not already come to his side and that the men who had been with him from the start, be they a foul mercenaries or the noblest knight, were his friends and brothers and that on the morrow they would have victory and glory.

Henry delayed attacking until the sun had risen high over the horizon, then he marched on Richard's position from the south. Richard had had his men take defensive positions near the village behind a giant patch of muddy ground. It was close to noon when the horns sounded the charge. As one the royal army set into motion slowly advancing to get their own cross- and longbow men into range before both sides started to unleash feathered hell on each other, as the Pale lords fought Henry's mercenaries underneath. The mercenaries were skilled men no doubt, but the Pale bowmen were slowly taking their toll and Henry's left flank retreated one step after the other. Meanwhile on the right flank Henry led the main charge of his cavalry against the Scottish army. Many a man fell as the muddy grounds gave way, but Henry and his banner stayed up being an eternal beacon for his men as the sun rose behind his back, making him seem like some avenging angel being sent down from heaven itself.

His armoured spearpoint smashed into the Scottish army. The Scottish highway men had learned a lot since the battle of the Standart, but they still had neither the armour nor the quality weapons to defend themselves against a successful cavalry charge. Behind those English knights poured in the English army, kept separate by the young king from the mercenaries just for this moment as English discipline, organization and equipment won out over the Scottish simple bravery. Alexander II, seeing his troops fall, turned his own cavalry around, charging at the English banner to fell the boy king and rally his forces anew. In the middle of flying arrows, breaking spearshafts and crying animals and men the two met in a flurry of blades. For the two, three heartbeats king fought king, before they were past each other, Alexander disappearing somewhere in the English lines as Henry still stood for all to see. The Scots seeing their king fall broke into panic and one after the other the lords of Alba fled the field. Henry, more cautious than many men twice his age, turned his army around, attacking the Pale flank. The English rebels were now caught between the mercenaries in front of them, the lake of Harefield to their right and Henry's forces to their left. It did not take long for them to break and surrender. Alexander II's body was later recovered, an English ax buried in his skull.