King Edward advances into central Scotland and…
1298 CE
King Edward advances into central Scotland and Wallace's army shadows the English, intending to avoid battle until shortages of supplies and money force Edward to withdraw, at which point the Scots will harass his retreat.
Edward's own supply fleet is delayed by bad weather, and when the army reaches central Scotland it is both tired and hungry.
The Welsh infantry in particular are badly demoralized.
While the army is encamped at Temple Liston, near Edinburgh, they erupt in a drunken riot that is broken up by the English cavalry, who kill eighty Welshmen.
Edward faces the prospect of the kind of ignominious retreat that will become a regular feature of his son's campaigns in the succeeding reign.
As he is on the point of falling back on Edinburgh, he receives intelligence that Wallace has taken up position in the wood of Callendar near Falkirk, only thirteen miles away, ready to pursue the retreating English.
The Scottish cavalry charges the English cavalry, but seeing the vast numbers that were formed against them they then flee the field, abandoning their fellow Scottish comrades to the slaughter.
Edward's longbowmen are brought into place and quickly overcome the inexperienced force of badly armed Scottish archers.
The schiltrons are an easy target; they have no defense and nowhere to hide.
The hail of arrows is supplemented by crossbow and slingshot.
Unable to retreat or attack, the battle is lost for the Scots almost as soon as the first arrows begin to fall.
The English cavalry waits, this time observing the King's command, until the Scots ranks are thin enough to allow them to penetrate the Scottish formation and finish the job.
A great many Scots are killed, including Wallace's second-in-command Sir John de Graham, Sir John Stewart of Bonkill, and Macduff, son of the Earl of Fife.
The survivors, Wallace included, escape as best they can, mostly into the nearby forest of Torwood where their pursuers cannot safely follow.
For Edward, Falkirk is a badly needed victory.
Previous defeats by Wallace and his ongoing wars in France, which were costly to maintain, had begun to suggest that he was an ineffective and weak king.
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