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The Battle of Tewkesbury
On 14 April, Margaret of Anjou arrived in England from France. When she heard the news of Warwick's defeat at Barnet, she is said to have been overcome with grief, and contemplated going back to France, but the Duke of Somerset persuaded Margaret to stay. The Countess of Warwick, who had also made the crossing, went into sanctuary at Beaulieu Abbey. When they arrived in Exeter, the Queen's small force was joined by many supporters, and Somerset was put in command. Edward learnt of Margaret's landing on 16 April and immediately sent out commissions of array into fifteen counties. On 19 April, Edward left London, marching west to Windsor. His march was slow as he was awaiting reinforcements and was accompanied by the royal artilery. Margaret's army were marching south, hoping to cross the Severn into Wales to join up with Jaspar Tudor and his forces. By the end of April the Lancastrians was close to the Severn. Edward arrived at Sodbury, near Gloucester, late in the evening of 1 May, believing the Lancastrians were not far. Edward positioned his forces on Sodbury Hill to await the expected attack, but learnt that the Lancastrians had marched all night towards the Severn at Gloucester. Realizing his mistake, Edward marched his forces in pursuit. The Lancastrians reached Gloucester on 3 May, but Edward had sent a letter to the the Governer of the town and castle, Sir Richard Beauchamp, to refuse entrance to the Lancastrian forces. With no other alternative, the Lancastrians headed towards the crossing at Tewkesbury. They arrived that evening, and, presuming the Yorkists could not arrive before morning, it was deemed too late to cross. Margaret and other Lancastrian ladies spent the night in a nearby religious house. While Margaret had been trying to gain entry to Gloucester, Edward's forces had been closing in. Edward had been forcing his men to march in the heat, without water or rest, in order to reach the Lancastrians before they could be reinforced by Jaspar Tudor. On the evening of 3 May, the exhausted royal army made camp 3 miles short of Tewkesbury. On the following morning Edward's troops marched towards Tewkesbury. The vanguard was under the command of Edward's brother, the eighteen year old Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the centre was commanded by Edward, and the rearguard was commanded by Hastings. On approaching the Lancastrian position, Edward noticed an area of woodland to the right. Fearing that it may be hiding a Lancastrian detachment, Edward sent a small force of men to investigate. They found the woods empty, but remained there, awaiting further instructions. The Lancastrians were waiting for the Yorkists. Their vanguard was under the command of Edmund, Duke of Beaufort, the centre was under Lord Wenlock and Edward, Prince of Wales, who was having his first taste of battle, while the rearguard was commanded by Sir John Courtenay, Earl of Devon. On the morning of the battle, Margaret and Prince Edward rode through the ranks of their men, speaking works of encouragement. Margaret then left the battlefield. Edward opened the battle with a barrage of artillery and archer fire, and Somerset ordered his men to advance. The bulk of the Lancastrian forces were maneouvred to the left of the Yorkist position, so that this flank would be attacked on two sides. This tactic was partly obsucred by a hillock to the Yorkist left, and the Lancastrians charging over the crest took the Yorkists by surprise. Gloucester quickly assembled his men in time to meet the Lancastrians, and the advance of the centre under Ednward was stopped, and they changed direction to assist Gloucester's men. Fierce hand to hand fighting ensued, in which the Yorkists gained the upper hand and were soon pushing the Lancastrians back up the hill. The situation started to look very bad for the Lancastrians, as the attack from Wenlock on Edward's centre never came, and the soldiers Edward had left in the woods were coming up the back of the Lancastrians, so it was them who were trapped between two forces, not the Yorkists. This had a devastating effect on the morale of Somerset's men, and they broke and fled towards the River Severn, pursued by Gloucester's men. So many were killed near the river, that the area is still called "Bloody Meadow". Edward assembled his men to turn towards the Lancastrians still on the field and the rest of the conflict was brief. The Queen's men soon fled, and were purused by Edward's soldiers through Tewkesbury. Somerset escaped the battlefield, and made his way back to the Lancastrian position. Here he found Wenlock and he was so at his failure to support him, that he struck him down with his axe and killed him. Despite reports that Prince Edward was killed by Gloucester, he was probably killed in the rout along with so many others. Many fleeing Lancastrians sought sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey, but the abbey did not hold legal sanctuary status, and they were removed by force and place in custody to await trial. Two days later, they were brought before Gloucester (Constable of England) and Sir John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk )Marshal of England) and tried for treason. Somerset and many other Lancastrians were taken into the marketplace and beheaded. Margaret was capture on 7 May, hiding in a local religious house. She taken to the Tower of London, where she stayed until she was removed to Wallingford Castle. In 1475 Louis XI paid a ransom for her release, and she returned to France.
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