Editing Battle of Bannockburn (section)

===First day of battle===
[[File:Mapbannockburn1.svg|thumb|right|300px|An interpretation of the battle of Bannockburn – first day]]
Most medieval battles were short-lived, lasting only a few hours, so the Battle of Bannockburn is unusual in that it lasted two days.<ref name="Black"/> Shortly before the battle, King Robert picked a flat field flanked by woodland known as New Park to set up camp for the upcoming battle. This was because the woodland gave Bruce and his foot soldiers an advantage since the English were very adept at cavalry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Miller |first=Thomas |date=1914 |title=The Site of the New Park in Relation to the Battle of Bannockburn |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25518759 |journal=The Scottish Historical Review |volume=12 |issue=45 |pages=60–75 |jstor=25518759 |issn=0036-9241 |access-date=3 May 2022 |archive-date=3 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503014842/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25518759 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Scots split their army into four divisions and the Bruce commanded the four divisions to form a diamond formation. Bruce covered the rear to the south, Douglas to the east, Randolph to the north (the direction of Stirling), with 500 horsemen under Keith to the west, in reserve.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal |last=Rees |first=Owen |date=2014 |title=Claim to the Throne |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578352 |journal=Medieval Warfare |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=26–33 |jstor=48578352  |access-date=3 May 2022 |archive-date=6 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406220503/https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578352 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 23 June 1314, two English cavalry formations advanced. The first was commanded by the [[Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester|Earl of Gloucester]] and by the [[Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford|Earl of Hereford]].<ref name="Black"/> They followed behind a smaller detachment of roughly 300 soldiers led by Sir [[Robert Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford|Robert Clifford]] and Sir [[Henry de Beaumont]] who marched closer to the River Forth.<ref name=":12"/> Both of these detachments marched in front of the main fighting force. These two detachments were tasked with lifting the siege on Stirling.<ref name=":12"/> The Hereford-Gloucester force was the first to cross over the Bannockburn and marched toward the woodlands that hid the Scots and stood in the way of the English on their way to Stirling. Little did the English know that Bruce had ventured ahead away from his natural protection. King Robert was not then fully armed for combat, but was instead armed for [[reconnaissance]] with only a small horse, light armour, and a [[battle axe]] to defend himself.<ref name=":12"/> The Earl of Hereford's nephew [[Henry de Bohun]] spotted the king so poorly equipped and took advantage. Henry de Bohun charged forward in full combat gear with his [[lance]], encountering Bruce's troops.<ref name="Black"/> Bruce and de Bohun faced off in what became a celebrated instance of [[single combat]].<ref name="Black"/> Bohun charged at Bruce and, when the two passed side by side, Bruce split Bohun's head with his axe.<ref name="Black"/><ref>[[Ann Hyland|Hyland, Ann]]. ''The Warhorse 1250–1600'', UK: Sutton Publishing, 1998, p. 38</ref> However the Vita Edwardi Secundi gives a different account:

{{blockquote|'On Sunday, which was the vigil of St John's day, as they [the English] passed by a certain wood and were approaching Stirling Castle, the Scots were seen straggling under the trees as if in flight, and a certain knight, Henry de Boune pursued them with the Welsh to the entrance of the wood. For he had in mind that if he found Robert Bruce there he would either kill him or carry him off captive. But when he had come thither, Robert himself came suddenly out of his hiding-place in the wood, and the said Henry seeing that he could not resist the multitude of Scots, turned his horse with the intention of regaining his companions; but Robert opposed him and struck him on the head with an axe that he carried in his hand.
His squire, trying to protect or rescue his lord, was overwhelmed by the Scots.'<ref>[W. R. Childs, ed. (2005). Vita Edwardi Secundi. Clarendon Press. pp. xxiv–xxv. {{ISBN|0-19-927594-7}}.</ref>}}

The Scots then rushed the English forces under Gloucester's and Hereford's command, who retreated, struggling back over the Bannockburn.<ref>[http://www.britishbattles.com/scottish/battle-bannockburn.htm The Battle of Bannockburn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605001056/http://www.britishbattles.com/scottish/battle-bannockburn.htm |date=5 June 2014 }} britishbattles.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.</ref>

This story is important because it was a reflection of Robert the Bruce's leadership. It is stated in an article by Sidney Dean that "While controversial among his peers, Bruce earned the respect of his soldiers by leading from the front and displaying physical courage."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dean |first=Sidney |date=2016 |title=Scottish profiles in leadership: William Wallace and Robert the Bruce |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578559 |journal=Medieval Warfare |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=51–55 |jstor=48578559 |issn=2211-5129 |access-date=3 May 2022 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419154838/https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578559 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The second English cavalry force was commanded by Robert Clifford and Henry de Beaumont. Their forces included Sir [[Thomas Grey (of Heaton)|Thomas de Grey of Heaton]], father of the chronicler [[Thomas Grey (chronicler)|Thomas Grey]]. The younger Grey described the battle:<section begin="Beaumont-vs-Grey"/>{{Blockquote|Robert Lord de Clifford and Henry de Beaumont, with three hundred [[men-at-arms]], made a circuit upon the other side of the wood towards the castle, keeping the open ground. [[Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray]], King Robert's nephew, who was the leader of the Scottish advanced guard, hearing that his uncle had repulsed the advanced guard of the English on the other side of the wood, thought that he must have his share, and issuing from the wood with his division marched across the open ground towards the two afore-named lords.

Sir Henry de Beaumont called to his men: "Let us wait a little; let them come on; give them room".

"Sir," said Sir Thomas Gray, "I doubt that whatever you give them now, they will have all too soon".

"Very well" exclaimed the said Henry, "if you are afraid, be off".

"Sir," answered the said Thomas, "it is not from fear that I shall fly this day."

So saying, he spurred in between Beaumont and Sir William Deyncourt and charged into the thick of the enemy. William was killed, Thomas was taken prisoner, his horse being killed on the pikes, and he himself carried off with the Scots on foot when they marched off, having utterly routed the squadron of the said two lords. Some of the English fled to the castle, others to the king's army, which having already left the road through the wood had debouched upon a plain near the water of Forth beyond Bannockburn, an evil, deep, wet marsh, where the said English army unharnessed and remained all night, having sadly lost confidence and being too much disaffected by the events of the day.|Sir Thomas Grey|''Scalacronica'', translated by [[Herbert Maxwell]]<ref name="Maxwell">{{harvnb|Maxwell|1907}}</ref>}}
<section end=Beaumont-vs-Grey/>