The Battle of Barnet

           Six years and several strange twists of fate later, I took part in my third battle which was at Barnet outside of London. It was spring of 1471, Lord Warwick had driven King Edward IV out of England and King Henry VI was back on the throne. As a northerner and a supporter of King Edward, I was greatly bothered by these circumstances but chose to remain quiet for fear of reprisal and so remained as a gunner in the royal artillery in London. Then one morning in spring while Lord Warwick was in Coventry, who should appear with army but King Edward IV! Soon, he was back on the throne, and we were once again King Edward’s gun. We had little time to celebrate for no sooner had King Edward and his army supped and rested than we marched out to meet Lord Warwick’s forces to the north. We met their army coming in the other direction in the fields north of the town of Barnet but, as it was late, Warwick retreated to the hills, and we were too weary to follow in pursuit. As night fell, King Edward had us quietly move closer to the Lancastrian encampment so as to avoid losing them which was just as well since Lord Warwick had his gunners bombard us but, not knowing we had moved closer, their shot range harmlessly over our heads! The king wisely ordered us to hold our fire so as not to reveal our position and so the Lancastrian artillery proceeded to waste its shot all night. 



Morning dawned dark and misty, but we still provided an opening volley to weaken Lord Warwick’s men in before our own went out to meet them. It occurred to me while watching the melee from afar that I was glad to be a gunner and not a Foot soldier. 

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