The Battle of Drumlanrig (1548) was a small but significant battle involving The Earl of Angus' forces intercepting a larger English force at Drumlanrig.[1] The English defeat cost them much of their cavalry, which left the main army vulnerable to Scottish men at arms and borderers, who could now raid supply lines and the main English force at will, leaving them vulnerable forcing their retreat and liberating the Western Lowlands, which greatly helped Scotland win the war. Scottish Borderers fighting for the English, so called "Assured Men" led the English army into an ambush, where they suffered heavy losses while fighting their way to safety. The English cavalry was largely destroyed, due to the fact that it went ahead to raid and was far from the infantry body. Due to the skilled leadership of Jack Musgrave, who was the English infantry captain the now stranded force was able to make an orderly withdraw.[2] This likely only happened due to Wharton's son's timely intervention and Musgraves' leadership, who was able to hold the English lines and prevent a full rout. Unfortunately for Angus, a small body of Scots infantry coming from the south, likely seeking to catch what they though would be a fleeing English force, was defeated due to the English maintaining order in retreat and getting to the flanking force before the main Scottish host could catch them.[3] This caused fears of invasion on the now largely defenseless English West Marches, who could no longer intercept the Scottish cavalry. Thomas Wharton, in an appeal for help wrote a letter lamenting that "This poor country is now destitute, not only of all the gentlemen, but most of the true men in the wardenry, and also of good horses".[4]

Battle of Drumlanrig
Part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars
Date20 February 1548
Location
Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom
55°16′26″N 3°48′36″W / 55.274°N 3.810°W / 55.274; -3.810
Result Scottish victory, collapse of the English in Western Scotland
Belligerents
Kingdom of England Kingdom of Scotland
Commanders and leaders

Thomas Wharton

Jack Musgrave
Earl of Angus
Strength
3000 Unknown but much smaller
Casualties and losses
Almost all the English cavalry, plus the desertion of 400 Scots "Assured Men" unknown, relatively light

References

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  1. ^ Archibald, Malcolm (18 July 2021). Dance If Ye Can: A Dictionary of Scottish Battles. Next Chapter. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-4-86751-339-2.
  2. ^ King, Andy; Etty, Claire (5 October 2015). England and Scotland, 1286-1603. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-350-30697-4.
  3. ^ Phillips, Gervase (1999). The Anglo-Scots Wars, 1513-1550: A Military History. Boydell Press. pp. 214–216. ISBN 978-0-85115-746-7.
  4. ^ Fraser, George MacDonald (28 June 2012). The Steel Bonnets. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 265–266. ISBN 978-0-00-747428-8.

Secondary Sources