September 11

 The Battle of the Stirling Bridge, a great

Scottish victory against English invaders,

was fought near the Abbey Craig on the

River Forth.

Following the defeats at Berwick and

Dunbar in 1296, which resulted in the depo-

sition of King John Balliol and the imposi-

tion of English rule by King Edward I

(Longshanks), rebellion broke out across

Scotland. Enthusiastic volunteers, led in the

northeast by Andrew Murray (de Moray)

and the southwest by William Wallace,

achieved numerous successes.

The combined armies, probably number-

ing just a few thousand men, gathered on

the far side of the Forth. An English Army

of about 300 horse and 10,000 infantry,

commanded jointly by the Earl of Surrey

and Hugh de Cressingham, Edward's Gov-

ernor and Treasurer of Scotland respective-

ly, approached and crossed the wooden

Stirling Bridge.

The Scots waited until about half were

across then fell upon these and slaughtered

them. Cressingham was among the dead

while Surrey fled back to England.

Scottish losses were few though Murray

was fatally wounded. Wallace, who would

become a legendary patriot of Scottish na-

tionhood, went on to recapture Berwick

and raid into English Northumberland.

Shortly thereafter, he was knighted and

made Guardian of Scotland. He would soon

face a reckoning with the enraged Edward

Longshanks, who had returned from

fighting in France, at the Battle of Falkirk

in July 1298.

~ www.electricscotland.com