March 26th 1471: Retreat from Newark
The castle at Newark on Trent
After spending a night at Nottingham, Edward’s scourers (scouts) brought the news of the Lancastrian presence in Newark, less than twenty miles away. With his now larger army, and maybe having intelligence of other of Warwick’s men in the wider area, Edward decided to move against them, in the first confrontation of his campaign.
Edward moved towards Newark, and in the early morning his scouts and foreriders encountered the Newark guards and look-outs. There was complete panic in the town; they thought that Edward’s main force was about to fall upon them in the night. They retreated in panic, fled the town and made their way to the south, and safety. Without a blow being struck, Edward had won the day, or rather the night. His troops returned to Nottingham, ready to continue their march towards the Earl of Warwick.
The ’Arrivall’ described the action:
The King, being at Nottingham, and or he came there, sent the scourers all about the country adjoining, to espy and search if any gatherings were in any place against him; some of whom came to Newark, and understood well that there was, within the town, the Duke of Exeter, the Earle of Oxford, the Lord Bardolf, and other, with great fellowship, which the 'Erle and they had gathered in Essex, in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Lincolnshire, to the number of iiij M men.
The said Duke and Earl, having knowledge that the said foreriders of the Kings had bene aforne the town in the evening, thinking verily that the King, and his hole host were approaching near, and would have come upon them, determined shortly within themselves that [they] might not abide his coming. Wherefore, early, about two of the clock in the morning, they fled out of the town, and there they lost part of the people that they had gathered and brought with them thither.
Truth it was, that, when the Kings foreriders had thus espied their being, they ascertained the King there, at Nottingham, which, incontinent, assembled all his fellowship, and took the straight way to-them-wards, within three mile of the town. And, there, came to him certain tidings that they were fled out of Newark, gone, and disperpled; wherefore he returned again to Nottingham, determined to keep the next and right way towards his said great Rebel, the Earl of Warwick, the which he knew well was departed out of London, and comen into Warwickshire.