Everyone should know this!!

(This isn't a poem!!) In 1303 Robert the Bruce and Red Comyn were rivals for the Scottish throne. Robert the Bruce was in Ireland and Red Comyn led the Scot’s in their greatest defeat of the English. Bruce however, went on to take the Scottish crown…and as we know, the victor always writes history, very few Scots have therefore heard of the Battle of Roslyn… This is something ALL Scot’s should know… In 1296, King Edward of England, outraged at the proposed marriage of a Scottish noble’s daughter and a French noble, ordered the invasion of Scotland, Berwick was the first town in Scotland (in they days, but after this invasion, it became part of England) there, his men hung over 10,000 men, women and children from their own door frames, to show what he was capable of…giving a clear message to all that might oppose his will. From here his men went to Dunbar to defeat a Scottish army, and capture most of it’s leaders, making them swear allegiance to the English crown before sending them home. Amongst these leaders was Sir Henry St.Clair. Edward’s general, Sir John Seagrave, was commander of Edinburgh castle, was in love with Lady Margaret Ramsay of Dalhousie castle, but the Lady was in love with St.Clair, this caused a problem for Seagrave. After St.Clair and Wallace’s victory at Stirling, Seagrave heard that St.Clair was to marry Lady Margaret and asked Edward for permission to invade Scotland. Permission was granted. The year was 1303, February 24th, and an army of 30,000 English men marched from Carlisle to Melrose, where they split into three equal groups, to attack three different targets: Borthwick Castle, Dalhousie Castle and Roslin Castle. By this time, an army of 8,000 Scots had formed at Biggar, where they were fed by the monks, and marched on to Roslin. 3,000 troops under the command of Sir Comyn went into hiding in the woods on the bank of the river Esk, the remaining 5,000 crossed the river, and crept towards the first 10,000 sleeping English soldiers. They charged with such ferocity, that many were killed in their sleep…any that tried to run, were attacked by the Scots in the woods…before dawn broke any of the 10,000 survivors had surrendered and were now hostages. The Scots had next to no casualties, and over 2,000 hostages. Next, the Scots headed to the 100ft summit of Langhill, near Roslin, and as the next 10,000 English troops charged towards the Scots, they were met by arrows and forced backwards down the valley, mostly dying instantly, some left to die slowly. The Scot’s, then hearing the approach of the third group of English soldiers, were forced to slit the throats of all their hostages to avoid being attacked from behind. The Scots were now shattered as they had marched through the night, and fought two battles. The men were ready to give up, and admit defeat, but the cleaver Prior Abernethy had dispatched some monks the previous day to erected a giant St.Andrews cross on the highest point of The Pentland Hills, in front of the sunrise, giving the effect of a fiery cross, this inspired the men, and they marched on. This time, attacking the English men with such force, that most of them died before they could even strike a blow, the remainders surrendered and fled back to England. Only ten percent of the 30,000 men survived, that is 3000 men! Still, most of the 8000 Scots survived. The remainders of the hostages were allowed to return to England, without weapons, if they swore never to take up arms against Scotland again. And so, this was the end of one of the largest battles of independence in history. Yet hardly any Scots know about it today…it is interesting that. Bruce wasn’t at the battle, he didn’t help us win, so he chose not to enter it into our history books…but it happened. Visit Roslin, there is a monument and everything!! And! If it weren’t for our tremendous victory at Roslin, there would have been 30,000 extra English men fighting at Banockburn, and Bruce would have probably lost. We would never have won our independence at all!! Please, pass this on to everyone you know. Maybe we need to write our own history!! Every Scot should know this! P.S. I stay in Midlothian, and the most significant victory the Scots ever had against the English took place in Midlothian. I had never heard of this! Imagine, after the battle, William Wallace probably passed my house on his way from Roslin to Dalkieth for a pint!!