The True Story of William Wallace

Being harassed by English tax collectors and hiding in the forest of Strathclyde, Wallace gathered around him a band of outlaw warriors. One evening he went to see his lover and was surprised by an English patrol. He retreated into the home of her and her family. Wallace escaped out the back door. The frustrated English set fire to the house and slaughtered Wallace's lover and family. William vowed vengeance and he and his men caught up to the English patrol and cut them down.

This blow against the English encouraged several Scottish aristocrats to rebel against King Edward. King Edward hoped to settle the rebellion using his Scottish allies. He sent Robert the Bruce from his base in Carlisle to capture Douglas Castle. Robert chose to fight with his countrymen and joined the fight against Edward.

Meanwhile Wallace was acting on his own. In 1297 he readied his followers for a decisive clash against the English. He positioned his men in the hills around a bridge that crossed the river Forth north of Sterling. The English confidant in their numbers began to cross the narrow bridge. William let about half the English army get across when he winded a great blast of his horn, which was the signal to attack.

The Scottish charged down the hill crashing into the English. The English were cut down or pushed into the river to be pulled down to their deaths by the weight of their armor. There are two tails of the story one says that the Scots cut down the bridge to keep the rest of the English from crossing. The other says that the English cut down the bridge to keep the Scots from coming across. In either case the Scottish victory was decisive and William won much fame and was knighted by Robert the Bruce.

The next major battle to take place was that of Falkirk. William feared the greater numbers of the English horsemen. To counter them he placed his spear-carrying foot soldiers behind a patch of boggy land. With woodland and rough terrain guarding their flanks. The English were facing a forest of iron points. The few Scottish horsemen waited in reserve. King Edward sent his heavy horse at the Scottish line. When they hit the line of spears they initially broke and many English Knights and horses were impaled. The English then wheeled around to the rear of the Scottish position and scattered the Scottish horsemen.

Now with little to stop him Edward then brought up his English archers, which fired arrow after arrow into the line of Scottish spear bearers. Soon gaps appeared in the Scottish line and Edward sent another charge into the Scottish line. Wallace managed to escape, but his army was scattered.

William continued to harass the English, but was unable to win another decisive victory. In 1307 he was betrayed by his own demoralized countrymen, dragged through the streets of London, half hanged and then drawn and quartered.

The loss of one of Scotland's greatest heroes did not have the desired effect that Edward had wanted. William Wallace's memory lived on and his bravery and unwillingness to give up planted the seed for his fellow Scots to continue their fight. Under the leadership of Robert the Bruce the Scottish won the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and won their Freedom.

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