Yorkist victory at Towton

• • Margaret retreated to the North + arranged army at Towton
  • 13th March 1461 – E4 march north slowly to gather as much support at possible - sent lieutenants ahead to raise troops + raised loans from Londoners
  • Accompanied by Duke of Norfolk + joined by Warwick when reaching the Midlands
• • Yorkists used wind advantage to rain arrows on Lancs
  • Lanc. force left with no choice but to perform a headlong charge. This led to hand-to-hand combat. Pushed Yorkist forces back + outflanked them to right BUT just in the nick of time
  • Yorkist reserves, led by Norfolk, arrived - broke the Lanc. ranks + leaders were killed or executed - Dead incl. Northumberland, Devon + Wiltshire.   
  • Bloody end as many who fled were pursued + either cut down or drowned in the rivers.  
  • Henry, Margaret and Prince Edward escaped to Scotland 
• • Edward owed victory to military support of Warwick
  • After Towton – Warwick stayed in the north suppressing the disorder that continued in Yorkshire + Durham into the early summer of 1461
  • Oct 1461 - north of Eng. secured by Warwick 
  • Nov – EOW returned to Westminster to join the king
  • E4 rewarded Warwick by renewing his captaincy of Calais + making him Admiral of England