I Remember the Battle of Stirling Bridge

I would like to take a moment to remember one of the most decisive victories by the Scottish ancestors in my attic. In 1297, a British force 12,000 strong set out to crush a smaller Scottish force of about 3,000 infantry. The depiction in Braveheart does not represent how the actual Battle unfolded. Mel chose to call it "Stirling Ridge" and completely ignores the bridge for cinematic purposes. The British forces needed to cross a river to get at the Scottish rabble, and the only real option was the Stirling Bridge.

Rather than attempt to hold and defend the Bridge, William Wallace pulled back and allowed a large number of English cavalry and archers to cross the narrow bridge, splitting key components of the British Northern Army. Once the optimal number of Englishmen had crossed, the Scots rushed the bridgehead with many giant spears and cut off the forces from each other. When the dust settled, the English suffered 70%-90% casualties, and the rest fled back to England. Scotland was free from English domination until Edward gathered his army and marched to Falkirk. The Edwards were quite obsessed with ruling Scotland, and Stirling Bridge was a major setback.