[MR] Wikipedia: First Battle Won My Gunfire, 1503

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1503, French and Spanish forces clashed at the Battle of
Cerignola during the Second Italian War fought for control of Italy.

The French forces numbered about 9,000 men, composed mainly of infantry and
Swiss mercenary pikemen, backed by light cavalry. The Spanish had about
6,300, including 1,000 arquebusiers, and were defending high ground. Their
20 artillery pieces were set atop the hill and well sighted to cover the
field. The Spanish arquebusiers were in trenches on the flanks.

The French attacked before their own 40-piece artillery park arrived.
Their troops were cut to pieces by the arquebusiers in several futile
frontal attacks. Both the French commander, the Duke of Nemours Louis
d'Armagnac, and the Swiss commander Chandieu, were killed in the fighting.
The French broke in disorder and were pursued by the Spanish reserve
cavalry. The Swiss, as they so often did, retreated in good order. The
French army lost over 4,000 dead, while Spanish casualties were about 500.
The Spanish also captured nearly all the French guns and stores.

This relatively small battle was important because it was the first to be
won mostly with the use of hand guns (plus some really bad decisions by
Louis d'Armagnac!). It set a successful pattern for Spanish tactics over
the next 150 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cerignola .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆