Battle of Arkinholm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Arkinholm |
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| Part of Stewart - Black Douglas civil war | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Scottish Crown |
 Black Douglases |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Earl of Angus Laird of Johnstone |
Earl of Moray † Earl of Ormonde  Lord Balvenie |
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The Battle of Arkinholm was fought on 1 May 1455. It took place near Langholm in Scotland. This battle happened during the time of King James II of Scotland.
Even though it was a small fight with only a few hundred soldiers, it was a very important battle. It was the deciding moment in a civil war between the king and the Black Douglases. The Black Douglases were the most powerful noble family in Scotland at that time. The king's side won. This victory helped make the king's power much stronger across Scotland during the Late Middle Ages.
Why the Battle Happened
Before the Battle of Arkinholm, the Black Douglases were already losing power. The king's supporters had captured their castle at Abercorn. Also, some of their allies, like the Hamilton family, had switched sides to support the king.
The leader of the Black Douglases, James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, had gone to England. He was trying to get help there. But his three younger brothers were present at the battle.
The Battle Itself
There is some debate about who led the king's army. Some stories say it was led by George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. He was the head of the Red Douglas family. He was also a senior noble and a distant cousin to the Earl of Douglas.
Other stories say the army was made up of local families from the Scottish Borders. These families included the Johnstones, Carruthers, Maxwells, and Scotts. These families had been controlled by the Black Douglases. But now they rebelled against them. This force was led by John Johnstone, the Laird of Johnstone in Annandale.
Three brothers from the Black Douglas family fought in the battle:
- Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray was killed during the fighting. His head was later shown to the king.
- Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde was captured. He was executed shortly after the battle.
- John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie managed to escape. He fled to England.
What Happened After
Soon after the battle, the Black Douglases lost their noble titles and lands. This process is called being attainted. The last few castles they held also fell to the king's forces. Because of this, the Black Douglases stopped being a major power in Scotland.
After the battle, the Earl of Angus (from the Red Douglas family) was given the earldom of Douglas. This had belonged to the Black Douglases. He also received the original lands of his ancestors in Douglasdale.
Thomas Carruthers, the second son of John Carruthers, received land for his help at the battle. He was given the lands of Corry in 1484. These lands had been taken from George Corry. George Corry was involved in an invasion with the Black Douglases.
A song about the Battle of Arkinholm has been recorded by the band The Corries. The words were written by George Weir, and the music by Roy Williamson.
