The news created great excitement at Alnwick and, had not the
situation in the north been critical, Percy would have gathered his
forces and marched, with all speed, to avenge the defeat and capture of
his brother-in-law.
The Earl of Dunbar, with many of the tenants of his former estates, and
numbers of the English borderers, had entered Scotland and carried out
considerable raids. In revenge for this, Douglas despatched Thomas
Halliburton and Patrick Hepburn, each with a considerable force, to
invade Northumberland. Halliburton ravaged the country as far as
Bamborough, collected great spoils, and returned with them. Hepburn,
who had a still larger force, penetrated farther into England, carried
his ravages to within a few miles of Alnwick; and then retired north,
with an enormous amount of booty.
When, however, he had crossed the border into the country known as the
Merse, north of Berwick, the Earl of Dunbar fell upon him at West
Nesbit, and completely defeated him. Hepburn himself, with a large
number of his men, fell in the battle; and many important prisoners
were captured. This battle was fought on the same day that Glendower
defeated Mortimer.
The victory caused great exultation on the border; but Alwyn said to
his nephew:
"Although this is good, as far as it goes, Oswald, you may be sure that
Douglas will not brook this disaster with patience, but will gather the
Scottish forces; and we may expect him, ere long, at the head of twenty
thousand men, and we shall have a fight as stiff as that of Otterburn.
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