Class Book for the School of Musketry, Hythe: Prepared for the Use of OfficersWilford, Ernest Christian
History
Class Book for the School of Musketry, Hythe: Prepared for the Use of Officers
Wilford, Ernest Christian
Firearms; Gunpowder; Military education; Shooting, Military
~William II surnamed Rufus, from 1087 to 1100~
The cross-bow has been used in England (at least, on hunting excursions)
in the time of Rufus, for Wace tells us, that “Prince Henry, going the
same day to New Forest, found the string of his cross-bow broken, and
taking it to a villain to be mended, saw an old woman there, who told
him he should be king.”
~Henry I, 1100 to 1135.~
~Cross-bow in war.~
During the reign of Henry I. the cross-bow seems to have been
principally used in the chase. The projectile was in form of a short
arrow, with a pyramidical head, called a quarrel, (plate 14, fig. 2 and
4). Simeon of Durham speaks of it in the time of Henry I. thus:--“He
raised a machine from whence the archers and cross-bowmen might shoot.”
~Genoese celebrated for the use of.~
The Genoese were at all times most celebrated for the skilful management
of the cross-bow. The success which attended the Christians at the siege
of Jerusalem, 1100, is attributed principally to the mechanical talents
of this people.
~Use of forbad.~
The use of the cross-bows was general in Italy in 1139, for at that time
Pope Innocent II. particularly forbad them. The German Emperor Conrad
did the same, as we learn from William de Dole, who lived in the latter
part of the 12th century, they not being looked upon as a fair weapon.
~Richard I from 1189 to 1199.~
~Siege of Acre~
~Universal in Crusades.~
~Richard killed by.~
It is said of Richard I.:--“Truly he revived the use of this kind of
shooting, called cross-bow shooting, which had long since been laid
aside, whence he became so skilful in its management, that he killed
many people with his own hand.” It is supposed that Richard I. first
used the cross-bow as a weapon of war at the siege of Acre. In every
action, however, of which we read in the history of the second crusade,
as well as the third, in which Richard participated, cross-bows, as well
as other bows, are repeatedly noticed. It is stated that he was killed
by an arrow, said to have been shot from a cross-bow at the Castle of
Chaluz.
~Genoese cross-bow men.~
~Mounted Arbalists 1225.~
From the beginning of the 13th, and until the middle of the 15th
century, cross-bow men are uniformly mentioned as part of the Genoese
troops. From Justinius we learn, that in 1225 “Twenty Arbalestes
mounted, and one hundred on foot, with cross-bows of horn, were then
employed in the army of the state.”
The cross-bow man was an essential component of the host during all this
period. He was in the van of the battle.
~Battle near Damietta 1237.~
In the battle near Damietta, in 1237, “more than a hundred knights of
the Temple fell, and three hundred cross-bow men, &c., &c.”
~Campaign in Italy 1239.~
The Emperor Frederic, in 1239, giving an account of his Italian campaign
to the king of England, writes: “After we had, by our knights and
cross-bow men, reduced all the province of Liguria,” &c.
~Genoese 1245.~
~Treatment of.~
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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