Duke Richard was declared heir-apparent on the 9th of November, with the present title of Lord Protector, and an allowance of £10,000 to maintain the dignity. The Yorkshire royalists were in arms, and "had destroyed the retainers and tenants of the Duke of York and Earl of Salisbury." Salisbury and York immediately marched for the North. Their vanguard struck Somerset's army at Worksop, and was cut off. On the 21st December York occupied his Castle of Sandal. His army consisted of 6,000 men, too few to cope with the enemy lying at Pontefract under Somerset and Northumberland. The Duke might have maintained the defensive until the Earl of March came up from the Welsh borders, but on the 30th of December he sallied out to rescue a foraging party from the Lancastrians. With so numerous an army to feed, and in a position so remote from succour, Richard might reasonably risk something to protect his foragers. Vainly Sir David Hall argued against so perilous an adventure. The drawbridge was lowered, and York's banner was given to the wintry wind. It bore for device a Falcon _volant_, _argent_, with a fetter-lock, _or_. The bird was depicted in the effort of opening the lock, typical of the crown. Behind the falcon-banner marched 4,000 veterans. With the Duke there rode to his last battle, Salisbury and the good knights, Thomas Neville, David Hall, John Parr, John and Hugh Mortimer, Walter Limbrike, John Gedding, Eustace Wentworth, Guy Harrington, and other notable men-at-arms.