Rich men, trust not in wealth,

Gold cannot buy you health;

Physic himself must fade.

All things to end are made,

The plague full swift goes by;

I am sick, I must die.

Lord, have mercy on us!

• A Litany in Time of Plague, by Thomas Nashe

While 1518 was a general success in the eyes of the English, having secured numerous castles and prevented the Welsh from interfering with his long march in the countryside, the start of 1519 started off badly for the English. A longer than usual winter coupled with diplomatic negotiations with some of the Welsh nobility prevented a swift attack on rebel forces. As negotiations dragged on, it seemed that very few of the Welsh nobility was willing to even entertain the thought of switching sides after hearing the terms presented by Richard de la Pole [10]. Of those interested, Edward Grey, 3rd Baron Grey of Powis, quickly proposed his own, independent, terms to Richard de la Pole, but never got a response.

As Richard’s army divided itself and marched into Wales proper, they found the body of Edward Grey hanging from the gallows outside of Powis Castle [2]. Either betrayed by someone on his recently dissolved Regency Council, or one of his men in Powis Castle, the siege of Powis would start off slow as the English positioned their cannons. With the Welsh refusing to surrender, a slow breach of the walls occurred. While Powis Castle has yet to be fortified in the modern style, the complete absence of sappers in the English army prevents the English from laying siege to the castle until May. Upon which, another malady befells the English army.

Sweating sickness, having terrorized the Midlands as late as 1517, spreads among the English army around Powis [3]. While the majority of the English army either contracts the disease and survives, a noninsignificant portion of the English army perishes. Alongside hundreds of his fellow countrymen, two important English commanders die from the stooping plague. Firstly, the 14th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere dies and is succeeded by the 15th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere. Second, and most importantly, King Richard IV died on June 3rd, 1519 and is succeeded by his designated heir, the Prince of Wales, William de la Pole.

Despite the devastating impact of the sweating sickness on the English army, it soon spreads across rural Wales and around Shrewsbury. The Welsh army, who had planned to take advantage of the plague catches the plague themselves before they can relieve the garrison at Powis. By the time they recover, the successes of Prince, now King, William in the north coupled with their diminished numbers forces them to abandon that plan and retreat further into the mountains, aiming to use the remaining castles in Wales to delay the English in hopes of foreign intervention.

By August, Powis Castle falls to the English and the English army unites and marches to the castle of Bealt. Bealt, not expecting the English army to continue its efforts, and dealing with sweating plague itself, falls in late September. Unable to pursue the Welsh army further, the English winter up in Brecknok, miserable. The Welsh rebels to their west are not doing so hot as well.

Map to come out soon.

Casualties:

Welsh:

~800 men

English:

• King Richard de la Pole

• 14th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere

• 10 Feudal Knights

• 60 Mercenary Mounted Skirmishers

• 25 Mercenary Cavalry

• 400 Mercenary Pikemen

• 100 Mercenary Swordsmen

• 50 Gallowglass

• 50 Redshanks

• 10 Mercenary Arquebusiers

• 150 Longbowmen

• 1 Siege Artillery

• 2 Field Artillery

• 4 Light Artillery