The Hundred Years war was one in which England won most of the battles, but wound up losing the war. This was one of their most impressive victories. Estimates of the size of the two armies vary greatly, but it is likely that the traditional estimate of the French outnumbering the English five to one is a fantasy. Some recent historians put the French at about 15,000 and the English at 9,000, numbers which are disputed by traditionalists.

What is indisputable is that the French troops were fresh, while the English were exhausted and sick after a 250 mile march from Harfleur. Trapped by the French, they made a stand in a narrow field bounded by woods, positioning their longbowmen in a position to dominate the only lane of attack open to the enemy. Days of rain had turned the recently plowed field into a morass, which was churned into deep mud by the advancing French. Many were cut down by the longbowmen, although their biggest enemy was the mud and fatigue of carrying their armor. The lightly armed longbowmen, attacking from the flank were able to slaughter large numbers of French men-at-arms who were packed too tightly together to fight effectively.

The French casualties were in the thousands. English casualties were somewhere in the hundreds.

Today is October 25, and on this date in history, in 1415, England defeated France. This is a stirring battle but not too important in the Hundred Years War. It inspired the immortal speech by King Henry V in the Shakespeare play of the same name.

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let him depart. His passport shall be made

And crowns for convoy put into his purse.

We would not die in that man's company

That fears his fellowship to die with us.

This day is called the feast of Crispian.

He that outlives this day and comes safe home

Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall see this day and live t'old age

And say, Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.

Then will he he strip his sleeve and show his scars

And say, These wound I had on Crispin's day.

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,

But he'll remember, with advantages,

What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,

Familiar in his mouth as household words -

Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Glouster -

Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.

This story shall the good man teach his son,

And Cripin Crispian shall ne'er go by

From this day to the ending of the world

But we in it shall be remembered,

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition.

And gentlemen in England now abed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Special recognition because something from this battle lives on in our everyday lives. The bird was invented at this battle when English archers were threatened by the French with having their middle fingers removed so they couldn't operate their bows. The Brits were not intimidated and raised their middle fingers to show the French that they knew the score, then inflicted heavy casulties on them.