July 17, 1453 · Gascony Theater
July 17, 1453
Castillon was the last battle of the Hundred Years' War and the first in European history decided primarily by field artillery. Jean Bureau, master of artillery to Charles VII, had prepared a fortified artillery camp with 300 cannon. When Talbot — now aged around 70 but still England's greatest captain — rashly charged the French camp after receiving false intelligence that it was being abandoned, he rode into a wall of cannon fire. Talbot was killed when his horse was felled by a cannonball and he was unable to rise in his armor; a French soldier then killed him. The English army was destroyed.
Commanders