Battle of the Camps

Battle of the Camps

Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 ᴀᴄ[1]
Place Riverrun
Result Northmen-Rivermen victory
Combatants
Iron Throne/ House Baratheon of King's Landing:

Westerlands, led by House Lannister

Tyroshi sellswords		 Robb Stark's Host:
The North, led by House Stark

Riverlands

Commanders
Lord Andros Brax†
Ser Forley Prester		 Lord Robb Stark
Lord Tytos Blackwood
Ser Brynden Tully
Strength
~12,500 – 12,750
  • 12,000 foot[3]
  • 500-750 horse[N 4] in three camps
 Northern-Rivermen relief force Garrison of Riverrun
Casualties
Roughly 8,000[N 6] Freeriders defect to Robb Stark
Andros Brax†		 not significant

The Battle of the Camps is an early battle in the War of the Five Kings. It is a great victory for House Stark and House Tully, who smash the House Lannister force that encircles Riverrun, thereby allowing the riverlords to join their forces with those of the north.

Prelude

After defeating one Tully army at the Golden Tooth, Ser Jaime Lannister leads his host of westermen against Riverrun, where he routs another rivermen force and captures Ser Edmure Tully. The rivermen that do not retreat to their own castles hole up inside Riverrun, commanded by Lord Tytos Blackwood in place of the ailing Lord Hoster Tully.[6][7]

Beginning a siege, Jaime is harassed by raiders led by Ser Marq Piper and Lord Karyl Vance. While dealing with what he thinks is another such attack, Jaime is ambushed and captured by Robb Stark's cavalry in the battle in the Whispering Wood.[3] Having had their outriders and scouts eliminated, the Lannister force is unaware of their commander's defeat or of Robb's army's approach, and is still divided in three camps in order to besiege Riverrun properly.[2]

The Battle

Ser Brynden Tully, leading Robb's van, attacks the Lannister camp north of the Tumblestone. His force clears palisades and finishes off any remaining scouts. The sleeping, leaderless camp is overrun. Men from the other camps, roused by the noise, soon attempt to come to the aid of the camp under attack. Lord Andros Brax leads his men to the rafts and attempts to make a crossing. Riverrun begins pelting the rafts with thrown rocks, and soon the rafts are flipping and sinking. Among those killed on the rafts is Lord Brax.[2]

The camp between the rivers is overrun too, this time by men led by Robb Stark, Lord Jon Umber, and members of House Mallister coming in from the west. The Lannister force attempts to form a shieldwall, but are taken in the rear by a sortie from Riverrun led by Lord Tytos Blackwood.[2]

Lord Umber fires the siege towers, and Lord Blackwood releases the prisoners taken in the earlier battle under the walls of Riverrun.[2]

Aftermath

The southern camp of the Lannister force, two thousand spears and two thousand bowmen under the command of Ser Forley Prester, is left unmolested and retreats in good order back to the Golden Tooth. The Tyroshi sellsword who leads Forley's freeriders strikes his banners and switches sides, however.[2]

Quotes

How could it happen? Ser Jaime taken, the siege broken... this is a catastrophe![2]

- Harys Swyft


Hoster: I saw. Last night, when it began, I told them... had to see. They carried me to the gatehouse... watched from the battlements. Ah, that was beautiful... the torches came in a wave, I could hear the cries floating across the river... sweet cries... when that siege tower went up, gods... would have died then, and glad, if only I could have seen you children first. Was it your boy who did it? Was it your Robb?
Catelyn: Yes, It was Robb... and Brynden. Your brother is here as well, my lord.[4]

- Hoster Tully and Catelyn Tully

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Houses Banefort, Crakehall, Estren, Greenfield and Westerling are not directly mentioned at the Battle of the Camps; however, they are mentioned at the Battle of the Whispering Wood, and so it is likely that their forces were also present at the siege of Riverrun.
  2. ↑ House Flint of Widow's Watch is not directly mentioned at this battle. However as they were a part of Robb's host that gathered in the North, it can be assumed they were present at subsequent battles in the riverlands.
  3. ↑ House Slate is not directly mentioned at this battle. However it is stated by Lady Dustin in A Dance with Dragons that the Slates campaigned in the Riverlands with Robb Stark.[5] Therefore it can be assumed that Slates were present at this battle.
  4. ↑ Jaime has two or three thousand horse at the start of the siege of Riverrun, and he brings three quarters of them to the Whispering Wood.[3]
  5. ↑ Robb has six thousand at the earlier battle in the Whispering Wood,[3] and lost only a small number of men.
  6. ↑ Forley Prester retreats with 4,000 men.

References

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