First Bishops' War

Timeline

1. 1639Route from York to Berwick · EnglandWithout parliamentary approval of funds, Charles I forcibly levied militia from the northern counties, assembling a poorly equipped, low-morale army and advancing toward the Scottish border, intending to compel the Scots by force.
2. 1639Dunse Law · ScotlandUnder General Alexander Leslie, the Scottish Covenanters gathered several thousand well-trained soldiers on Dunse Law, holding favorable terrain and facing off against the English army; neither side launched a frontal attack.
3. 1639Berwick-upon-Tweed · NorthumberlandThe two sides signed a temporary truce at Berwick; Charles I promised to convene a Scottish general assembly and parliament to discuss religious matters, and both disbanded their armies. Yet both viewed the agreement as a stopgap, and discontent continued to build.