'took the field with the largest army and best-appointed train of baggage-waggons that had ever quitted England. It was said there were upwards of 6000 carts and waggons, which had all been brought with him.'[1] Describing the order of march, Froissart goes on to say that 'in the rear of the king's battalion was the immense baggagetrain, which occupied two leagues in length: it consisted of upwards of 5000 carriages, with a sufficiency of horses to carry the provisions for the army, and those utensils never before accustomed to be carried after an army—such as hand-mills to grind their corn, ovens to bake their bread, and a variety of other necessary articles. . . . . There were also in this army of the King of England, 500 pioneers with spades and pickaxes, to level the roads and cut down trees and hedges, for the more easily passing of the carriages. . . . . I must inform you that the King of England and his rich lords were followed by carts laden with tents, pavilions, mills, and forges, to grind their corn and make shoes for their horses, and everything of that sort which might be wanting.'[2] This appears to have been the first occasion on which field forges for shoeing horses accompanied an army, as well as ovens to bake the soldiers' bread. The introducer of these, as well as of artillery, appears to have even made an approach towards the employment of pontoons not very unlike, so far as material is concerned, those which are now being brought into use in the Royal Engineers; for we read
