Witness account for the Battle of Hastings

The battle's first blow was actually given by my jester Taillefer at 9 am. He rode out to Senlac ridge, sang the Song of Roland while juggling a sword. He then attacked and killed an English warrior before he was killed. I relied on basic techniques for my army to minimize the enemy with arrows, followed by troops which would engage in a close war, and conclude in an army charge that would break through the English forces. However, my techniques did not work as well as I had planned. My army attacked the English as soon as we were ready. My archers fired several shots but many of the arrows hit the shield wall and had very little effect. Believing the English to be weaker, I ordered my troops to attack. As we charged up the hill, the English threw down whatever they could find: stones, javelins, and maces. The blast applied a big disaster among our ranks, causing our lines to break up. With such a large number of English fyrdmen now holding the front rank, the disciplined shield wall that the bodyguards had maintained, began to falter, presenting me an opportunity. At the start of the battle the rain of arrows fired at the English by my bowmen was ineffective because of the English shields. Though many on the front ranks still had shields, I ordered my archers to fire over the shield wall so that the arrows landed in the rear ranks of the English army. My archers did this with great success. Many of the English soldiers were now tired. My army attacked again, and managed to make small dents in the shield wall. We were able to use these gaps, and the English army began to fall apart. A few knights broke through the wall, and killed the English king. Without their leader and with many officers dead, hundreds of fyrdmen fled the field. The bodyguards still kept their oath of loyalty to the king, and fought bravely until they were all killed. I then won the Battle and claimed the English crown.