On 19 February 1371 the French Garrison at Montpon agreed to surrender. Montpon lay in the Dordogne Valley, in the Duchy of Aquitaine. The Castle had been captured by Bertrand du Guesclin in 1370 which was a source of frustration to the English. With du Guesclin having left a garrison under the control of his cousin, he himself had headed north. The English were quick to attempt to retake the town and its castle.
Siege of Montpon
In December 1370, an army of Englishmen and Gascons marched on Montpon. It was led by John of Gaunt and the Earl of Cambridge with many regional nobles supporting their cause. Montpon was not a particularly large fortress, nor was the garrison large. However, the French garrison had prepared well and were able to withstand the siege for many weeks.
The besieging army used artillery and engineering to try and bring about an end to the siege. The defensive ditches around the castle were filled in by Gaunt’s army. Elevated positions and shelters were constructed for the archers. Workers were tasked with breaching the walls, which was done but the subsequent attack repelled.
Calls for the relief of Montpon
January saw the siege become more urgent. Calls for relief had reached the Count of Anjou, whose men garrisoned the Castle. Forces were also mustered by Bertrand du Guesclin, who felt duty bound to relieve the force he had left in Montpon and so too by the Dukes of Berry and Burgundy.
In Montpon, the situation was dire for the defenders. Supplies were running out as the relief force was being put together. At the same time, John of Gaunt had intensified the assaults on the defences. Resistance was futile and the defenders were not to know of the size or timing of any relief forces arrival. They therefore asked for terms on 19 February 1371.
Agreement of the Garrison to surrender
Froissart recorded that the defenders needed to plead with John of Gaunt:
“…we are soldiers in the pay of the King of France and we have sought to do our duty to our lord as you would for yours. We call on you to deal with us justly according to the laws of arms, as knights and squires ought to deal with each other and as you would expect us to deal with you were in the pass to which we have come…”
Montpon was therefore surrendered to the English. The large relief forces were either disbanded, by the Count of Anjou, or redirected elsewhere by the Royal Dukes.