Battle of the Ridge of a Thousand

The Battle of the Ridge of a Thousand was fought on at a ridge west of Redwall. It was fought amongst the Redwallers, the Rapscallion army, residents of Mossflower Woods, and the Long Patrol.

The Rapscallions, a barbarous army of rats, weasels, stoats, foxes and ferrets, numbered roughly one thousand, an unusually large army. They had recently landed at the southeast coast after suffering a huge defeat by the Long Patrol on the western coast, and came inland led by Damug Warfang.

The Redwallers, the Mossflower Woodlanders, and even some patrolling hares of the Long Patrol had joined up at Redwall Abbey, east of the ridge. Even so, they numbered only three hundred, which was what Damug expected.

The Long Patrol itself, minus the patroller hares in the Redwall army, numbered about five hundred, and were led by the powerful Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, and were currently marching east from Salamandastron.

Damug took the initiative in the battle by stealing a march on the Redwallers. But this didn't help him as the Redwallers spotted him in time. Damug first sent five hundred of his force and the Redwallers fought ferociously to hold the ridge and the first wave was repelled. Several more waves were sent and the Redwallers pushed back from their positions. As night fell, as a last ditch attempt they set a fallen tree afire and pushed it over the ridge, causing havoc in the Rapscallion ranks. Over half the Rapscallions were killed by the tree, but they were still more than a match for the depleted Redwallers. Damug Warfang then encircled the Redwallers who couldn't see him because they had been blinded temprorarily by the buring tree. In a pincer movement Damug sandwhiched the Redwallers between ridge's summit and a tall standing rock in the middle of the summit. Then the Long Patrol arrived through a giant rift behind the Rapscallions, and the vermin were sandwiched. Damug was killed fighting Cregga, who he blinded in the fight. The losses were severe. A score and a half of Long Patrol hares were lost. The Redwallers and their allies suffered more serious consequences, but nothing compared to the Rapscallions as they were wiped out.

The battle was marked for its bloodiness, and for the boldness of some of the warriors taking part. These included Cregga, Major Perigord Habile Sinistra, Sergeant Torgoch, Rapmark Bluggach, and Gurgan Spearback.

Killed
The following characters are known to have died in battle:

Evil

 * Rapmark Bluggach


 * Damug Warfang


 * Rapmark Henbit


 * Rapmark Skaup

Good

 * Reeve Starbuck


 * Furgale


 * Lieutenant Morio

Books
The battle occurred in The Long Patrol.