When the English army was still approaching, king Robert sent Douglas and Sir Robert Keith, Marischal of Scotland to observe the English and report back to him. Douglas and Keith reported king Edward was approaching with a very large army. During the battle most of the fighting was directed at the other two battalions. When the center battalion led by Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray was in trouble, Douglas went to their rescue of his close friend. But the English retreated before Douglas could help. Finally the Scots won the battle and the English fell back in confusion, king Edward with 500 mounted knights fled the field. James Douglas with a small mounted force gave chase to the English king. They chased them all the way to Dunbar, but Edward escaped back to England.