Though much of his life is lost to time, Scottish landowner Sir William Wallace made his mark on history by defeating the English army at the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge. His first known rebellious act occurred earlier that year, when he and his supporters had attacked the English High Sheriff of Lanark, killing him. At Stirling Bridge the well-outnumbered Scots bested the English, using the bridge to attack half of the English army, whilst the other half tried to cross the narrow bridge. The bridge would eventually collapse under the weight of hundreds of distressed hob-nailed boots, sending many armored English and Welsh men to drown in the river amongst the shattered wreckage of the bridge. The English knights and heavy cavalry, north of the bridge-brawl, were waylaid by cleverly emplaced fields of caltrops and were unable to save the beleaguered English infantry. Wallace was defeated a year later at the disastrous reversal of Scottish fortunes at the Battle of Falkirk. Finally captured in 1305, he was hung, drawn and quartered for treason and crimes against the English. He is probably the most lasting and iconic symbol of Scottish defiance against the English.