As soon as the defection of Clarence opened the road to London, he left the Earl, promising to return in a few days, and rode to town, arriving there two days before Edward's entry, and, purchasing another horse, took his wife and son down to St.Albans, where leaving them, he rejoined Warwick.

In a few days the latter had gathered sufficient forces to enable him to risk the fortunes of a battle, and, marching south, he encamped with his army on the common north of Barnet.

Edward had come out to meet him, and the two armies slept on Easter Eve within two miles of each other.
Late in the evening Clarence sent a messenger to the Earl, offering to mediate, but the offer was indignantly refused by Warwick.
In the darkness, neither party was aware of the other's precise position.

Warwick was much stronger than the king in artillery, and had placed it on his right wing.

The king, in his ignorance of the enemy's position, had placed his troops considerably more to the right than those of Warwick's army.