Battle of Braddock Down

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Braddock Down
partof=the First English Civil War
date=19 January 1643
place=Braddock Down, Cornwall
result=Royalist victory
combatant1=Royalists
combatant2=Parliamentarians
commander1=Sir Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton
commander2=Colonel William Ruthven
strength1=c. 5,000
strength2=c. 4,000
casualties1= few
casualties2= 200 dead
1,500 captured [ [http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/civil-war/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=9 Battle of Braddock Down: 19 January 1643] ]

The Battle of Braddock Down was a battle of the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War. It was fought on open ground in Cornwall, on 19 January 1643. An apparently easy victory for the Royalists under Sir Ralph Hopton secured Cornwall for King Charles and confirmed Hopton's reputation.

Prelude

On 17 January, three Parliamentarian ships had sought refuge from a storm at Falmouth and been captured, replenishing the Royalists's stores. [ [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_braddock.html Battle of Braddock Down, 19 January 1643 ] ]

Sir Ralph Hopton's Royalist forces had been camped the night before at Boconnoc. On breaking camp, their dragoon vanguard encountered enemy cavalry to the east, and discovered the Parliamentarian army deployed on Braddock Down. The Parliamentarian commander, Colonel Ruthven, had been unwilling to wait for reinforcements under the Earl of Stamford to arrive and had marched to face the Royalists.

The battle

Ruthven had more cavalry, but Hopton had more infantry and also two light cannon. These he kept concealed during the first two hours of the battle, which was largely a long-range musketry duel. After deciding to attack, Hopton ordered his Cornish foot under Sir Bevil Grenville to charge. The defending Parliamentarians fired just one volley at the Cornish, causing two casualties, then turned and fled. [ [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_braddock.html Battle of Braddock Down, 19 January 1643 ] ] The defeated Parliamentarians reached Liskeard, where the townsfolk turned on them.

References

*Smurthwaite, D. "The Complete Guide to the Battlefields of Britain". (1994) ISBN 0-7181-3655-1
*The UK Battlefields Resource Center, The Battlefields Trust, Meadow Cottage, 33 High Green, Brooke, Norwich, NR15 1HR
*Guest, Ken & Denise, "British Battles" (1997) ISBN 0-00-47-968-3

ee also

* Cornwall in the English Civil War

External links

* [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1642-edgehill.htm British Civil Wars site]
* [http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/civil-war/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=9 Battle of Braddock Down: 19 January 1643]