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Battle of Lostwithiel

Type Event Region Europe Time 1644

From August to early September 1644, during the English Civil War, Parliamentarian forces under the Earl of Essex pushed deep into Cornwall and were …

Timeline

  1. 1644Cornwall · CornwallParliamentarian forces under the Earl of Essex were ordered west, attempting to seize Royalist-rich Cornwall and pin down Charles I. Once deep in the peninsula their supply lines stretched and clashes with local Royalist militia were constant.
  2. 1644Lostwithiel · CornwallCharles I and Prince Rupert led Royalist forces pressing from the east and north, sealing off the Parliamentarians' retreat and cutting their supply route. Essex's forces were trapped in the Lostwithiel valley, failing in repeated breakout attempts.
  3. 1644Lostwithiel and the mouth of the Fowey · CornwallEssex led his cavalry out under cover of night and evacuated by sea; about six thousand infantry, cut off from food, surrendered on 1 September, and large quantities of artillery and baggage fell into Royalist hands. The Parliamentarian western strategy suffered a severe blow.

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