1644 Cornwall in the English Civil War

after relieving plymouth, essex advanced cornwall, reaching bodmin on 28 july. king charles meanwhile led main royalist army against him, blocking line of retreat. caught between charles , grenville, essex took positions @ lostwithiel , fowey, hoping support or evacuation parliamentarian fleet. royalists cut off escape routes land , on 13 august charles began attack. on 21 august, royalists took restormel castle , beacon hill, lostwithiel. after further sporadic fighting pushed parliamentarians castle dore above fowey river on 31 august. night parliamentarian cavalry broke through encircling royalists , escaped plymouth. on 1 september royalists took castle dore , essex escaped sea, leaving 6000 infantry, artillery , baggage train under command of sir philip skippon, surrendered following day. royalists confiscated parliamentarians weapons , allowed them return portsmouth. afflicted bad weather, hunger, disease , attacks local people, 1000 of disarmed soldiers died along way. time in lostwithiel saw vandalism of lostwithiel stannary palace, jonathan rashleigh s menabilly house, destruction of constitutional charters , stannary records placed in luxulyan church safety. ensuing debate in london unsatisfactory manner of war led passage of self-denying ordinance. prompt professional english army unified command, new model army.