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, enabling the Royalists to replenish their stores.
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. The defeated Parliamentarians reached Liskeard, where the townsfolk turned on them.
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