Battle of Cheriton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Cheriton
Part of the First English Civil War
A historical reenactment of the battle
Date 29 March 1644 Location Near Cheriton, Hampshire Result Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Forth Lord Hopton	Sir William Waller Sir Arthur Haselrig
Strength
2,500 cavalry 3,500 infantry	3,500 cavalry 6,500 infantry
Casualties and losses
300 killed or wounded	60 killed or wounded

The Battle of Cheriton happened on March 29, 1644. It was a very important win for the Parliamentarian side during the First English Civil War. Sir William Waller's army, called the "Army of the Southern Association," defeated the Royalist forces. These Royalist forces were led by the Earl of Forth and Sir Ralph Hopton. This defeat meant the Royalists could no longer hope to take back South East England. It also forced them to defend their positions for the rest of 1644.

Even though it's not as famous as the Battle of Marston Moor, a top Royalist advisor named Clarendon thought Cheriton was just as bad a loss for them.

Why Did the Battle of Cheriton Happen?

The English Civil War was a fight between King Charles I and Parliament. In the summer of 1643, a Royalist army, led by Lord Hopton, moved into Hampshire and Sussex. This area was important because its Wealden iron industry made most of the weapons for Parliament.

Royalist Plans and Retreats

At first, the Royalists did well. But by early 1644, they had lost several battles. King Charles I then told them to pull back to Wiltshire. Lord Hopton wanted to stay in Hampshire. So, King Charles sent him more soldiers from the main Royalist army in Oxford. These new troops were led by the Earl of Forth.

Parliament's Strategy and Royalist Response

By the end of February, Sir William Waller's "Army of the Southern Association" had grown to over 8,000 soldiers. This army was based in Arundel. Parliament ordered Waller to secretly get past Hopton's forces. Their goal was to take back South West England, which the Royalists had won after the Battle of Roundway Down last summer.

In early March, one of Waller's commanders, Sir Richard Grenville, switched sides. He joined Hopton and told him about Parliament's plans. Because of this, Forth and Hopton decided to capture New Alresford. This would put their army between Waller's forces and London.

Approaching the Battlefield

The Royalists marched from their base in Winchester. They reached New Alresford late on March 27. They arrived just before the Parliamentarian cavalry, led by Sir William Balfour. The next day, the Royalists moved carefully south towards Cheriton. As night came, a small group of scouts, led by Sir George Lisle, took over a spot near Cheriton Wood. They reported that the Parliamentarians were leaving.

The Battle of Cheriton

Up to this point, the Parliamentarians had been outsmarted. They had even started to retreat. But during the night, Waller changed his mind. He ordered his army to advance instead.

Early Morning Moves

As the sun came up, soldiers from the London Trained Bands (citizen soldiers from London) took control of Cheriton Wood. Hopton had moved to Lisle's outpost. He quickly realized his men would have to pull back. The Royalists retreated to a ridge, which is a raised area of land, north of the wood. Waller's army then moved forward.

Fighting for Cheriton Wood

Hopton really wanted to get Cheriton Wood back. He sent 1,000 "commanded" musketeers (soldiers with muskets chosen for a special task) forward. Colonel Appleyard led them, and they had cannon support. There was fierce fighting, but the Parliamentarians eventually left the wood.

Forth and Hopton planned to stay on the defensive after this. But an infantry commander, Sir Henry Bard, acted too quickly. He launched his regiment of foot (a group of infantry soldiers) against the Parliamentarian cavalry on the left side. Bard's regiment was quickly overwhelmed and destroyed. This happened when Sir Arthur Haselrig's heavily armored soldiers, known as the "London lobsters," charged them.

Cavalry and Infantry Clashes

The Royalist cavalry on the right side tried to help Bard's men. But they had to attack in small, broken groups along narrow paths. They were defeated in turn.

Hopton then sent the Royalist cavalry from the left side, led by Sir Edward Stawell, to make a better-planned attack. But they were also defeated. Haselrig then attacked the Royalist infantry who were moving up to support. He pushed them back. The Parliamentarians also attacked the Royalist left side, which now had no cavalry. They managed to get Cheriton Wood back.

The Royalists fell back to their ridge. But Hopton and Forth knew they couldn't survive another attack. As evening arrived, they retreated to Basing House.

What Happened After the Battle?

Sir Henry Bard was wounded and captured. Other Royalist leaders who were hurt included Lord John Stewart, Sir John Smith, and Sir Edward Stowell. Henry Sandys died from his wounds on April 6.

Impact on Royalist Plans

This defeat ended the Royalists' plans to take back Sussex and Kent. It also allowed the Parliamentarian armies of Essex and Waller to join forces against Oxford, a Royalist stronghold. Sir Edward Walker, who was secretary of the Royalist War Council, later said that the defeat forced the King to change his plans. Instead of attacking, the Royalists now had to focus on defending.

Merging Armies and Future Battles

After much discussion, the remaining soldiers from Hopton's army were combined with the Oxford army. This happened at a review in Aldbourne in April 1644. The infantry (foot soldiers) formed one large group under Sir Bernard Astley. The cavalry (horse soldiers) were split between Sir Humphrey Bennet and Lord Wilmot.

Even though the Royalists later won some battles in 1644, like Cropredy Bridge and Lostwithiel, they never launched a major attack in southern England again. Clarendon, a Royalist advisor, wrote that the defeat at Cheriton had a terrible effect on their chances of winning the war.