Upon this news we halted at Bodmin, till we should hear farther; and
it was not long before we saw a confirmation of the news before our
eyes, for the Lord Hopton, with the remainder of his horse, which he
had brought off at Torrington in a very shattered condition, retreated
to Launceston, the first town in Cornwall, and hearing that Fairfax
pursued him, came on to Bodmin. Hither he summoned all the troops
which he had left, which, when he had got together, were a fine
body indeed of 5000 horse, but few foot but what were at Pendennis,
Barnstaple, and other garrisons. These were commanded by the Lord
Hopton. The Lord Goring had taken shipping for France to get relief a
few days before.

Here a grand council of war was called, and several things were
proposed, but as it always is in distress, people are most irresolute,
so 'twas here. Some were for breaking through by force, our number
being superior to the enemy's horse. To fight them with their foot
would be desperation and ridiculous; and to retreat would but be
to coop up themselves in a narrow place, where at last they must be
forced to fight upon disadvantage, or yield at mercy. Others opposed
this as a desperate action, and without probability of success, and
all were of different opinions. I confess, when I saw how things
were, I saw 'twas a lost game, and I was for the opinion of breaking
through, and doing it now, while the country was open and large, and
not being forced to it when it must be with more disadvantage. But
nothing was resolved on, and so we retreated before the enemy. Some
small skirmishes there happened near Bodmin, but none that were very
considerable.

'Twas the 1st of March when we quitted Bodmin, and quartered at large