Local leaders in York sent messages to the King stressing their continued support for his just cause. A secret cabal of Royalist supporters in Plymouth urged the King to send a large army to liberate their city, in which case they would be able to offer help in entering the city before the Parliamentary forces were aware.
Goring decided he was to exposed to attack from the slowly advancing forces of Bedford and thus moved back over the Tamar to Bodmin. Bedford advanced slowly after him, securing the Exmoor area for Parliament.
Vasey advanced on Derby via Nantwich, hoping to destroy Lord Groby's newly-raised army. He failed at the Battle of Roston however and withdrew upon Stratford, although both sides suffered only light losses.
Meldrum moved to Newark and laid siege to it. In the south, Hampden likewise advanced upon Basing and laid siege to that place.
Waller and Rupert maintained their positions, both concentrating upon training their troopers; King Charles and the Earl of Essex did likewise around Oxford and Wycombe respectively. Cromwell moved forward from Chelmsford to reinforce Essex's army.
Thomas Fairfax handed over command of his army to Brereton and moved himself to Leeds, to being recruiting additional forces. Cavendish continued his siege of Preston.
The North:
Royalists:
Newcastle with c.3000 Foot and 2000 Horse at Carlisle
Cavendish with c.3000 Foot and 3000 Horse besieging Preston
Parliamentarians:
Brereton with c.2000 Foot and 3000 Horse at Blackburn
Fairfax with c.3000 Foot and 1000 Horse at Leeds
The Midlands:
Royalists:
Vasey with c.1000 Foot and 5000 Horse at Stafford
Forth with c.5000 Foot at Shrewsbury
Prince Rupert with c.1000 Foot and 4000 Horse at Gloucester
Parliamentarians:
Meldrum with c.4000 Foot and 2000 Horse besieging Newark
Groby with c.4000 Foot and 1000 Horse at Derby
Waller with c.3000 Foot and 2000 Horse at Cardiff
The South:
Royalists:
King Charles with c.10000 Foot and 3000 Horse at Oxford
Goring with c.3000 Foot and 1000 Horse at Bodmin
Parliamentarians:
Essex with c.10000 Foot and 7000 Horse at Wycombe
Hampden with c.3000 Foot besieging Basing
Bedford with c.5000 Foot and 3000 Horse on Exmoor
c.1000 Foot in garrison at Reading
Massey with c.2000 Foot in Bristol
Game Notes:
The Parliamentary forces have made some progress in the Midlands, holding Derby and besieging Newark - there are no forces in obvious position to relieve it either. Essex has finally managed to concentrate sufficient forces after Cromwell brought some reinforcements in from Essex to strike a blow at Oxford and the King.
I have noticed that game logic has driven the armies to become more and more concentrated as time has passed: smaller forces and isolated garrisons are simply too vulnerable and as one side amasses forces, the other must respond in kind or be overwhelmed.
The Royalist position looks strongest in the North and Northwest but, of course, this is only temporary since negotiations between the Scots and Parliament are ongoing...thus time is probably against the King.
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