Hopton's Victory Poem by Lucy Burrow

We are Western men and we’re fighting for the King
We’re marching off to battle – and all that it might bring
With our muskets and our halberds and our pikestaffs in our hands
We put our trust in Hopton and we march at his command.

Hopton he marched to Devon, right on from Braddock Down
And full of ire and passion he then stormed Saltash town
But Stamford, he took our vanguard On the site of Modbury town
And they pushed us back to Tavistock, where we all rallied round.

Chudleigh and two thousand men tried setting us a snare
At Sourton Down we faced them and we were defeated there.
They pushed us back to Bridestow – the rain it saved the day
For Hopton, Grenville and us few – the rest all ran away!

Those roundheads got our Hopton’s plans from letters which he sent
Advancing into Somerset, it was our bold intent!
Stamford thought he’d thrash us, with more than twice our men
But Hopton knew what us men could do and set to fight again

The battle raged upon that hill, at Stratton, by the sea
Our men attacked North, South and West – no braver men than we
Berkeley took the Northern slope, Grenville took the West
Hopton took the Southern side and fought with all the rest

The battle raged ‘till 3 o’clock, the blood it flowed in streams
Our ammunition was but paltry – and we were lost it seemed
But brave Grenville and his pikemen gained a foothold at the Crest
And Stamford’s horsemen panicked and he scarpered with the rest

Chudleigh undeterred was forcing Grenville off the hill
But now Berkeley and Hopton reached the top and forward still
Cut Chudleigh off – and leaderless, his men turned tail to run
And almost 2000 men were caught ere the setting of the sun!

The Royalists owed their victory to our commanders brave
Berkeley, Hopton and Grenville our Cornish pride did save
But the Cornish foot, their soldiers who battled through the sway
Were the men who made it happen and they won the fight that day

We are Western men and we’re fighting for the King
We’re marching off to battle – and all that it might bring
With our muskets and our halberds and our pikestaffs in our hands
We put our trust in Hopton and we march at his command.