Battle of Redmalden

Battle of Redmalden
Part of Riverlandian Conquest of Grythshead King Malcom's War
Date 24th January 1750 Location Redmalden, Kingdom of Grythshead Result Grythsheader Victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of the Riverland Kingdom of Ballaeter	Kingdom of Grythshead
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Tarringway Lady Taewen	Osgood Stanley
Strength
37,000 50 guns	30,000 62 guns

The Battle of Redmalden was an engagement of King Malcom's War fought on 24th January 1750. The Riverlander army of the Earl of Tarringway, following a minor defeat at Northburn, was engaged by the Grythsheader army of Osgood Stanley, while attempting to cross the River Lochen at the town of Redmalden.

Background

Helderny

Main Article: Battle of Helderny

As the armies which had been fighting in Ballaeter in 1749 settled into winter quarters, the Grythsheader Western Army under Sir Eustace Salter used the opportunity to reinforce his forces at Helderny and plan a grand offensive north into Ballaeter. Informed of this by spies in the Grythsheader camp, the new commander of the Riverlander Army of Ballaeter, the Earl of Tarringway, marched his army south to disrupt Salter's plans. At the Battle of Helderny on 8th January 1750, Tarringway shocked the world by defeating the battle-hardened and entrenched Grythsheaders with his newly-formed and inexperienced troops. The battle was a disaster for the Grythsheaders, who sustained 8,000 casualties (half of those captured) and lost 24 guns, 15 standards, and four generals including Salter.

Northburn

Main Article: Battle of Northburn

Under the command of Osgood Stanley, the remnants of the Grythsheader army retreated from Helderny, taking artillery, military stores, militia and refugees with them. This force encamped at the village of Northburn on the far side of a bridge over the River Lochen. At Northburn, Stanley met up with the Grythsheader 5th Division and Sir Jarred Knowton's 1st Foot Guards. Tarringway rested his army for a few days at Helderny and, reinforced by the Ballaetan cavalry brigade of Lady Taewen, he marched on Northburn. Suitably reinforced and posessing a large amount of artillery, Stanley chose to fight at Northburn to prevent Tarringway's advance further into Grythshead. The battle took place on 15th January and ended in a Grythsheader victory. After a costly clash to seize control of the bridge over the Lochen, the Riverlanders found themselves unable to advance on Stanley's main force under a hail of artillery fire.

Having sustained 1,200 casualties, Tarringway's army retreated to Helderny. Heavy rainfall on the 16th and 17th kept the Riverlanders in Helderny and the arrival of 2,000 replacements on the 19th brought Tarringway's divisions up to strength. On the 20th, cavalry scouts reported a crossing point at the market town of Redmalden. Lady Taewen's brigade rode ahead of the main army to secure Redmalden and Tarringway marched out later that day. At Northburn, Stanley recieved significant reinforcements from the Guards Lancers Regiment and the Grythsheader 6th Division, along with a large force of militia levied from across the county. Orders from King James forced Stanley to march out from Northburn and engage Tarringway. This occured on the 24th at the town of Redmalden.