In the West Country, Essex's army, including the London Auxiliary brigade (Green, Yellow and Orange) raised the siege of Lyme on 15 June. He next marched to Weymouth, which quickly surrendered, and he installed the Yellow Auxiliaries under Col John Owen as its garrison. He then made for Exeter with the rest of the army, hoping to capture Queen Henrietta Maria, but she escaped to France before his arrival. However, the check inflicted on Waller at Cropredy had allowed the King to break contact and march with his Oxford army into the West Country to deal with Essex. Having relieved the siege of Plymouth, Essex moved into Cornwall, and was followed by the Royalists on 1 August. By late August Essex's army was hemmed in between Fowey and Lostwithiel, while the Parliamentary fleet was prevented by Royalist guns from entering Fowey harbour to relieve them. After 13 days of the Battle of Lostwithiel, Essex ordered the Parliamentary horse to cut their way out to Plymouth on the night of 30/31 August, while Essex himself escaped by sea, leaving the foot to surrender on 2 September. The surrender was signed by Skippon on behalf of Essex's regular infantry, and Col Christopher Whichcot of the Green Auxiliaries on behalf of the Londoners. The terms were generous: because the Royalists could neither feed nor guard such a large number of prisoners, they were escorted to Poole, and then allowed to march away to Southampton. The disarmed survivors were badly plundered by the country folk on their march. The Green and Orange Auxiliaries returned to London on 24 September, to a low-key welcome. The Yellow Auxiliaries garrisoning Weymouth had been ordered to march west to help Essex, but were too late. They had returned to Weymouth on 14 September, and were then shipped to join the garrison of Plymouth, where the Royalists renewed the blockade.