Battle of Sedgemoor Battlefield

In the early hours of July 6, 1685, the Battle of Sedgemoor became the last pitched battle ever fought on English soil. The Duke of Monmouth’s rebel Protestant army attempted a night attack on King James II’s forces, but the surprise failed. By dawn, over 1,000 rebels lay dead in the Somerset marshes, and Monmouth himself would soon lose his head. The ghosts of that terrible night have never left the moor.

The History

Monmouth’s Rebellion

The Protestant rebellion against Catholic King James II:

• James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, claimed the throne
• He was Charles II’s illegitimate son
• Landed in the West Country with 82 men
• Raised an army of farmers and tradesmen
• Over 3,000 joined him
• Poor training and equipment

The Night Attack

A desperate gamble:

• Monmouth planned to surprise the Royal camp at night
• The attack began around 1 AM
• But a pistol shot alerted the guards
• The surprise was lost
• The untrained rebels were trapped in the marshes
• Royal artillery massacred them

The Bloody Assize

Judge Jeffreys’ revenge:

• Over 300 rebels executed
• Hundreds more transported
• Brutal trials and hangings
• Victims displayed throughout the region
• The “Bloody Assize” terrorized the West

Monmouth’s Execution

The Duke was captured and beheaded:

• The executioner took five blows
• Monmouth’s screaming death
• His rebellion crushed
• The last serious challenge to the Stuart crown

The Hauntings

The Night March

Phantom rebels approaching:

• Columns of poorly-armed men
• Moving through darkness and mist
• The sound of marching feet
• Whispered commands
• Heading toward their doom

The Alarm

The moment the surprise failed:

• A pistol shot in the darkness
• Shouting and confusion
• The rebels realizing they’re discovered
• Panic spreading through the ranks
• The attack dissolving into chaos

The Artillery Barrage

Royal cannons fired into the packed rebels:

• The roar of artillery
• Screaming and dying
• Men trapped in the marsh
• Unable to advance or retreat
• Slaughtered where they stood

The Bussex Rhine

The drainage ditch that doomed the attack:

• Rebels couldn’t cross it in darkness
• They bunched up and became easy targets
• Phantom soldiers trapped at the ditch
• Desperate attempts to cross
• The killing ground

The Fleeing Rebels

The rout and pursuit:

• Terrified men running through the marsh
• Royal cavalry hunting them down
• No quarter given
• The hunt continued for days
• Executions in the fields

The Screaming

Audio phenomena are intense:

• Cries of wounded men
• Begging for mercy
• Death screams
• The sounds of slaughter
• Most active at night, around 1-3 AM

Judge Jeffreys

The “Hanging Judge” appears:

• At Westonzoyland Church, where trials were held
• A malevolent presence
• The atmosphere of judicial murder
• Prisoners knowing their fate
• Revenge dressed as justice

Westonzoyland Church

The rebels’ prison and trial venue:

• 500 prisoners held here
• Many tried and condemned
• Haunted by desperate men
• Footsteps and whispers
• Prayers in the darkness

The Monuments

Memorials to both sides:

• Activity concentrates near them
• Figures standing in remembrance
• The dead acknowledging they’re remembered
• Anniversary gatherings

Anniversary Phenomena

July 6 brings the most intense activity:

• The battle replays
• Sounds of combat at 1 AM
• Mist seems to rise from the marsh
• Temperature drops
• England’s last battle returns

Modern Sightings

The battlefield is agricultural land:

• Farmers report phenomena
• Night walkers hear marching and gunfire
• The marsh is especially haunted
• Local residents have many stories
• The last battle never ends

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Sedgemoor was the last pitched battle on English soil, a night of slaughter in the Somerset marshes. The Duke of Monmouth’s rebel army was destroyed, and the Bloody Assize that followed terrorized the West Country. More than 300 years later, the rebel army still marches through the darkness, the cannons still fire, and the screams of dying men still echo across the moor. The last battle endures.