Some of my crude artwork of the 90s is presented here to try and illustrate the fact that I don't think Monmouth's army looked much different than a conventional army of the time. Some lost shoes during the campaign but they would have been reasonably well dressed. How well trained they and their mounts were is another thing and obviously not all had pike or musket - some simply had sticks or swords and various polearms, the famous 'sythes' but clothing-wise they were generally well dressed and not in shirt sleeves. Some wore the red-faced purple coats Monmouth brought with him and some the red faced yellow of the Somerset Militia. The Rebels had no tents - they had to make do with sleeping in hedges and so on - they made huge fires at the ruins of Glastonbury abbey to dry their clothes - it being a very wet summer.
A question that may just betray my abysmal ignorance, but did the 'color' of the regiment appear e.g. on a sash or somewhere?
ReplyDeleteJean-Louis
I don't know. It's possible that the flags of the regiments may have had the fields in the corresponding colours...sashes and so on no one knows unless something's been dug up recently. There was a 'green ribbon club' in Taunton of Monmouth supporters... I wish I knew - pardon MY abysmal ignorance, but I'm glad you're interested...sometimes I think the Rebellion is too parochial for general consumption.
ReplyDeleteI think there are a great deal of folk out there interested in the Rebellion Ralph- and the new book will increase it. John Child's books are well known amongst many wargamers as is the peter Earle rebellion book.
ReplyDelete