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[64] Own Regiment, who had been wounded early in the day at Concord Bridge, was made prisoner in Menotomy, while returning to Boston alone on horseback in advance of the troops. His capture was effected on the main road near Mill Street by some of the exempts, who were returning home after the taking of the convoy. He was carried first to the house of Ammi Cutter— the place where the late Cyrus Cutter resided—and afterward to Medford (Smith ). He calls himself (deposition at Medford, April 25, 1775) ‘of His Majesty's Own Regiment of Foot.’ He embarked with the light infantry and grenadiers on the evening of the 18th, and marched to Concord, and commanded one of the light infantry companies stationed at the North Bridge. He was wounded at the attack of the bridge, and at the date of his deposition was ‘treated with the greatest humanity, and taken all possible care of by the Provincials of Medford.’1 The severe part of the battle of the 19th in Menotomy, occurred in the latter part of the day, or, according to Hannah Bradish's deposition (see Genealogies), ‘about five o'clock.’ Lord Percy's detachment met the retreating first detachment of the British, a half mile below Lexington meeting-house, about two o'clock in the afternoon, where, after some delay, the march to Boston was resumed by both detachments. The light infantry and grenadiers of the detachment which had been severely engaged in battle in the defiles between Concord and Lexington, now marched in front, while Percy's brigade of fresh troops brought up the rear and provided the strong flanking parties of the regulars. Gordon says the British were incommoded by the wind blowing the smoke directly back upon them all the time they were retreating; ‘the soldiers loaded and fired over the stone-walls, when there was not a single man behind them.’ The Americans from behind stone-walls and other places of shelter kept up on the British an incessant fire, on either flank, as well
1 Gould is said to have had a fortune of £ 1,900 a year, and to have offered £ 2,000 for his ransom. Gordon, Hist. Am. Rev., i. 311, says Lieut. Gould would have been killed at the North Bridge, had not a minister present prevented. He infers Gould was made a prisoner at the Bridge, and Heath (Memoirs, p. 13), says an officer of the British was taken prisoner at the Bridge. Gould was exchanged May 28, 1775, for Josiah Breed, of Lynn. See Hist. Medford, 158.
Boston: David Clapp and son. 564 Washington Street, 1880.
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