Privates PATRICK GRAY, JAMES HALL
& THOMAS SMITH,
4th Regiment
Concord, Mass.

Three Privates of the Light Company of the 4th Foot, were killed at the North Bridge during the retreat from Concord on 19 April 1775.Two of them are buried near the bridge. The third - it is uncertain which - who died of wounds, is buried in the town in the vicinity of Monument Street, and now has his own new marker! There was a formal ceremony, with UK representatives, on Remembrance Sunday in November 2000.

See Concord Magazine, March-April 2000.

Photo: Rich Stevenson

19 APRIL 1775

NEAR THIS SITE WAS BURIED
A BRITISH SOLDIER OF THE
4th. THE KING'S OWN REGt OF FOOT,
FATALLY WOUNDED AT NORTH BRIDGE

The other two have a joint memorial by the Bridge, with some lines by James Russell Lowell, which, though somewhat patronising, are generous in spirit. And I do wonder if Patrick Gray was perhaps a Scot. (But WhistleWorld loves J.R. Lowell anyway, because he was Charley Lowell's uncle and wrote a poem about Rob Shaw!)

Photo: Rich Stevenson

GRAVE OF BRITISH SOLDIERS

THEY CAME THREE THOUSAND MILES AND DIED
TO KEEP THE PAST UPON THE THRONE.
UNHEARD, BEYOND THE OCEAN TIDE,
THEIR ENGLISH MOTHER MADE HER MOAN

APRIL 19 1775

Return to Top