“Ambush!” A word that perfectly sums up what happened right here at the Bloody Angle. The Bloody Angle is a section of Battle Road in Lincoln Massachusetts. It’s a place where, on April 19 1775, two crucial battles unfolded.
The Bloody Angle played a significant role during the battles of Lexington and Concord. These battles marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
The road you see runs generally east to west. But here, at the Bloody Angle, it takes a sharp turn north for about 500 yards. Then, it turns east again. This was the route of retreat for British soldiers from Concord back to Boston.
The area we call the Battle Road is now part of the Minute Man National Historic Park. As we follow the road from west to east, we trace the timeline of events leading up to the intense fighting at the Bloody Angle.
Imagine the scene. It’s April 19 1775. Earlier in the day at Meriam’s Corner, colonial militia and British troops clashed for the first time. Skirmishes continued for the next eighteen miles.
The British regulars soon reached this point. This is the Bloody Angle. The road rises and curves sharply left through a lightly wooded area.
Militia from Woburn positioned themselves on the southeast side of the bend. They found cover in the rocky lightly wooded field. Additional militia, who had engaged the British at Meriam’s Corner, moved parallel to the road. They positioned themselves on the northwest side. This created a deadly crossfire. Other militia companies closed in from behind.
About 500 yards further along, the road curves sharply again to the right. Here too, the British column was ambushed. Large numbers of militiamen fired from both sides.
In these two sharp curves at the Bloody Angle, the British lost thirty soldiers. They were killed or wounded. Four colonial militia members also died. These brave men included Captain Jonathan Wilson of Bedford. Also killed were Captain Nathan Wyman of Billerica, Lt. John Bacon of Natick, and Daniel Thompson of Woburn.
The British soldiers managed to escape. They broke into a trot. The colonials couldn’t keep up this pace through the woods and swampy terrain. The colonial forces behind the British were too disorganized to launch a strong attack.
As more militia arrived from other towns, the colonial forces grew to about 2000 men. The road ahead straightened. Cleared fields and orchards lined the sides. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith sent out flankers again. They managed to trap some militia and inflict casualties.
But British casualties were also mounting. They faced persistent long-range fire from the militiamen. The exhausted British were running out of ammunition.
Of the seventy or so British soldiers who were killed on April 19, 1775, it is estimated that thirty were killed at the Bloody Angle. Only four Patriots were killed in this area.
The Bloody Angle earned its name that day. It stands as a powerful reminder. It reminds us of the fierce determination of the colonial militia. It also reminds us of the high price of freedom. Remember this spot. It is hallowed ground.