The Bloody Angle was a key engagement point during the British retreat from Concord on April 19, 1775, an early armed clash of the American Revolution.
Key Facts
- Date
- April 19, 1775
- Location
- Lincoln, Massachusetts, Battle Road
- Road deviation length
- 500 yards northward turn before heading east yards
- Also known as
- Elm Brook Hill Battle
- Archaeological find
- Musket balls revealing troop positions found in 2024
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the engagements at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, British regulars were forced to retreat eastward toward Boston under sustained pressure from colonial militiamen. The winding nature of the Battle Road, particularly at the Bloody Angle, created a tactical vulnerability as British columns navigated a sharp northward bend before resuming an eastward course.
At the Bloody Angle in Lincoln, Massachusetts, colonial militiamen engaged British regulars at two separate points along a roughly 500-yard northward curve in the Battle Road. The confined and irregular terrain of the road bend allowed American forces to concentrate fire on the retreating column, making it one of the more intense skirmish sites of the day-long running battle.
The engagements at the Bloody Angle contributed to the overall casualties and disorder suffered by British forces during their retreat to Boston. In 2024, archaeologists discovered a grouping of musket balls at the site, providing physical evidence of troop positions and adding new detail to the historical understanding of the battle.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent