Battle Road Trail
Featured Ride
Step back into 1775 on one of America’s most historic trails, as you retrace the frantic British retreat that began the American War for Independence. This ride along the dirt and gravel Battle Road Trail begins near the Minuteman Visitors Center in Lincoln and winds past restored 18th century homes amidst a pastoral landscape. You can ride all the way to the famous Old North Bridge in Concord for a 14-mile out-and-back, or turn around at Meriam’s Corner to avoid the short on-road section. On the way to Concord, you’ll be following in the hoofsteps of Paul Revere and his fellow night riders, and on the way back, you'll trace the path of the retreating British Regulars.
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Trail Description
Following the colonial-era Bay Road, Battle Road Trail preserves the landscape where the American Revolution began. On April 19, 1775, the road was traversed by Paul Revere, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott on their fateful midnight ride to Lexington and Concord, before erupting into a battlefield as thousands of colonial militiamen clashed with British troops fleeing back to Boston. Today, Battle Road Trail is the spine of Minuteman National Historic Park, operated by the National Park Service, and commemorates the spark that ignited the powder keg of revolution.
Transportation
There is parking available near Old North Bridge in Concord, and near the Visitor’s Center in Lincoln, in addition to other lots shown on the map. If you choose to take public transportation, the trail can be accessed by MBTA Bus and Commuter Rail.
MBTA Bus 76
On weekdays, you can take MBTA Bus 76 to the trail from the Red Line’s Alewife Station. Buses run every 30-60 minutes Monday-Friday, and the trip is about 30 minutes from Alewife. You can also catch this bus from Lexington and Arlington. If you want to explore more Revolutionary history, you can ride the Minuteman Bikeway to downtown Lexington and take the 76 to Battle Road Trail.
MBTA Bus 62
Bus 62 runs hourly every day and takes 20 minutes from Alewife Station to Lexington Center. From Lexington, you can bike about 10 minutes on-street to the trail. See the MBTA Website for information about bringing your bike on the bus.
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line runs to Concord Station, just a 10-minute on-street ride from the trail. It takes 40 minutes from Boston North Station to Concord. Trains run hourly on weekdays and every two hours on weekends. Tickets can be purchased in the mTicket app or on board. All Commuter Rail trains will be free on Fridays in June, July and August. Check the MBTA website for the Fitchburg Line Schedule and information about bringing your bike on the Commuter Rail.
MBTA Bus 76
On weekdays, you can take MBTA Bus 76 to the trail from the Red Line’s Alewife Station. Buses run every 30-60 minutes Monday-Friday, and the trip is about 30 minutes from Alewife. You can also catch this bus from Lexington and Arlington. If you want to explore more Revolutionary history, you can ride the Minuteman Bikeway to downtown Lexington and take the 76 to Battle Road Trail.
MBTA Bus 62
Bus 62 runs hourly every day and takes 20 minutes from Alewife Station to Lexington Center. From Lexington, you can bike about 10 minutes on-street to the trail. See the MBTA Website for information about bringing your bike on the bus.
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line runs to Concord Station, just a 10-minute on-street ride from the trail. It takes 40 minutes from Boston North Station to Concord. Trains run hourly on weekdays and every two hours on weekends. Tickets can be purchased in the mTicket app or on board. All Commuter Rail trains will be free on Fridays in June, July and August. Check the MBTA website for the Fitchburg Line Schedule and information about bringing your bike on the Commuter Rail.
Bike Share
Minuteman Bikeshare
If you begin your journey in Concord, you can rent a bike from the Minuteman Bikeshare dock at the Concord Visitor Center. Check out the Minuteman Bikeshare website and download the app for more information.
If you begin your journey in Concord, you can rent a bike from the Minuteman Bikeshare dock at the Concord Visitor Center. Check out the Minuteman Bikeshare website and download the app for more information.
Connecting Trails
In Concord, you can connect with the 4-mile dirt Reformatory Branch Trail which runs through wildlife refuges on the way to Bedford. This trail is more rugged than Battle Road, so a mountain bike or at least a gravel bike is ideal. When you reach Concord, you can continue south on the 10-mile paved Minuteman Rail Trail, which runs through Lexington on the way to Cambridge, or North on the 3-mile crushed-stone Narrow-Gauge Rail Trail which runs 4 miles to Billerica.
Trail Photos
Trail Attractions
Minuteman National Historic Park Visitor Center (0.8 miles from start)
As you begin, check out the National Park Service-operated visitor center for an overview of the trail’s rich history. Inside, the family-friendly “Road to Revolution” multimedia show provides essential context for your ride ahead. The center is also home to artifacts and exhibits about the battle, as well as knowledgeable National Park staff who can answer any questions you may have. This is a good place to use the bathroom and fill your water bottles, as these modern conveniences disappear when you enter the trail’s pastoral 18th-century landscape. Learn more about the Visitor Center on the National Park Service’s website.
Paul Revere Capture Site (1.5 miles from start)
While Paul Revere tends to get the credit for warning locals of the approaching British, his famous midnight ride was cut short before reaching Concord when he was captured by British soldiers. At this site, Revere and fellow night riders, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott were ambushed by a British patrol of four officers. While Revere and Dawes were captured, Prescott, a Concord native familiar with the terrain, was able to flee and successfully notify his townspeople of the advancing British forces. Read more about Paul Revere and the night riders in the Dig Deeper section below. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Hartwell’s Tavern (2.3 miles from start) and Witness Houses
Along the trail you’ll see eleven historic houses that stood witness to the April 1775 battle. The houses and surrounding landscape were restored to their 18th century condition by the NPS in the mid-1900s, a process you can read more about in the dig deeper section below. One of the most significant witness houses is Hartwell’s Tavern, the structure seen in the artwork for Battle Road. This is where Dr. Samuel Prescott emerged after fleeing British capture and spread the word of the approaching British forces. Hartwell’s Tavern is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through October, and musket-firing demonstrations often take place in the adjacent field. Learn more about the witness houses on the National Park Service website.
The Wayside: Home of Authors (4.8 miles from start, off trail)
When purchased in 1965, this storied home became the first property acquired by the NPS for its literary significance. Although it was a witness house, first constructed in 1717, it is most notable for the trifecta of prolific authors who resided here over the subsequent centuries. From 1845-1852, it was home to a young Louisa May Alcott, whose childhood experiences in the house were adapted for her 1868 novel, Little Women. Alcott would go on to write Little Women next door in Orchard House, where parts of the 2019 movie adaptation were filmed on the grounds.
After the Alcotts moved out, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family purchased the home and named it “The Wayside,” as it is still known today. Already a famous author for The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851), Hawthorne constructed the house’s tower study, where he enjoyed writing in seclusion until the end of his life.
Harriet Mulford Stone Lothrop, better known by her pen name, Margaret Sidney purchased the house in 1883 along with her husband because of its connections to Hawthorne and Alcott. Sidney was a highly successful children’s author known for her “Five Little Peppers” series (1881-1916) and was passionate about the home’s history, founding the Children of the American Revolution in 1895 and hosting its first chapter here at the Wayside. Her daughter, Margaret Lothrop, was instrumental in the house’s preservation and eventual acquisition by the federal government. Learn more about the Wayside on the National Park Service website.
**Note the last three attractions are in reverse geographic order for the sake of chronology.
Old North Bridge (7 miles from start)
As the British scoured Concord for military supplies, 400 militiamen amassed on Punkatasset Hill, overlooking Old North Bridge on the edge of town. Around 5:00 AM, the British arrived in Concord and 90-120 soldiers were sent to North Bridge to keep the militia out of the town center. When the British began burning confiscated supplies, the onlooking militias thought they were torching the whole town, leading them to advance towards the bridge. As they approached, the British opened fire, killing Captain Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. This led colonial Major John Buttrick of Concord to shout, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire," beginning the British retreat towards Battle Road and more importantly, the American War for Independence. Ralph Waldo Emerson would coin this exchange “the shot heard ‘round the world” in his 1837 poem, “Concord Hymn,” written for the dedication of the nearby stone obelisk memorializing the battle.
Meriam’s Corner (4.8 miles from start)
As the retreating British reached the Meriam family’s home, they were spotted by approximately 1,100 militiamen arriving from nearby towns including Reading, Billerica, and Chelmsford. The militiamen opened fire from the cover of the Meriam family’s farm buildings and fences, forcing the British into a frantic retreat. This began the famous Running Battle of Battle Road, that saw British Soldiers endure a gauntlet of colonial ambushes on their 16-mile trek back to Boston.
Bloody Angle (2.6 miles from start)
At this sharp “S” curve in the road, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 militiamen assembled as they arrived from nearby towns. Led by Colonel Loammi Baldwin of Woburn (the man the Baldwin Apple is named after), militiamen took up positions on both sides of the road and opened fire on the British from all directions simultaneously. In just minutes, eight British soldiers were killed and many more wounded, as British officers began to lose control of their panicking men.
As you begin, check out the National Park Service-operated visitor center for an overview of the trail’s rich history. Inside, the family-friendly “Road to Revolution” multimedia show provides essential context for your ride ahead. The center is also home to artifacts and exhibits about the battle, as well as knowledgeable National Park staff who can answer any questions you may have. This is a good place to use the bathroom and fill your water bottles, as these modern conveniences disappear when you enter the trail’s pastoral 18th-century landscape. Learn more about the Visitor Center on the National Park Service’s website.
Paul Revere Capture Site (1.5 miles from start)
While Paul Revere tends to get the credit for warning locals of the approaching British, his famous midnight ride was cut short before reaching Concord when he was captured by British soldiers. At this site, Revere and fellow night riders, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott were ambushed by a British patrol of four officers. While Revere and Dawes were captured, Prescott, a Concord native familiar with the terrain, was able to flee and successfully notify his townspeople of the advancing British forces. Read more about Paul Revere and the night riders in the Dig Deeper section below. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Hartwell’s Tavern (2.3 miles from start) and Witness Houses
Along the trail you’ll see eleven historic houses that stood witness to the April 1775 battle. The houses and surrounding landscape were restored to their 18th century condition by the NPS in the mid-1900s, a process you can read more about in the dig deeper section below. One of the most significant witness houses is Hartwell’s Tavern, the structure seen in the artwork for Battle Road. This is where Dr. Samuel Prescott emerged after fleeing British capture and spread the word of the approaching British forces. Hartwell’s Tavern is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through October, and musket-firing demonstrations often take place in the adjacent field. Learn more about the witness houses on the National Park Service website.
The Wayside: Home of Authors (4.8 miles from start, off trail)
When purchased in 1965, this storied home became the first property acquired by the NPS for its literary significance. Although it was a witness house, first constructed in 1717, it is most notable for the trifecta of prolific authors who resided here over the subsequent centuries. From 1845-1852, it was home to a young Louisa May Alcott, whose childhood experiences in the house were adapted for her 1868 novel, Little Women. Alcott would go on to write Little Women next door in Orchard House, where parts of the 2019 movie adaptation were filmed on the grounds.
After the Alcotts moved out, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family purchased the home and named it “The Wayside,” as it is still known today. Already a famous author for The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851), Hawthorne constructed the house’s tower study, where he enjoyed writing in seclusion until the end of his life.
Harriet Mulford Stone Lothrop, better known by her pen name, Margaret Sidney purchased the house in 1883 along with her husband because of its connections to Hawthorne and Alcott. Sidney was a highly successful children’s author known for her “Five Little Peppers” series (1881-1916) and was passionate about the home’s history, founding the Children of the American Revolution in 1895 and hosting its first chapter here at the Wayside. Her daughter, Margaret Lothrop, was instrumental in the house’s preservation and eventual acquisition by the federal government. Learn more about the Wayside on the National Park Service website.
**Note the last three attractions are in reverse geographic order for the sake of chronology.
Old North Bridge (7 miles from start)
As the British scoured Concord for military supplies, 400 militiamen amassed on Punkatasset Hill, overlooking Old North Bridge on the edge of town. Around 5:00 AM, the British arrived in Concord and 90-120 soldiers were sent to North Bridge to keep the militia out of the town center. When the British began burning confiscated supplies, the onlooking militias thought they were torching the whole town, leading them to advance towards the bridge. As they approached, the British opened fire, killing Captain Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. This led colonial Major John Buttrick of Concord to shout, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire," beginning the British retreat towards Battle Road and more importantly, the American War for Independence. Ralph Waldo Emerson would coin this exchange “the shot heard ‘round the world” in his 1837 poem, “Concord Hymn,” written for the dedication of the nearby stone obelisk memorializing the battle.
Meriam’s Corner (4.8 miles from start)
As the retreating British reached the Meriam family’s home, they were spotted by approximately 1,100 militiamen arriving from nearby towns including Reading, Billerica, and Chelmsford. The militiamen opened fire from the cover of the Meriam family’s farm buildings and fences, forcing the British into a frantic retreat. This began the famous Running Battle of Battle Road, that saw British Soldiers endure a gauntlet of colonial ambushes on their 16-mile trek back to Boston.
Bloody Angle (2.6 miles from start)
At this sharp “S” curve in the road, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 militiamen assembled as they arrived from nearby towns. Led by Colonel Loammi Baldwin of Woburn (the man the Baldwin Apple is named after), militiamen took up positions on both sides of the road and opened fire on the British from all directions simultaneously. In just minutes, eight British soldiers were killed and many more wounded, as British officers began to lose control of their panicking men.
Trail Artwork
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Wildlife of the Trail
This trail weaves through the farm fields, meadows, ponds, forests, shrublands, and wetlands of the Minute Man National Historic Park. Potential bird species that can be seen include: alder flycatcher, blue-winged warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, great blue heron, indigo bunting, and common yellowthroat among others. Possible mammals include deer, squirrel, and beaver! Lastly, visitors may see a variety of frogs, toads, salamanders, and even turtles.
eBird
Check out the eBird hotspots along the trail to see what bird species have been spotted recently in the area. You can also report any interesting birds you see on your ride. There are hotspots near the Visitors Center, near Elm Brook, at Meriam’s Corner and near Old North Bridge. See this page for more information about eBird.
eBird
Check out the eBird hotspots along the trail to see what bird species have been spotted recently in the area. You can also report any interesting birds you see on your ride. There are hotspots near the Visitors Center, near Elm Brook, at Meriam’s Corner and near Old North Bridge. See this page for more information about eBird.
Dig Deeper
The Night Riders
The legendary tale of Paul Revere’s midnight ride to Concord is a cornerstone of American folklore, though the full story is deeper than one man’s lone act of heroism. After previous British attempts to seize military supplies, like the incidents at Somerville’s Old Powder House (near the Alewife Brook and Mystic River Greenways) and Salem’s North Bridge (near the Marblehead Rail Trail), colonial militias moved their armaments inland to towns like Concord and established a communication system to warn of future British incursions. Acting on intelligence collected by patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren, Paul Revere first rode to Concord in broad daylight three days before battle to warn the town their stockpile was at risk. Warren knew the British were planning to march on Concord, just not when or along what route.
On the night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Warren learned the British were preparing to mobilize. An intelligence source informed him they would first march on Lexington to arrest Patriot leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams for treason, before continuing to Concord to seize military supplies. Warren dispatched two riders from Boston along different routes to ensure the crucial warning reached its destination. William Dawes was sent via the land route, across Boston Neck and through Roxbury, while Revere took the water route, rowing across the Charles River to Charlestown and continuing on horseback.
Revere reached Lexington around midnight, a half hour before Dawes, and spread his famous warning, “The Regulars are coming out!” Although frequently misquoted as “the British are coming,” this would have made little sense to colonists who mostly still saw themselves as British at this point. After warning Adams and Hancock, Revere and Dawes set out towards Concord along what is now Battle Road, joined by Concord local Dr. Samuel Prescott, who was in Lexington visiting his fiancée. Hancock initially refused to leave Lexington, insisting he stay and fight with the local militia until Adams managed to persuade him that his capture would be a devastating blow to the revolutionary cause, and the two fled around 4:30 AM just before the British arrived.
The Battle of Lexington
Revere’s warning gave Captain John Parker’s Lexington militia five hours to prepare for the approaching British forces. 130 men initially gathered at Buckman Tavern, though that number dwindled to 77 by the time the British arrived just before 5:00 AM. As his small force assembled on the town Common, Parker knew they couldn’t stop the 700 British Regulars led by Marine Major John Pitcairn. His goal instead was to stage a “silent protest” and demonstrate their resolve.
Parker ordered his troops: “Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” Major Pitcairn and his officers rode forward, shouting for the militia to "Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, and disperse!" Recognizing the overwhelming British numbers, Parker ordered his men to scatter, but amidst the confusion, a shot was fired. To this day, historians debate whether it was a militiaman, a British soldier or an onlooker, though it mattered little to those on the battlefield. Following the first mysterious shot, British light infantry, without receiving direct orders, unleashed a volley of musket fire and charged towards the militia with bayonets. This exchange killed eight Americans and wounded ten, while only one British soldier was wounded. British officers eventually managed to regain control of their troops and signaled them to regroup and continue their march to Concord.
The Battle of Concord
After a one-sided victory at Lexington, the British continued six miles to Concord, arriving around 7:30 AM. Thanks to Revere’s warning days earlier, most of the supplies had been relocated and the British found very little except wooden carriage wheels and tool handles which they piled in the street to burn. As the British searched, colonial militias from Concord, Acton and Bedford gathered on Punkatasset Hill, overlooking the town. Around 9:30 AM, the 400-500 militiamen led by Colonel James Barrett saw thick black smoke billowing from Concord and mistook the British burning wooden supplies for them torching the town. Adjutant Joseph Hosmer famously asked, "Will you let them burn the town down?"
Barrett ordered the men to march toward the North Bridge, where the British had stationed 90 soldiers. As the Americans approached, British troops opened fire, killing Captain Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. This led colonial Major John Buttrick of Concord to shout, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire," causing the British infantry to break ranks and retreat to the town center. From 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, there was a lull in the fighting, as the British prepared their retreat.
British Retreat along Battle Road
Realizing they were severely outnumbered by the thousands of amassing militiamen, British Colonel Francis Smith ordered an 18-mile retreat to Boston, beginning a day of bloody guerrilla warfare along Battle Road. As the British reached the Meriam family farm on the edge of Concord, they were met by hundreds of minutemen from Reading, Billerica and Chelmsford, who opened fire from behind the Meriam family’s barn and stone walls. This began the “Running Battle” that would see the British under near-constant fire for the next seven hours. About a mile past Meriam’s Corner, the British were ambushed by 1,500 minutemen at the s-curve known as Bloody Angle, sending the British forces into total disarray as officers lost control of their men.
As the British re-entered Lexington around 2:00 PM, they encountered Captain John Parker and the same men who had been fired upon in Lexington that morning. Parker had regrouped his men on a rocky hill overlooking the road and waited until the British were directly below them to unleash a devastating volley that became known as Parker’s Revenge. By the time the British reached Lexington, they were out of ammunition and on the verge of total surrender. They were only saved by 1,000 reinforcement troops led by Lord Percy, who used two cannons to clear the militia from the hillsides.
The final leg of the battle through the town of Menotomy (modern day Arlington) was the bloodiest of the day, with colonial forces swelling to nearly 4,000 men. As the open fields of Lincoln and Lexington gave way to the settled village, brutal door-to-door fighting ensued, with militiamen firing from buildings, and the British clearing homes with bayonets and arson. Intense fighting continued through North Cambridge and Somerville, until the British reached Charlestown neck and were within range of naval support from the HMS Somerset. Without the heavy artillery necessary to challenge the British Navy, militiamen halted here and dug in their positions. As the running battle ended, the Siege of Boston began, with an estimated 15,000 New Englanders surrounding the city. By the end of the fighting, there were 273 British casualties with 73 killed, and 93 American casualties with 49 killed.
History of the Trail: The De-modernization of Battle Road
While Battle Road today feels frozen in the 18th century, the area experienced 200-years of unmitigated development before an extensive restoration effort by the National Park Service in the mid-20th century. Bay Road, as it was known in colonial times, remained a crucial transportation route in the years after the battle and was straightened in the early 1800’s, bypassing many of the road’s sharp bends. In the early 20th century, much of the straightened corridor became Route 2A, enabling interwar suburban development in the area, which accelerated in the post-war years with Route 128 completed in 1951. Hanscom Airfield was constructed just North of the trail at the start of World War II, and its major Cold War expansion, along with the formation of MIT Lincoln Labs, put further development pressure on the area to support the local workforce. In response, Congress established the Boston National Historic Sites Commission (BNHSC) in 1955, to develop preservation plans for key historical sites in the region. That same year, the Air Force announced plans to construct 670 military homes directly atop several historic sites including the Josiah Nelson House. The Commission managed to negotiate a compromise with the Air Force to downsize their planned development and cede eight acres of land for a National Historic Park.
The NPS took control of the parcel in 1959 and acquired surrounding properties to form today’s Minuteman National Historic Park. Beginning in the early 1960s, the NPS removed or demolished over 200 non-historic structures, eliminating modern suburban homes, garages, gas stations, and commercial businesses to recreate the colonial landscape. Many of the trail’s historic buildings had been privately owned and updated for centuries and were restored to their 18th era conditions using period techniques. The stone walls alongside the trail were reconstructed and tree growth cleared to complete the landscape that haunted the nightmares of British Regulars.
The legendary tale of Paul Revere’s midnight ride to Concord is a cornerstone of American folklore, though the full story is deeper than one man’s lone act of heroism. After previous British attempts to seize military supplies, like the incidents at Somerville’s Old Powder House (near the Alewife Brook and Mystic River Greenways) and Salem’s North Bridge (near the Marblehead Rail Trail), colonial militias moved their armaments inland to towns like Concord and established a communication system to warn of future British incursions. Acting on intelligence collected by patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren, Paul Revere first rode to Concord in broad daylight three days before battle to warn the town their stockpile was at risk. Warren knew the British were planning to march on Concord, just not when or along what route.
On the night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Warren learned the British were preparing to mobilize. An intelligence source informed him they would first march on Lexington to arrest Patriot leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams for treason, before continuing to Concord to seize military supplies. Warren dispatched two riders from Boston along different routes to ensure the crucial warning reached its destination. William Dawes was sent via the land route, across Boston Neck and through Roxbury, while Revere took the water route, rowing across the Charles River to Charlestown and continuing on horseback.
Revere reached Lexington around midnight, a half hour before Dawes, and spread his famous warning, “The Regulars are coming out!” Although frequently misquoted as “the British are coming,” this would have made little sense to colonists who mostly still saw themselves as British at this point. After warning Adams and Hancock, Revere and Dawes set out towards Concord along what is now Battle Road, joined by Concord local Dr. Samuel Prescott, who was in Lexington visiting his fiancée. Hancock initially refused to leave Lexington, insisting he stay and fight with the local militia until Adams managed to persuade him that his capture would be a devastating blow to the revolutionary cause, and the two fled around 4:30 AM just before the British arrived.
The Battle of Lexington
Revere’s warning gave Captain John Parker’s Lexington militia five hours to prepare for the approaching British forces. 130 men initially gathered at Buckman Tavern, though that number dwindled to 77 by the time the British arrived just before 5:00 AM. As his small force assembled on the town Common, Parker knew they couldn’t stop the 700 British Regulars led by Marine Major John Pitcairn. His goal instead was to stage a “silent protest” and demonstrate their resolve.
Parker ordered his troops: “Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” Major Pitcairn and his officers rode forward, shouting for the militia to "Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, and disperse!" Recognizing the overwhelming British numbers, Parker ordered his men to scatter, but amidst the confusion, a shot was fired. To this day, historians debate whether it was a militiaman, a British soldier or an onlooker, though it mattered little to those on the battlefield. Following the first mysterious shot, British light infantry, without receiving direct orders, unleashed a volley of musket fire and charged towards the militia with bayonets. This exchange killed eight Americans and wounded ten, while only one British soldier was wounded. British officers eventually managed to regain control of their troops and signaled them to regroup and continue their march to Concord.
The Battle of Concord
After a one-sided victory at Lexington, the British continued six miles to Concord, arriving around 7:30 AM. Thanks to Revere’s warning days earlier, most of the supplies had been relocated and the British found very little except wooden carriage wheels and tool handles which they piled in the street to burn. As the British searched, colonial militias from Concord, Acton and Bedford gathered on Punkatasset Hill, overlooking the town. Around 9:30 AM, the 400-500 militiamen led by Colonel James Barrett saw thick black smoke billowing from Concord and mistook the British burning wooden supplies for them torching the town. Adjutant Joseph Hosmer famously asked, "Will you let them burn the town down?"
Barrett ordered the men to march toward the North Bridge, where the British had stationed 90 soldiers. As the Americans approached, British troops opened fire, killing Captain Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. This led colonial Major John Buttrick of Concord to shout, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire," causing the British infantry to break ranks and retreat to the town center. From 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, there was a lull in the fighting, as the British prepared their retreat.
British Retreat along Battle Road
Realizing they were severely outnumbered by the thousands of amassing militiamen, British Colonel Francis Smith ordered an 18-mile retreat to Boston, beginning a day of bloody guerrilla warfare along Battle Road. As the British reached the Meriam family farm on the edge of Concord, they were met by hundreds of minutemen from Reading, Billerica and Chelmsford, who opened fire from behind the Meriam family’s barn and stone walls. This began the “Running Battle” that would see the British under near-constant fire for the next seven hours. About a mile past Meriam’s Corner, the British were ambushed by 1,500 minutemen at the s-curve known as Bloody Angle, sending the British forces into total disarray as officers lost control of their men.
As the British re-entered Lexington around 2:00 PM, they encountered Captain John Parker and the same men who had been fired upon in Lexington that morning. Parker had regrouped his men on a rocky hill overlooking the road and waited until the British were directly below them to unleash a devastating volley that became known as Parker’s Revenge. By the time the British reached Lexington, they were out of ammunition and on the verge of total surrender. They were only saved by 1,000 reinforcement troops led by Lord Percy, who used two cannons to clear the militia from the hillsides.
The final leg of the battle through the town of Menotomy (modern day Arlington) was the bloodiest of the day, with colonial forces swelling to nearly 4,000 men. As the open fields of Lincoln and Lexington gave way to the settled village, brutal door-to-door fighting ensued, with militiamen firing from buildings, and the British clearing homes with bayonets and arson. Intense fighting continued through North Cambridge and Somerville, until the British reached Charlestown neck and were within range of naval support from the HMS Somerset. Without the heavy artillery necessary to challenge the British Navy, militiamen halted here and dug in their positions. As the running battle ended, the Siege of Boston began, with an estimated 15,000 New Englanders surrounding the city. By the end of the fighting, there were 273 British casualties with 73 killed, and 93 American casualties with 49 killed.
History of the Trail: The De-modernization of Battle Road
While Battle Road today feels frozen in the 18th century, the area experienced 200-years of unmitigated development before an extensive restoration effort by the National Park Service in the mid-20th century. Bay Road, as it was known in colonial times, remained a crucial transportation route in the years after the battle and was straightened in the early 1800’s, bypassing many of the road’s sharp bends. In the early 20th century, much of the straightened corridor became Route 2A, enabling interwar suburban development in the area, which accelerated in the post-war years with Route 128 completed in 1951. Hanscom Airfield was constructed just North of the trail at the start of World War II, and its major Cold War expansion, along with the formation of MIT Lincoln Labs, put further development pressure on the area to support the local workforce. In response, Congress established the Boston National Historic Sites Commission (BNHSC) in 1955, to develop preservation plans for key historical sites in the region. That same year, the Air Force announced plans to construct 670 military homes directly atop several historic sites including the Josiah Nelson House. The Commission managed to negotiate a compromise with the Air Force to downsize their planned development and cede eight acres of land for a National Historic Park.
The NPS took control of the parcel in 1959 and acquired surrounding properties to form today’s Minuteman National Historic Park. Beginning in the early 1960s, the NPS removed or demolished over 200 non-historic structures, eliminating modern suburban homes, garages, gas stations, and commercial businesses to recreate the colonial landscape. Many of the trail’s historic buildings had been privately owned and updated for centuries and were restored to their 18th era conditions using period techniques. The stone walls alongside the trail were reconstructed and tree growth cleared to complete the landscape that haunted the nightmares of British Regulars.
Photo Credits
Near Hartwell Tavern, "Battle Road 2023" by Seasider53 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Along the Trail, "Battle Road P1090874" by NewtonCourt is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Captain William Smith House, "The Battle Road; Lexington, Mass" by Global Jet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Looking Towards Hartwell Tavern, "Battle-Road" by NSL1951 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fall Day on the Trail, "Battle Road Trail, Concord MA" by John Phelan is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Musket Demonstration at Hartwell's Tavern, "Musket demonstration at Hartwell Tavern, Lincoln MA" by John Phelan is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Old North Bridge in Concord, "Old North Bridge, Concord Massachusetts" by In Memoriam: PhillipC is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Along the Trail, "Battle Road P1090874" by NewtonCourt is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Captain William Smith House, "The Battle Road; Lexington, Mass" by Global Jet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Looking Towards Hartwell Tavern, "Battle-Road" by NSL1951 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fall Day on the Trail, "Battle Road Trail, Concord MA" by John Phelan is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Musket Demonstration at Hartwell's Tavern, "Musket demonstration at Hartwell Tavern, Lincoln MA" by John Phelan is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Old North Bridge in Concord, "Old North Bridge, Concord Massachusetts" by In Memoriam: PhillipC is licensed under CC BY 2.0.