I happened upon what I thought was a period recreation. In fact it was very much in the present. An early morning gathering of men in uniform and two canons in superior condition. They were kind enough to share with me that their gathering was not to act out a prior moment in history but to pay tribute to a member of the Battery who has just passed. It is part of their tradition, along with participation in Patriot’s Day and other celebrations, that they honor those who have stood shoulder to shoulder with them in keeping history alive.

This is one of the strange juxtapositions of Concord, one can be driving a 21st century vehicle comforted by a temperature controlled climate or surround sound music and be witness to “live” 19th century tradition at the same moment.

The Battery has been continuously active since 1804. It presently has approximately 50 members, who are the stewards of Concord’s proud military history. The canons, they tell me, are replicas. The idea of replicas brought me immediately to present day or at least the 20th century. However, they enlightened me to the fact that the originals date from the Revolutionary period, when they were active in combat. The replicas are relatively new by comparison, dating just shy of 100 years later, to the mid-19th century.