As long as there have been young men, there has been rivalry. Perhaps cordial rivalry for the hand of a young woman, a schoolboy game or just the pure desire to win. It was the latter back in 1817 when young men from the north end and south end embarked in a battle that continued for ages.
Though there had not been a skirmish in Concord with British troops during the War of 1812 – most of the wartime engagements were west – we did have some encounters here in New Hampshire on the coast in Rye Harbor. There were two British Man-O-Wars that sailed from southern waters along the coast of New England until they appeared off the coast of New Hampshire. It was at Rye Harbor that the two ships set anchor and launched a sloop with soldiers towards the rocky shores of Rye. The ships had been observed actually since leaving Marblehead, Mass., where they had a brief encounter with the U.S.S. Constitution. Word spread quickly that the British were sailing up the coast and men as far away as Concord rode to the coast to assist in case of military action.
As the British soldiers entered Rye Harbor in their small crafts, they encountered the men of the Granite State, firing with muskets upon the invaders from behind stone walls. After a number of volleys from the muskets, the British turned their sloop back towards the two Man-O-Wars and made a hasty retreat. The Battle of Rye Harbor had ended and our ancestors celebrated yet another victory.
At the conclusion of the War of 1812, we find patriotism very high across America as well as our little town of Concord. Flags would wave, songs were sung and America was beautiful. When the war ended, our ancestors celebrated another victory over the British.
There were two small cannons left in Concord after the war. As the remnants of war were examined, a quick decision was made to form two companies of men, one from the north and the other from the southern portions of the city. The south-enders were under the command of David George’s son and the north-enders were under the command of Col. William Kent. The lines were drawn and the rivalry began promptly.
After the young men were organized, it was decided that there should be a sham fight or a mock battle between the north and the south. Both young Mr. George and Col. Kent discussed the parameters of the mock battle that would take place on the lawn of the new courthouse on the corner of Main and Court streets. It was with great anticipation that the crowds gathered to witness the very first encounter among the boys.
The crowd cheered as both the north and south boys gathered in their companies and engages in a full-scale sham battle, each side protecting the sanctity of their small cannons. In fact, the sham battle was turning quite aggressively as the young men protected their cannons with fist fights and clubs. As the battle continued, a young man was found to be loading one of the cannons with a charge and wick, lacking a cannonball he simply shoveled gravel and stone into the end of the cannon to defend his company. At that point, the good citizens, quite taken back by this rivalry summoned the Concord Police Department to engage and put an end to the mock battle, for the damage could possibly have been quite extensive if the young man had simply lit the wick on his gravel laden cannon.
The young men were now sworn enemies and the rivalry continued for years. It was shortly after this first encounter that the boys from the South End found their small cannon missing. After a search for the gun, it was determined that it was lost and would not be recovered. This launched a quest that continued for years to come, the north and the south sought possession of the single remaining cannon on a regular basis and the shenanigans continued in Concord.
With the north in possession of the only remaining cannon, a plan was developed by the southern men to capture and possess this battle trophy. It was in 1818, that the south-enders encountered the north-enders and took the cannon. It was a hard conflict but the boys from the north fought briskly and ended up recapturing the cannon. It was well known about the town that this prized possession must be hidden and protected at all cost and every effort was made by the young men.
In 1819, there was a cannon demonstration on the courthouse lawn where the boys from the north proudly displayed their skills in loading and firing the relic. During a lull in the cannon demonstration, the south-end boys found the cannon was not guarded and quickly took it into their possession once again. In a moment of panic, they sought refuge with their newly possessed cannon, hiding it in Major Chandlers Jewelry Shop.
As the days passed and the mystery deepened, word started to spread about town that the cannon was hidden in the jewelry shop. It was decided that the boys from the north would wait well into the darkest hour of the night and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
With clubs and prybars, the young men approached Major Chandlers jewelry shop by candlelight. Creeping ever so slowly towards the entry door they developed concerns about the plan to break in and acquire the cannon. After discussion, sleepiness prevailed and the boys returned to the comfort of their warm beds, but not quite before Major Chandler observed them from behind his pane of glass. The good Major decided that this was enough and he did not want to be the target of a coveted effort while defending this small cannon. He simply opened his shop door when the street was empty and pushed the cannon out, ending his concerns.
With the sun rising in the east the next morning word was spread quickly that the cannon was in front of the jewelry shop and unprotected at the moment.
The south-enders were appalled at this and immediately formed their company to retrieve and secure the cannon. With the fear of an attack from the boys from the north, it was decided that they must not travel far for fear of detection.
As the young men pushed the cannon down the street in the early morning, they sought refuge. It was decided to hide the cannon in the attic of the Phenix Stable on Main Street, secure it with chains and a padlock to the beam and bring in a dog to dissuade trespassers.
This simple plan, brilliant in the eyes of the youths, worked well for a month until the north-enders managed to bribe the guard dog late one eve with a delicious treat. They gathered and broke the padlock as the little dog with his appetite satisfied slept in the corner. A strong rope was secured and the small cannon lowered to the ground and placed in hiding.
It is said that this relic of the War of 1812 was never fired again. The young men grew up and embarked on their careers, started families and relished the memory of this small cannon that they so gallantly defended, stole and hid in the early years of the nineteenth century.
It is well documented that Charles West, a young north-ender during the rivalry, had the cannon in his possession and he moved it about Concord to keep the location a secret. In 1826, West decided to move along in search of greener pastures, but his young stubbornness endured and he could simply not disclose the whereabouts of the cannon. The day came when he was ready to board the coach and depart Concord forever. With a heavy heart, he rose on the morning of his last day and contacted one of his friends from childhood that was a member of the northern company. They planned once again to dispose of the cannon so that the south-enders would never capture it again.
West and his companion wheeled the cannon down to Horseshoe Pond and sank it.
Almost 200 years later, the cannon still may rest at the bottom of the pond. Many young boys have come and gone here in Concord, they have experienced rivalry and grown to fine young men, but certainly, the rivals of the boys from that lawn of the courthouse in 1817 will never be matched.