There are times in life where practical thinking erodes and a sense of adventure captivates you, risks are taken as common sense dissipates and dreams are pursued. This was the case for a young boy right here in Concord back in the year 1860. He chased a dream, again and again until his days simply ran out.
As 1860 arrived in Concord, our ancestors were faced with many changes. Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States as some states started to secede from the Union. There was turmoil and the drums of war were heard as each state prepared for its journey to the field of battle. Jefferson Davis was elected provisional president of the Confederacy solidifying the coming years of sadness for our great nation. Recruiters walked the streets of Concord and regiments were formed in the coming months, fathers, brothers and sons enlisted and trained for the coming war as the woman of Concord supported the troops with meals, medical care, clothing and much love.
Any diversion from the pending war that could be found was embraced and held to a high standard. It was at this time, during the summer of 1860, that the circus came to town. It was common for traveling circuses to visit during the warmer months prior to returning to the southern states to winter over in warmer climates. There were many exotic animals, shows and oddities sure to impress both the young and old. The circus people were a different breed, life on the road offered travel and adventure while providing a living. Hot meals and long days were interrupted by traveling hour upon hour to the next town where the circus tents would once again be placed.
With much sadness and doom shadowing Concord the bright and colorful circus arrived and the people gladly traded their coins for entertainment, that chance to not think about the approaching war. Parents gathered their children and gazed upon animals that were never seen before, especially in Concord. The children enjoyed treats unknown and befriended the people that worked in the circus. Tales of great adventures were told as more and more young children became mesmerized. Certainly, the life of the circus was one of the most adventurous opportunities ever, who would not want to join the circus?
As we know, all good things must end. The circus that arrived in Concord during the summer of 1860 disappeared overnight. Our ancestors were simply met by the trampled ground and remaining litter gently blowing in the breeze. A sign that summer was nearing the end and the cold months were approaching, certainly the warm memories of the summer circus would sustain them over the long cold winter.
As the days passed and the circus was far away there was a family in Concord growing very concerned. They were a prominent family, frugal and practical. They had allowed their young son to visit the circus each and every day. He was just captivated by the feats the young men performed while riding the horses and dreamed of joining the carnival himself one day. Yes, he dreamed that night that he too would someday ride a horse before large crowds of people as they applauded his many talents in the saddle. A little boy with a dream is a wonderful thing, for it is imagination that allows us to grow and mature within safe bounds.
The day after the circus pulled up stakes and left Concord this little boy simply vanished. As the first evening passed without their son, they became very alarmed. The sheriff was contacted and a search was conducted by neighbors and friends. Was the child simply lost or had he been abducted? Did the boy run away or was he injured and unable to find his way simply home? Authorities interviewed his friends and spoke at length with his family. The general conclusion being that he ran away to join the circus.
With our nation engaged in war the story of the missing boy eventually faded away. His parents and siblings wept and mourned the loss of their young son. A great sadness continued as young men left Concord destined for the hallowed fields of honor. As the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months the little boy’s memory became lost to time. Years passed without additional news and the family thought the boy had sadly perished.
It was years later when the young boy’s brother was traveling about the country and he visited Mississippi. There was a circus in town so he decided to visit along with some of his friends. Under the circus tent, there was a show ongoing with stunts upon horseback, the brother was both fascinated and melancholy for it brought back sad memories of his long-lost brother as they attended the circus in Concord back in 1860.
The brother was actually quite captivated and watched the show for an extended period of time as memories flooded back. It was with tears in his eyes that he recognized his long-lost brother, the young boy that had disappeared from Concord years before. His brother was now a grown teenager and very skilled with his horse. As the sky darkened and the event concluded the young man entered the tent and confronted his long-lost brother, questioning him again and again only to learn that his brother ran away to join the circus and he continued to embrace life on the road. It was with great compassion that the brothers spoke about their family in Concord and the loss of the young boy so sadly mourned by the family. He begged his brother to accompany him back to Concord to be reunited with their parents and siblings. With heavy heart, the teen agreed and the two departed en route to Concord for a very tearful reunion.
As the family rebuilt their lives in Concord and applauded their son’s return home there was talk about the future. The little boy that had run away to join the circus in 1860 was accepted to Dartmouth College to pursue his education and a promising career. Indeed, a very happy ending to a very sad story, but the story does not conclude quite yet.
The circus came to town once again, this time visiting Hanover. This wayward young man once again attended the events with a concentration on the many talented men riding upon their horses. The young college student attended each of the events with his Dartmouth College friends and shared his stories about his young days with the circus. The students were certainly impressed with the many stories as they retired for the night in their various dormitory rooms. The final night for the circus had just concluded and the many students once again focused on their own education and promising careers.
As the students attended classes the very next morning there was an empty seat at the front of the classroom. Their good friend was strangely absent from class, after attending the last night at the Hanover circus the boys thought he had returned to his room. The faculty was advised a student was missing, searches were conducted and all were concerned. The student had simply disappeared with a trace, a very mysterious event.
You see, the circus had come to town once again. The young man still held a deep nostalgia for the life of the road and his very fond early memories of entertaining the crowds while upon his horse had resurfaced. The circus pulled stakes, packed tents, and loaded their horse-drawn wagons as they prepared to venture to the next town. Seated high up on the bench seat next to the ringmaster was a new face. The young Dartmouth College student had once again run off with the circus. They say he entertained the crowds from coast to coast with summers in the north and winters in the south. Sadly, they say he died one winter, when the circus came to town, upon his horse named Destiny.