By Christine M. Quirk — [email protected]
Lowell S. “Sandy” Smith can date his family’s connections to the Concord Independent Battery to the late 19th century, when it was called the Concord Artillery.
“The Smith family has had a long association with the Battery, for sure,” he said.
Smith’s grandfather, Theodore L. Smith, and great-uncle, B. Farnham Smith, are listed in a souvenir history published by the organization in 1894.
“By 1905, my grandfather was serving as commander,” Smith said.
With such a history, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Smith himself would join, which he did while still in high school. Though he can’t remember the specific date, he noted that both he and his father, Stephen L. Smith, appeared in the active roster in April 1972.
“My daughter, Samantha G.S. Smith, and my son, Thomas R.S. Smith [“Trip”], began participating with the Battery in 2004 when they were 16 and 14, respectively,” he said.
While Samantha Smith is an associate member, Trip Smith is an active participant. He and his father were on a gun crew together for the first time last year, which the elder Smith called “a real thrill.”
Town traditions
Smith believes the Battery supports patriotism and community values and said it carries on “the traditions of Concord.”
The Battery participates in parades, memorials, and other town events, such as the Merriam Corner exercises. Smith said it also celebrates the lives of those members who have passed on.
“We salute them on Memorial Day,” he said.
“It has been a great privilege to participate in the town’s patriotic celebrations as a member of the Battery, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather, and it’s wonderful to see my son involved now representing a fourth generation,” he said.
Clearly, his grandfather felt the same, writing in 1948: “Ever since I can remember the parading and firing of the battery, the clatter of hoofs, the clanking of chains, the rumble of wheels, the fluttering of the guidon, the bugle calls, the ever-faithful Lanyardman, the courageous Rammer, and the scampering Powdermonkey, have been for me the most important and thrilling part of Concord celebrations.”
And after 220 years, the celebrations continue.
