Event Planned
Historic Monroe will hold a celebration to mark the return of the Civil War cannons at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 12, at the Green County Courthouse.
MONROE - They are guns that once sounded the call to battle, guns whose sound once meant impending death to thousands.
They are also the guns that symbolized Green County's contribution to freedom during the Civil War. They rested quietly on the Courthouse Square.
On June 12 the Civil War cannons, also known as ordnance rifles, will once again be on public display.
Last year the guns were removed from the Square so that new carriages could be made. Since the Civil War monument was dedicated in 1913, the cannons rested on cement slabs.
About two years ago, Historic Monroe secretary Jean Tullett said, Nate Roth, a member of the organization, expressed concern that water could seep between the concrete and the cannons and cause damage. Tullett said group members decided to do something to prevent the cannons from rusting.
Last summer the guns were removed and were taken out of town to be sandblasted and cleaned. Carriages were ordered from Paulson Brothers Ordnance Corporation in Clear Lake.
Roth said the new carriages are perfect companions to the cannons.
Roth knows quite a lot about history, Monroe, and the contributions of young men who fought in Battery D during the Civil War. He's even written a book about them.
The men in Battery D enlisted early in the war and fought until the end. Along the way they marched with Gen. William T. Sherman through Georgia in the final year of the war.
Roth said the cannons were likely made at the Phoenix Iron Works plant in Phoenixville, Penn., sometime during the war.
He and Tullett have not found any information on how the cannons got to Monroe.
Roth said the cannons were unusual because the metal was wrapped around a core, making them less likely to explode. The barrel also made them more destructive on targets.
The carriages, which cost about $24,000, were paid for by Historic Monroe with donations and through fundraisers.
They are also the guns that symbolized Green County's contribution to freedom during the Civil War. They rested quietly on the Courthouse Square.
On June 12 the Civil War cannons, also known as ordnance rifles, will once again be on public display.
Last year the guns were removed from the Square so that new carriages could be made. Since the Civil War monument was dedicated in 1913, the cannons rested on cement slabs.
About two years ago, Historic Monroe secretary Jean Tullett said, Nate Roth, a member of the organization, expressed concern that water could seep between the concrete and the cannons and cause damage. Tullett said group members decided to do something to prevent the cannons from rusting.
Last summer the guns were removed and were taken out of town to be sandblasted and cleaned. Carriages were ordered from Paulson Brothers Ordnance Corporation in Clear Lake.
Roth said the new carriages are perfect companions to the cannons.
Roth knows quite a lot about history, Monroe, and the contributions of young men who fought in Battery D during the Civil War. He's even written a book about them.
The men in Battery D enlisted early in the war and fought until the end. Along the way they marched with Gen. William T. Sherman through Georgia in the final year of the war.
Roth said the cannons were likely made at the Phoenix Iron Works plant in Phoenixville, Penn., sometime during the war.
He and Tullett have not found any information on how the cannons got to Monroe.
Roth said the cannons were unusual because the metal was wrapped around a core, making them less likely to explode. The barrel also made them more destructive on targets.
The carriages, which cost about $24,000, were paid for by Historic Monroe with donations and through fundraisers.