From the Hinesville, Ga., Gazette.

In front of the south portico of the court house is now a big cannon which has a history of more than ordinary interest. Tradition says that it was brought over from England during the colonial days and first placed on the wharf at Old Sunbury, when that town was laid out to be a rival of Savannah, where no doubt it was used to fire signals and herald the approach of vessels into the harbor. Perhaps, it was also used to keep the Indians who occasionally raided the parish of St. John's in awe. When the tyranny of the British began to awaken a feeling of resistance, the people of St. John's parish were the first to give open utterance to the desire to free themselves from the yoke of oppression, a fort was erected at Sunbury. The old cannon was mounted on this fort, and it was behind this gun that the brave McIntosh sent his laconic reply “Come and take it,” when summoned by the British officer to surrender the fort.

After the war, when the colony became the state of Georgia, and St. John's parish had been changed to Liberty county, the old fort went to decay. But in the war of 1812 it was rehabitated and more guns were added, as it was feared tht the British would effect a landing at Sunbury.

After peace was declared Sunbury sunk into obscurity and the old fort was allowed to crumble away, and this old cannon sunk into the earth and was covered with grass and weeds.

Some time in the thirties, before the court house was located at Hinesville, Hon. Charlton Hines, who was then the representative of Liberty county in the legislature had the old gun hauled up from Sunbury to Zouck's field about half a mile from the village. That old field was then a muster ground, and the old gun was used to celebrate fourth of Julys and party triumphs.

On one occasion in '37 or '38, there was an immense gathering to discuss the issues of the day between the whigs and democrats. The late Judge William B. Fleming was the whig champion and Judge Wayne, who afterwards became a United States district judge was the orator of the democrats. They were both of them men of giant intellect, and both sides claimed the victory. The meeting however, adjourned for dinner, which was the old fashioned barbecue. While dinner was going on, Naaman Dreggors was in charge of the firing of the cannon. He had as his assistant a negro named Joe, a valued servant of Mr. Charlton Hines. After several rounds had been fired, and the gun was warm, a charge was being rammed in exploded prematurely, Joe was blown over a tree and killed, and Dreggors had his thumb mangled, and his whiskers hair and eyebrows were completely burned away.

For some time after, it was not used, as it was regarded as a deodant, but it was convenient to the village and it was again brought into service when any important event took place. The last time it was used was to celebrate Tilden's election.

Last Thursday the citizens, old and young, turned out en masse and hauled it up in triumph and placed it before the main entrance of the court house, where the curious can take a look at this old relic, antedating the guns given by Washington to the Chatham Artillery of Savannah, and perhaps any other cannon in Georgia.

Source: The Atlanta Constitution, April 14, 1889, Page 2

Submitted by Bob Franks