The cannon forged in Rome’s own Noble foundry was a bright ballistic rebel salute when fired this past Thursday, May 17th, signaling summer has started mid-May in northwest Georgia.
People from all over the area came to the visitor center parking lot to witness a Civil War era cannon fire three times by local history enthusiasts and reenactors. A confederate reenactment group from South Carolina conducted the military ceremony surrounding the loading and discharging of the weapon in front of an eager audience. The crowd accepted the loud blast and tactile stimulation accompanying it with an awe that would be replaced as panic driven anxiety in war torn Rome of 1863.
This is because the Civil War history that surrounds the area forms the staging area for General Sherman’s march to the sea; making Georgia howl even has rumors of starting in my neighborhood in the historic downtown district of Rome, between Broad Street and John Maddox Drive. Whether this fact is actually substantiated or not, it is generally accepted that General Sherman’s difficulty campaigning through northwest Georgia and subsequent stay in Rome spawned the decision to brutally pillage the state 150 years ago.
The destruction of Rome halted the Noble foundry’s war production of quality cannons for the Confederate cause. Good thing someone kept a cannon for the future. Its firing is still inspiring people’s passion of the region and is worthy of experiencing when it visits the area again.
About the Author
Our Georgia's Rome tourism team works hard to curate content to help you discover and explore our beautiful town! We want to ensure our content is up-to-date and accurate; so please let us know if we ever overlook an important detail! This post was originally written by Kristi Kent and is updated by staff.
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