A routine investigation of a stolen vehicle led to the discovery of a Civil War era cannon near Atlanta, Georgia. Upon entering the garage of the suspect’s home the investigators made a unique discovery:
Old bronze greeted them. It shone green in the light. The deputies looked more closely: It was a Civil War cannon barrel, battered with use, adorned with an eagle.
In finding the box, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office likely solved one mystery, but created another.
Namely, whose cannon is it?
State officials say the gun belongs to Georgia. Atlanta representatives say it belongs in the city. Wait, say federal officials; the cannon could be the property of the U.S. Army. And then there’s Arkansas, where the weapon once helped train cadets in the art of war.
In the past few weeks, representatives of each government has telephoned the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, asking after this aged piece of bronze worth as much as a suburban starter home. Each spoke to a 26-year-old lawman who, until recently, didn’t give the Civil War much thought.
“I was never a history enthusiast in school,” said Spalding sheriff’s investigator Josh Pitts. “But I’ve learned a lot in the last month.”
