The old cannon which stands on the grounds of the Knox County Courthouse has a special story of its own.

 

The United States captured sixty-seven cannons at Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War in 1898. When it became known the cannons would be distributed across the United States, the members of Post 45, Grand Army of the Republic, decided to acquire one. They wrote to their congressman, George W. Prince, a resident of Galesburg, and used their influence with the governor, Joseph Tanner. He was also a veteran of the Civil War.

 

On August 3, 1899, letters from Congressman Prince and Governor Tanner were read at the Post meeting indicating Galesburg would receive one of the five cannon allotted to Illinois.

 

The cannon was shipped to Galesburg almost a year before the dedication. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad stored it in the freight house without charge until the site had been prepared.

 

The City of Galesburg provided a site for the cannon in Central Park. The citizens of the city contributed money for the pedestal on which to display the gun. It depicted an ornate granite gun carriage in the style of the eighteenth century. It was carved by E.S. Regnier. The original block of granite weighed nine thousand pounds. The finished piece weighed five thousand pounds.

 

The bronze cannon was cast sometime between 1748 and 1755 during the reign of the French king Louis XIV. It was named “l'Effronte” which means insolence. The king's coat of arms appears on the rear of the cannon. Latin inscriptions appear on the top of the muzzle, one of which reads “Ultima Ratio Regum.”  The motto, in English, is “The Last Argument of Kings.” Two loops shaped like dolphins  are attached to the top of the barrel. They were used for raising or lowering the gun to achieve the proper range during firing.

 

The cannon may have been captured by the Spanish from the French during the Peninsular War (1807-1814). Several arms of the same type were transferred to Cuba when Spain took possession of the island. They were used for ceremonial occasions as their technology was out-dated..

 

On February 12, 1901, a parade formed on Main Street. It was composed of a platoon of policemen, the Post 45 Drum Corps, members of Battery B, Illinois National Guard and veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Civil War. The men formed a hollow square around the monument which was draped with a large American flag.

 

R.E. Ervin, Commander of Post 45, presented the cannon to the city and Mayor Fletcher Carney accepted the gift. Members of the Henry Lawton Corps of Spanish-American War veterans unveiled the monument.

 

The procession then marched to the Courthouse. A program was conducted in the Circuit Court room. Clark E. Carr gave an oration about Abraham Lincoln and the Battle of Gettyburg. The Galesburg High School Male Quartette sang several patriotic songs.

 

In addition to honoring the Spanish-American War veterans, the day's program was meant to honor the ninety-second anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Approximately one thousand men, women and children were present to witness the unveiling.

 

A re-dedication ceremony was held September 7, 1923. The monument had been moved to the north lawn of the Knox County Courthouse. Central Park and the street around it was being reconstructed to accommodate new streetcar lines.