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The Cannonball

Address: 40 Public Square Corner of West Dixie, Elizabethtown, KY 42701

Phone: 12707652175

About

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In 1862, Elizabethtown’s only Civil War battle occurred between Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and the occupying Union army. Morgan’s goal was to capture Elizabethtown, but more importantly, to damage the Louisville & Nashville Railroad that was an essential supply line for the North running through the heart of Elizabethtown. Morgan’s artillery battery fired on downtown Elizabethtown from the top of Cemetery Hill. Confederate troops entered the town and took over occupancy. During the battle, a cannonball became lodged in the Depp building, where it remained until a fire destroyed the block in 1887. The cannonball was recovered and placed in the possession of Annie Nourse, who recounted the story in 1932. Years later, the cannonball was placed back in the building where it was once located, as near to the original spot as possible. Visit our downtown square to see the infamous cannonball. An arrow was added to mark the location of one of Elizabethtown’s most interesting historical sites.

Map

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