Kate’s Notes: For more on John Gilleland’s double barreled cannon, visit the following sites:
http://www.batteryb.com/double-barreled_cannon.html (with photo of the cannon)
http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Athen's_Double_Barrel_Cannon
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-barreled_cannon

From the Kansas City Journal
Thursday, December 29, 1898

MOST CURIOUS OF CANNON
______________

Unique Double-Barreled Affair Owned
in Athens, Ga., Meant to Throw
a Terrible Missile

From the Athens (Ga.) Banner
    The old double barreled cannon of the Mitchell Thunderbolts is now owned by the city and is on the city hall lot. Captain Barnett has been instructed to have the cannon mounted at the head of the park on College avenue, near the Confederate monument. There is a history of unique interest that goes along with this old cannon. In the first place, it is the only double barreled cannon in the world. In the next place, it was invented with a peculiar idea in the mind of the inventor. It belonged to the Mitchell Thunderbolts, a company of old men organized here in 1863 purely for home defense. One of the company, Mr. John Gilleland, invented this cannon, and had it cast at the Athens foundry.
   The idea of Mr. Gilleland was one of considerable ingenuity. A fifty foot chain, with the ends attached to two cannon balls, was the charge, and the idea of the inventor was that when the cannon balls came out of the muzzle of the cannon they would have a tendency to diverge, draw the chain taut, and mow down an entire company.  The company took the cannon out into the country near Athens one day to test it. It was properly charged and was touched off with great ceremony. One of the balls got a little ahead of the other, and then the mischief was to pay. It had a kind of circular motion, and plowed up about a quarter of an acre of ground, the members of the company in the meantime scattering in all directions to keep from being hit by the flying chain.
   The old cannon was never used after that except at an occasional democratic jubilee, when charges of powder would be fired. About five years ago the old cannon disappeared, and not until a few days ago did our people know where it was. Last week it turned up in a junk shop, but it was promptly purchased by the city. Mr. Neumyer, who owned the cannon, had been offered $50 for it, but when he learned that it was a rare old relic and our people wanted to keep it he promptly turned down the offer and swapped it to the city for an old bell. This act of Mr. Neumyer is one worthy of the highest commendation. This rare old relic will be of much interest to the visiting soldiers now here.

-- transcription by Kate Maynard, 2010