To celebrate the new Courthouse in 1883, Col. W.L. Curry, Curry Cadets, led the Union County Chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic in obtaining two battle-used cannons to commemorate the service of county citizens in the Civil War. Each cannon was rifled and fired a shell rather than a ball. In 1898 the cannons were remounted and named “Dewey” and “Sampson” in honor of the two U.S. admirals who were victorious in the Spanish American War. In 2008 the cannons were again remounted and continued to stand guard over the courts, reminding visitors of Union County's military history.