Luck be a lady

“Miss Annie Lee” endured a lot of indignity on her road to respect.

She’s been hit by lightning. Locked up in an armory. She's even been kidnapped, only to be found on the side of a road.

“Annie Lee” is a bronze 3” rifled cannon, tended by the MacBeth Light Artillery of Williamston, S.C., which earlier this year won the rights from the city to operate it.

The 22-member unit was at the 145th Battle of Atlanta anniversary earlier this month in Lovejoy, Ga., and fired the gun for visiting schoolchildren.

Although there is no record of action for the bronze gun, says Brig. Gen. Kenneth Bachand of Hendersonville, it was known to have been cast in Rome, Ga.

A beautiful new carriage holds the refurbished field piece, which is named for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s daughter, Anne, who died in 1862 during the war.

Bachand says a working bronze gun is rare at re-enactments.

MacBeth Light Artillery has fired the cannon at several events this year.

“It’s had more work this year that it’s ever had,” said Bachand.