Now this is cool.

That's The Lathe, which sits next to Samford Hall. You've seen it in a few pictures in the Glomerata series before.

The cannon lathe was used by the Confederate army during the War Between the States. En route to Columbus, Ga. from Selma, Ala. it was buried near modern Birmingham to keep it out of Union hands.

After the war it was pressed into service in Birmingham until 1936 when it was donated to the University as a nod to Auburn's service as a military hospital during the war.

Here President Draughon, on the left, is putting in the marker that we all read each time we stop by this unique piece of history.

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