Civil War Ghost experiences

[RustyRelics]

Let me start by saying this: I do not believe in spooks, ghosts, apparitions and the like. I need to see it for myself in order to believe it.


My dad was telling me about two ghostly experiences. One of which baffles him to this day.


When he and my mom visited Gettysburg before I was born, they decided to visit Devils Den. They were at the park really early, at 5:30. They were walking toward the boulders as the sun began to come up. It was late July.

All of a sudden, a misty fog rolled in, and it began to get cold. They really didn't think anything of it. Then, just as the sun crested a distant hill, my dad heard drums. He thought he was imagining it, but my mom said she heard it too. They walked toward the the sound of the drums. Gradually they began to get louder, and my dad recognized it as the call to battle. When they got within 100 feet of where they heard the drums, the noise faded away, and the fog disappeared too. They drove around for hours looking for the mystery drummer, but without any luck.

On an even earlier occasion, my dad had a friend who lived near the heaviest fought over place on the wilderness battlefield. He got permission to detect there, but because of his job, he always went just before dark, and quit at around ten. A Yankee trench ran through the backyard, and he spent hours digging shot rebel bullets. Then, he dug up one bullet in the trench, and when he did, he felt immediately afraid to look up. He didn't know why. Then, a cold wisp of air touched his face, even though it was still about 75 degree's. After that experience, he never detected there again. I think he was crazy. With that much bullets, I would be in there come hell, ghosts or high water...


I asked him if he believes in ghosts. He said "not one bit. There are rational explanations for those occurrences, but I am not the one to explain them." I think that just about summed it up.

 

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[Rebel - KGC]

Gettysburg, PA is the MOST haunted town/battlefield that one can find; PERSONAL experiences as a Re-enactor, CSA Comp. I, 10th Va. Cavalry (Stonewall Jackson's Foot Cavalry of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia) in 1973. We were camping on PRIVATE land next to the big battlefield when LATE at night, we heard the sound of battle; muskets fire, cannons roar, men screaming, smell of gun-powder (like rotten eggs); our boys responded for battle, blaming the dang Yanks/Bummers. Rules of engagements was NO night Fights/Battles; boys came back to camp... saw NOTHING! MUST have been the GHOSTIES, that we WERE warned about. Even in Gettysburg, PA (town) had "sightings" along the old RR tracks; encounters with "confused" soldiers looking around at "modern contraptions" like cars/trucks heh. NOT like my old horse, you know... AND! I AM open to spirits/ghosts, etc... I grew up in a haunted house; it was my deceased older sister watching over me...

 

[RustyRelics]

I know that out of the many thousands of encounters, and sightings, somebody has to be right! That is an incredible story. I have heard a story about a rebel reenactor during the '90s was walking up to Little Roundtop before the battle that was going to take place at another site. As he was walking up, another rebel was walking down. He was dirty, his clothes were torn, and he had powder all over his face. The reb dug into his ammunition pouch and handed the reenactor a cartridge. "Here's good luck for ya. Give em' hell. They won't budge off that hill." With that, the rebel walked away. The puzzled reenactor looked at the cartridge. It was a perfect lead minie ball, wrapped in paper, with beeswax lube, and twine. It was a perfect repro of what the soldiers would have used. It entered the mind of the reenactor that live rounds are not allowed at reenactments. He turned around to talk to the strange southerner, but he was gone. he vanished into thin air.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

YEP! Like THAT!

 

[devldog]

I know that out of the many thousands of encounters, and sightings, somebody has to be right! That is an incredible story. I have heard a story about a rebel reenactor during the '90s was walking up to Little Roundtop before the battle that was going to take place at another site. As he was walking up, another rebel was walking down. He was dirty, his clothes were torn, and he had powder all over his face. The reb dug into his ammunition pouch and handed the reenactor a cartridge. "Here's good luck for ya. Give em' hell. They won't budge off that hill." With that, the rebel walked away. The puzzled reenactor looked at the cartridge. It was a perfect lead minie ball, wrapped in paper, with beeswax lube, and twine. It was a perfect repro of what the soldiers would have used. It entered the mind of the reenactor that live rounds are not allowed at reenactments. He turned around to talk to the strange southerner, but he was gone. he vanished into thin air.

I heard this same account. If you enjoy reading of these accounts, look at the small book collection of " The Ghosts of Gettysburg". The account that you gave was one of which is told in one of these books. These accounts of apparitions and ghostly encounters at Gettysburg are told by park rangers, visitors, and dignitaries visiting the park from other countries. A lot of these sightings are of the the same exact account being witnessed at the same location time and time again. Good reading. My brother and I visited Gettysburg back in 2012. While I did not see anything, while walking over certain parts of the battlefield, such as Devils Den, the Wheat Field, Culps Hill, etc. I would suddenly almost become overcome with emotion and sadness accompanied by a chill. It is hard to explain but it was real. I personally do believe that Gettysburg is still inhabited by the spirits of young soldiers who died suddenly and violently and was not able to fulfill their lives. So Tragic.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

YEP! EMOTIONALLY-charged death & destruction "atmosphere"... ALL battlefields are like that.

 

[RustyRelics]

I visited Gettysburg once, when I was 11. I felt the same thing when I stood next to a cannon beside Pickett's Charge. I was 11, at the time, and I did't know why that happened, nor did I care.


My most recent "experience" was at DIV. I was sitting on the hill where I dug most of my relics, when I could hear the intro for the Gettysburg movie. It was in my mind, but it was very vivid. I just sat there, staring at the opposing ridge: where batteries of Union artillery fired deadly case shot at the rebels positioned where I was sitting. I sat there and imagined puffs of smoke in the distance, than hearing the shriek of a shell coming in and exploding over the heads of the confederates. I could hear musket and carbine fire, as the Yankees fired across the river. I imagined a young rebel getting hit by the fire, and the others retreating to better cover. I looked at the artillery frag I had just dug, and the case shot had still in the hole, and realized that these pieces of lead, and iron had a purpose. These were built, cast, and produced to end someones life. These were meant to bring death, agony, and suffering; to maim, to kill and to disable. just one simple minie ball could splinter a young soldiers bone on the moment of impact, ripping through flesh as if it were nothing but rice paper. An artillery frag, could take entire limbs off, or even heads. So much blood was spilled by these weapons, and folks don't appreciate them.

I noticed a few guys telling their buddies that they "were tired of digging fired three ringers". Those three ringers caused so much damage, pain, suffering, death and agony to those hit by them, and when somebody finds them, they are nothing but a piece of lead to them?

This was all in my head, but as I stared out at the hill in the distance, and imagined those scenes of death, panic, fear...I started to choke up. When I dug my next signal, and it was a fired three ringer, I couldn't help, but shed a single tear.

To me, metal detecting is so much more than taking collecting into your own hands. It's more than the value, or the rarity. It's more than that. Just think of the soldiers, next time you go detecting. Think about how they felt during that time.

And most of all, be thankful.

 

[devldog]

YEP! EMOTIONALLY-charged death & destruction "atmosphere"... ALL battlefields are like that.

Well said. All battlefields were horrible, from the largest pitched battles to the smallest.

 

[devldog]

I visited Gettysburg once, when I was 11. I felt the same thing when I stood next to a cannon beside Pickett's Charge. I was 11, at the time, and I did't know why that happened, nor did I care.


My most recent "experience" was at DIV. I was sitting on the hill where I dug most of my relics, when I could hear the intro for the Gettysburg movie. It was in my mind, but it was very vivid. I just sat there, staring at the opposing ridge: where batteries of Union artillery fired deadly case shot at the rebels positioned where I was sitting. I sat there and imagined puffs of smoke in the distance, than hearing the shriek of a shell coming in and exploding over the heads of the confederates. I could hear musket and carbine fire, as the Yankees fired across the river. I imagined a young rebel getting hit by the fire, and the others retreating to better cover. I looked at the artillery frag I had just dug, and the case shot had still in the hole, and realized that these pieces of lead, and iron had a purpose. These were built, cast, and produced to end someones life. These were meant to bring death, agony, and suffering; to maim, to kill and to disable. just one simple minie ball could splinter a young soldiers bone on the moment of impact, ripping through flesh as if it were nothing but rice paper. An artillery frag, could take entire limbs off, or even heads. So much blood was spilled by these weapons, and folks don't appreciate them.

I noticed a few guys telling their buddies that they "were tired of digging fired three ringers". Those three ringers caused so much damage, pain, suffering, death and agony to those hit by them, and when somebody finds them, they are nothing but a piece of lead to them?

This was all in my head, but as I stared out at the hill in the distance, and imagined those scenes of death, panic, fear...I started to choke up. When I dug my next signal, and it was a fired three ringer, I couldn't help, but shed a single tear.

To me, metal detecting is so much more than taking collecting into your own hands. It's more than the value, or the rarity. It's more than that. Just think of the soldiers, next time you go detecting. Think about how they felt during that time.

And most of all, be thankful.

This was well put Rusty. I have always felt that if I'm in an area where relics are being found that I'm standing on Hallowed Ground where men were struggling, fighting, and dying for the cause in which they believed whether that cause was for Preserving the Union, or States Rights. Sacred Ground indeed.

 

[HIGHSTRUNG]

I visited Gettysburg once, when I was 11. I felt the same thing when I stood next to a cannon beside Pickett's Charge. I was 11, at the time, and I did't know why that happened, nor did I care.


My most recent "experience" was at DIV. I was sitting on the hill where I dug most of my relics, when I could hear the intro for the Gettysburg movie. It was in my mind, but it was very vivid. I just sat there, staring at the opposing ridge: where batteries of Union artillery fired deadly case shot at the rebels positioned where I was sitting. I sat there and imagined puffs of smoke in the distance, than hearing the shriek of a shell coming in and exploding over the heads of the confederates. I could hear musket and carbine fire, as the Yankees fired across the river. I imagined a young rebel getting hit by the fire, and the others retreating to better cover. I looked at the artillery frag I had just dug, and the case shot had still in the hole, and realized that these pieces of lead, and iron had a purpose. These were built, cast, and produced to end someones life. These were meant to bring death, agony, and suffering; to maim, to kill and to disable. just one simple minie ball could splinter a young soldiers bone on the moment of impact, ripping through flesh as if it were nothing but rice paper. An artillery frag, could take entire limbs off, or even heads. So much blood was spilled by these weapons, and folks don't appreciate them.

I noticed a few guys telling their buddies that they "were tired of digging fired three ringers". Those three ringers caused so much damage, pain, suffering, death and agony to those hit by them, and when somebody finds them, they are nothing but a piece of lead to them?

This was all in my head, but as I stared out at the hill in the distance, and imagined those scenes of death, panic, fear...I started to choke up. When I dug my next signal, and it was a fired three ringer, I couldn't help, but shed a single tear.

To me, metal detecting is so much more than taking collecting into your own hands. It's more than the value, or the rarity. It's more than that. Just think of the soldiers, next time you go detecting. Think about how they felt during that time.

And most of all, be thankful.

My great great great grandfather died on the second day of the battle. Just about brought tears to my eyes reading your response. 15th SC Infantry.

 

[devldog]

God Bless your Grandfather and the 15th S.C. Infantry.