Haunted Civil War Sites

More Americans died in the Civil War than in any other conflict, and almost all of them were killed on American soil. Almost since the days of the war itself, stories have circulated of strange, unexplained phenomenon surrounding the areas where conflict occurred.

Many people believe that the "spirit" is the true essence of the person and the body is just the vessel it lives in for a relatively short time. Why then, isn't it possible for these spirits to manifest themselves using sight, sound, or touch? What happens when a person dies? Is this life all there is, or a preparation for the next phase of existance?

For some reason, spirits seem to linger around places of great emotional turmoil. If an individual dies a violent death, will he remain behind? Or can the presence of these spirits be explained by ripples in time?

Many people believe that these Civil War sites are haunted as well as hallowed. Many of the towns where battles took place offer "Ghost Tours." The tours are legitimate in that they tell the history of the site and recall experiences by other people. It is unknown however, if anyone on any of these tours has actually seen a real apparition. The building on the right is the George George house, where General Reynolds was carried and later died. His ghost has been spotted there by several different groups of people.

Many reenactors have also reported hearing mysterious shots, smelling smoke, or seeing spirits. Some have suggested that the psychic energy released from reenacting these tragic events has either allowed the spirits to manifest themselves or that the reenactors frame of mind contributes to them seeing these things.

There are many photographs of "spirit activity" in existance. The majority of these consist of foggy images or glowing orbs. The legitimacy of many of these photographs have been challenged as there are those who would create a hoax for profit, but many of the pictures remain unexplained.

In fact, on his last trip to Antietam, while photographing Burnside Bridge for this project, one of Mr. H.'s pictures clearly shows a glowing orb. Is this a restless spirit or a water drop on the lens? We will leave it to you to decide.

There are many interesting books, videos and websites on this subject to help you explore further. If you do get to Gettysburg, we encourage you to have fun on one of the many Ghost Walk Tours. Enjoy!