Gettysburg Ghosts: An Introduction

Looking for ghosts in and around the Pennsylvania battlefield of Gettysburg is like looking for water at Niagara Falls. Locations such as Little Round Top and Devil’s Den have enough spirits to warrant articles of their own, and the town seems to have more ghosts than people. Therefore, this article will present a brief overview, and other stories will follow in time.

The Battle of Gettysburg took place between July 1 and 3, 1863. During this harrowing engagement around 51,000 men had their lives taken as Maj. Gen. George Meade’s Army of the Potomac clashed with Robert E. Lee’s Confederates. Lee began his retreat on July 4, after loosing many men to the failed operation known as Pickett’s Charge. A group of Confederates had formed a solid line and marched across an open field, straight at the Union Army. Not many made it across.

The men who had formed that solid line had their eyes set upon a stone wall known as The Angle. The few that made it managed to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Union soldiers sheltered behind that wall. Visitors have heard the sounds of ghostly artillery and other battle sounds in the area. One night a park ranger was patrolling this area in a car. He noticed a man on horseback. The ranger drove closer, hoping to identify this possible trespasser. The man was wearing a Civil War officer’s uniform, but it was impossible to tell what the color was. The horseman seemed to approach the car, but then vanished within ten feet of it.

All types of media seem to malfunction in the Triangular Field. Many shutterbugs, from amateur photographers to cameramen employed with professional television studios have had problems. Even more alarming, visitors have seen the shades of Confederate snipers aiming at them from up in the trees.

Another haven for rebel sharpshooters was Devils Den. The area is rocky and barren. Heavy fighting took place here on July 2, 1863. This is an area where visitors often feel uneasy, and spirits have appeared to and spoken with visitors.

One young man visiting the battlefield reported being immersed in what could be considered a brief trip back into time. He was standing on the edge of a field when suddenly he was overcome by feelings of extreme despair. Soon, he was seeing injured and dying soldiers everywhere. Many were mutilated and crying out in agony. The images vanished as quickly as they had come.

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