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    Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield
    Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield
    Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield
    Ebook127 pages1 hour

    Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield

    By Mark Nesbitt

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    "Ghosts of Gettysburg" is the first volume in Mark Nesbitt's popular book series. A combination of history and mystery, this volume focuses on the early ghost-lore of Gettysburg. Included are the timeless stories of the woman in white, the surgeons of Old Dorm, the ghosts of Devil's Den, the Blue Boy, and other infamous spectres who wander the Gettysburg battlefield.
    This volume in the "Ghosts of Gettysburg" book series was first released in October 1991. Mr. Nesbitt started collecting ghost stories from Gettysburg in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, he worked as a Park Ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park and was assigned to live in some of the historic houses on the Park. His collection of ghost stories grew.
    As long as visitors to the Gettysburg area continue to share their “ghostly” experiences, Mr. Nesbitt will continue to add to his "Ghosts of Gettysburg" book series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSecond Chance Publications
    Release dateApr 3, 2012
    ISBN9780984906338
    Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield
    Author

    Mark Nesbitt

    Mark Nesbitt is Honorary Associate Professor at UCL Institute of Archaeology, Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway and Senior Research Leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His research concerns human-plant interactions as revealed through museum collections. His research addresses the histories of empire, medicine and botany and their relevance today.

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    • 4/5
      Very well written and provides excellent history in to the events that occurred in Gettysburg.

    Book preview

    Ghosts of Gettysburg - Mark Nesbitt

    Ghosts of Gettysburg

    Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places on the Battlefield

    by

    Mark Nesbitt

    Published by Second Chance Publications at Smashwords

    Copyright 2012 Mark V. Nesbitt

    Smashwords Edition, License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    Discover other titles by Mark V. Nesbitt at Smashwords.com

    This book is available in print at most online retailers.

    Photos by Mark and Carol Nesbitt unless otherwise credited.

    Original cover design by Ryan C. Stouch

    ***************

    To Ellen

    Who haunts me sometimes still…

    ***************

    Southeast, down by Littlestown and Taneytown, Union foot soldiers, still plodding along, pressed through dusk into moonlight and the cool, scented sorcery of a summer night. And somewhere a rumor, an eerie fact, began circulating among the soldiers, pushed on by no more than a wish for a hopeful sign: The ghost of George Washington had been seen riding a white horse leading the columns—the Other World was going to help them.

    Jack McLaughlin, Gettysburg: The Long Encampment

    One day, for example, when he [Major General Joshua Chamberlain] was a very old man someone asked him if there was any truth to the report that George Washington had been seen riding around on a white horse on that morning in 1863 when they were approaching the field of Gettysburg. The old warrior did not reply for a long while, then said, Yes, that report was circulated through our lines…Doubtless it was a superstition, but yet, who among us can say that such a thing was impossible?

    John J. Pullen, The 20th Maine

    ***************

    Table of Contents

    Chapter 1 - Acknowledgements

    Chapter 2 - Introduction

    Chapter 3 - The Homecoming

    Chapter 4 - The Devil’s Den

    Chapter 5 - Iverson’s Pits

    Chapter 6 - From Farmhouses to Charnel Houses

    Chapter 7 - The Play’s the Thing…

    Chapter 8 - Forever a Soldier

    Chapter 9 - Seeking a Childhood

    Chapter 10 - The Cavalryman Finally Rests

    Chapter 11 - An Authentic Re-enactment

    Chapter 12 - Sojourners All

    Chapter 13 - The Tireless Surgeons of Old Dorm

    Chapter 14 - Black Sunset

    Chapter 15 - The Inn at Cashtown

    Chapter 16 - Gettysburg is Re-occupied by the Enemy

    Chapter 17 - The Sartorial Spirit of Stevens Hall and the Blue Boy

    Chapter 18 - Endnotes

    Chapter 19 - About the Author

    ***************

    Chapter 1: Acknowledgements

    As any reader can see, I have been witness to only a few of these stories. This is true of nearly all writers of any historical work as well as most of the events portrayed in works of fiction. Which is to say that all writers use a lot of help from others.

    Living in Gettysburg, where almost everyone is interested in the great battle fought here, it is difficult to go anywhere without running into at least a couple of professional historians, and more than a few very knowledgeable amateurs. Discussions of the history of the area are frequent, and so it is hard, after collecting ghost stories for over twenty years, to remember and acknowledge everyone. To those people with whom I’ve spoken over the years, who’ve offered encouragement along with their personal tales of the battlefield, and who are not mentioned in this book, my sincere apologies.

    There are others, however, who contributed directly to this publication, and without whom these stories would have never come to light. I take this time to thank them all.

    When I first became interested in seriously studying the battle and visited Gettysburg as a teenager, the first person I was told to talk to was Colonel Sheads. His credentials were vast, and the enthusiasm with which his name was spoken by other students of Gettysburg was evident. Imagine my surprise when I came to be employed by the National Park Service at being able to work alongside The Colonel.

    So when it came time to write a book about a part of the folklore of Gettysburg, the first person I called was Colonel Sheads.

    Jacob M. Sheads, whose love for and knowledge of Gettysburg literally influenced generations of historians, students, and visitors, is as much a part of Gettysburg as the monuments, the landmarks, the field itself. We transients only write about Gettysburg; Colonel Sheads is Gettysburg. With great appreciation and admiration, and on behalf of all the students of Gettysburg ever touched by him, I thank the Colonel.

    When it came to researching the ghost stories of Gettysburg, the second person I called was Rebecca Lyons. Becky and I have been friends as long as I have lived in Gettysburg, and have shared spirit-tales from our first year here. She added considerably to the contents of this work with fresh and fascinating insights.

    Dr. Charles Emmons of Gettysburg College, who has written a scholarly study on Chinese ghosts and paranormal experiences, was most generous with his knowledge, virtually opening his files of local ghost lore to me.

    My friends in the library of Gettysburg National Military Park, Kathy Georg-Harrison, Robert Prosperi, and Karen Finley, all helped by making the enormous files of unpublished materials accessible to me. Their work, especially in the face of an often non-historically-minded bureaucracy, is remarkable and appreciated greatly.

    Emile O. Schmidt, Professor of English and Theater and Director of Theater Arts at Gettysburg College, took time out of his busy days to speak with me about Brua Hall. Mark Lewis, who shared his stories about the theater, introduced me to Carole Herman and Kym Miller, whose willingness to tell their stories of unusual sightings in Brua Hall and superstitions of the stage added several new stories to this work.

    Charles Bud Buckley and his wife Carolyn were most gracious in sharing their very personal tales of apparitions at the Cashtown Inn.

    Linda Marshall, of Gettysburg College, supplied the photograph of the apparition in Pennsylvania Hall. Barbara Klemmer, also of the administration at the College, helped gather information on sources.

    My longtime friends Joan Bossmann, Bob Lanane, Art Wasserman, and Darryl Jones all contributed, and while I don’t have the opportunity to speak with some of them all that often anymore, they are remembered with gratitude. I wish also to acknowledge the late Sam Kessel, fellow park ranger in the early days, who shared his stories of unexplainable sightings while on night patrol of the park, and first piqued my interest in the ghost folklore of the battlefield.

    Ellen Abrahamson, while working with me as a research assistant on another book, led me to several other sources for stories, including Fiona Crawley, who gave me the tales of Stevens Hall.

    William A. Frassanito, Greg Coco, and Dr. Walter Powell helped in supplying historical tid-bits about the town and its structures. Thanks go to them; they are professionals, one and all.

    ***************

    Chapter 2: Introduction

    …We died at such a place;

    some swearing; some crying for a surgeon;

    some upon their wives left poor behind them;

    some upon the debts they owe;

    some upon their children rawly left.

    I am afeared there are few die well that die in battle….

    —William Shakespeare, King Henry V, Act IV. Scene i

    Years ago, when I first worked as a park ranger at Gettysburg, I asked one of my supervisors, Ron Wilson—now Chief Historian at Appomattox—if he knew of any ghost stories concerning the Gettysburg Battlefield.

    Ron just laughed and said, There are enough true stories about this battlefield that will scare the pants off of you. We don’t need any ghost stories.

    And he was right—to some extent. Documented stories of the Battle of Gettysburg are horrific, and they will scare you, because we’re talking about real men and boys who once lived

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