The Ghosts of Chickamauga...

America’s battlefields are all quiet now and have been for well over a century or two, depending upon the war in which it took place. Most of the people visiting the parks and museums associated with these battlefields note feelings of reverence and serenity while exploring the grounds.

At least until the sun goes down...

Horseshoe Ridge at the Chickamauga battlefield by Hal Jespersen

During the Civil War, the bloodiest battles waged took place at Gettysburg, Antietam, Stones River, and Chickamauga. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that at the end of the siege, more than bullets and blood remained behind. We'll explore each of these battlefields in the days ahead.

First up...Chickamauga.

The battle at Chickamauga took the life of an ancestral Uncle of mine, and figures prominently in “Spiritof the Rebellion.” In 1863, from the early hours of September 19th through the 20th, the combined casualties totaled 37,129 men. At the end of this horrendous battle, countless bodies of Union soldiers, left lying in the field for weeks, were finally buried in makeshift graves. Various reports tell us they buried the dead in rows, head to foot and more often than not, several men shared a grave. Not a single marker would ever note their passing.

One hundred and fifty years has come and gone since that battle, yet to this day visitors report the sound of distant gunshots, footsteps, conversations one can’t quite make out and bushes that move of their own accord. It is not uncommon to hear mournful cries, fearful shouts, galloping horses when no horses are present, soldiers marching, and moaning...

Over the years, the visage of a ghostly woman in white, floating above the grounds has been witnessed by numerous people. Legend tells us that she searches for her beloved sweetheart, killed during the battle. Perhaps one day she’ll find him...

And then we have Ol’ Green Eyes. While some believe this specter is a Confederate soldier searching for his severed head, others believe he is an otherworldly creature, half-man and half-beast, from Native American legend. A legend that well precedes the Civil War. According to reports, he walks on two legs and has straggly, waist-length hair. His most notable feature is his glowing green eyes and huge jaws that sport two sharp fangs. There were survivors of the battle who reported seeing this creature wandering among the dead at the area known as Snodgrass Hill.

Finally, we have an unexplained event at  Wilder Tower...

John T. Wilder  Monument Hlj

At the time of Colonel John T. Wilder’s commission, the Union army could do nothing more than provide the troops with mules to ride and arm them with hatchets—a thing that rankled the colonel. In response, he called in every political favor that he could to get horses for his troops and then used his own money to purchase 2100 Spencer rifles at a cost of $13 each. Because of this gift, Wilder’s Lightning Brigade held off more than 14,000 Confederates during the retreat.

In 1899, the survivors of the mounted infantry erected the tower in Wilder’s memory. At the time of its construction, those in charge placed mementos of the war into the cornerstone of the structure and sealed them inside. They planned to remove the stone during the Bicentennial celebration scheduled in 1976. The event took place as planned. Yet, as they opened the stone, still intact and undisturbed, they discovered all the contents placed inside had mysteriously vanished...

So tell me, have you ever had an otherworldly experience at a battlefield? What would you do if you did?