The American Civil War was the deadliest war in American history. Between the years of 1861 to 1865, it is estimated that 620,000 soldiers lost their lives. It’s no surprise that so much death and destruction from that time period has resulted in a lot of creepy ghost stories.
Here are some that will spook you out of camping pretty much anywhere on the east coast.
1.) Devil’s Den at the battlefield of Gettysburg is infamous for an apparition of a barefoot man. The ghost appears dressed in the garb of a Texan militia unit who fought in the battle. Witnesses who have seen him claim he tells them, “What you’re looking for is over there.” He then will point towards Plum Run and then vanish.
2.) A house on Potomac Street in Harper’s Ferry is haunted by a boy spy sent by Union troops. When the Confederates caught wind of the plan, they found the boy and chased him into a house where their generals were meeting. There, they killed him. The local ghost tour says that this house rarely has an owner who stays very long.
3.) One of the bloodiest battles of the war occurred at Chickamauga Battlefield. Now, it’s home to one of the creepiest and most renowned ghost stories from that era. A spirit named “Green Eyes” haunts the woods. Some say he is a former soldier looking his decapitated head, others say he is a creature half-man, half-beast with glowing green eyes and sharp fangs.
4.) Near the battlefield of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), there have been numerous reports of ghostly soldiers being seen. Not only that, but passers by have heard the sounds of drums and gunfire.
5.) The Nation Soldier’s Orphanage was built to house children who were left without someone to care for them after the war. Its caretaker, Mrs. Carmichael, was a figure that evokes the Miss Hannigan character from Annie… only much worse. She would beat the children, force them to do excessive and tiring work, and even allegedly had a 5×8′ dungeon where she would shackle the children. She was eventually charged for child abuse for a whopping $20.00. There are still reports of hearing screams of and seeing children within the premises.
6.) There have been numerous sightings of Abraham Lincoln’s ghost around the White House. Oddly enough, most of them have been from America’s first ladies.
If you know any Civil War buffs give this a share on Facebook! It’s hard to say whether or not the reports of ghosts are completely factual… but it’s hard not to be a little creeped out by the thought.
