Ghosts of Antietam - Sharpsburg, Maryland

The small town of Sharpsburg, Maryland lies in the narrow strip of the state between Virginia and Pennsylvania.  Just east of the town winds a small stream known as Antietam Creek bordered by farms. This patch of farmland would forever change when the Confederate and Union Armies clashed one September day in 1862. The Battle of Antietam became known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War with over twenty three thousand men dead or wounded in a single day and many those souls, still linger.

The Sunken Road or 'Bloody Lane' as it would later be known as at Antietam Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland

The Battle

The battle began in a cornfield north of Sharpsburg, where hundreds of men were cut down after the tall corn did them no good as cover as it was mowed down along with them.

The fighting then moved southeast just to the east of town. A sunken road which divided the Piper farm from the Roulette farm served as natural earthworks for the Confederate soldiers, so they dug in. They held this ground fiercely for hours. They were confronted at one point by the Irish Brigade, screaming their Irish battle cry as they charged the sunken road.  Over half of the Irish were cut down by the confederates. Eventually the Union soldiers gained a position where they could get a clear line of sight down into the road and then the slaughter of the Rebel soldiers began. It is believed at the end, the sunken road was piled five deep with dead Confederate soldiers. It was hence known as "Bloody Lane".

The 'Bloody Lane' at Antietam Battlefield as it is seen today.

By afternoon, the battle had moved south east of Sharpsburg as Confederate soldiers attempted to hold the town when Union forces led by General Burnside in defense of Washington, D.C., made an effort to cross Antietam Creek and confront the Rebel forces. This crossing became known as Burnside Bridge as onslaught after onslaught of Federal soldiers poured across and finally overwhelmed the defending Confederate troops. Commanding General Robert E. Lee withdrew his forces across the Potomac River the following day, retreating into Virginia.

Antietam Battlefield map showing troop movements on the day of the battle.

Nine months after the Battle of Antietam, the Confederates were on the move north again on their way to what would soon turn out to be another of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. On their northward march, they passed through the grizzly battlefield of Antietam.  Bones of their fallen comrades still lay in the fields on the open ground.

The Hauntings

Today all around the Antietam Battlefield National Park, there are upside down canon barrels that mark the location of where Generals leading the battle fell to their death.  Some people claim to have seen wispy clouds of mist floating around these markers, believed to be the spirits of the fallen Generals.

The Pry House, located in the midst of the battlefield, served as Union General McClellan's headquarters during the battle. A wounded General, Israel Richardson, was taken there were he was nursed by his wife. He remained there for months after the battle until he eventually passed away.  The house is now a field hospital museum. Many who have been in the house have seen a woman dressed in a Civil War era dress.  She has also been spotted standing in the window of the room where her husband died. Some claim to have heard footsteps in the house and it is believed to be the spirit of Fannie Richardson, still watching over her husband.

The Pry House served as General McClellan's headquarters during the Battle of Antietam and is thought to be haunted by the wife of a General that died there.

The Grove Farm served as a makeshift hospital for Confederate Soldiers. Wounded soldiers unable to walk, were left here after the retreat. The floors of the house were covered in blood. To this day, the blood stains remain despite many efforts to remove them.

Burnside Bridge, where the final charge by Union forces brought the battle to an end, was the hasty burial place for many solders who met their demise there. Civil war reinactors who have spent much time at the bridge, have seen blue balls of light and have heard beating drums near this location on many occasions.

Burnside Bridge at Antietam Battlefield is thought to be haunted by the sounds of dead soldiers buried near the bridge.  Photo credit: Antietam National Battlefield Memorial - Burnside's Bridge 06" by myself (User:Piotrus) - Own work (taken by myself). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

And then there is The Sunken Road. This is probably the most haunted location of the Antietam Battlefield. Some visitors to the site claim to hear the sounds of battle still taking place including gun fire, canon shot and battle cries. The most chilling tale is that of a group of school children who visited the site. Later in class, they recanted that their favorite part was hearing the battle at The Sunken Road and hearing a song much like "Deck the Halls" being sung. It has been noted that the battle cry of the Irish Brigade "clearing the way” in Gaelic is "Faugh-a-Balaugh!"  


Location:
Antietam National Battlefield
5831 Dunker Church Road
Sharpsburg, MD 21782

39.47000    -77.74000



Plan a visit:  http://www.nps.gov/anti/planyourvisit/index.htm



 

View the Index of Haunted Places

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antietam_National_Battlefield
http://www.nps.gov/anti/
http://www.militaryghosts.com/antietam.html
http://www.prairieghosts.com/antietam.html

Dancing Irishmen of Duffy's Cut - Malvern, PA

In August 1832, fifty-seven Irishmen were working on a difficult stretch of railroad near Philadelphia which became known as Duffy's Cut. It was laborious work, cutting a railway right of way through dense wooded hills and valleys. A tragic event would ensue and some say that the ghosts of the Irishmen haunt the area where they met an untimely end.

The modern day "Duffy's Cut".  A portion of the rail line near Philadelphia, PA passing through Malvern where 57 Irish rail workers died suddenly in 1832.

Philip Duffy was hired to dig out a stretch of the Philadelphia to Columbia railroad just west of Philadelphia known as mile 59. This became known as Duffy's Cut. It was rough terrain and he hired a band of Irishmen to layout the mile long piece of road bed.  The roadbed was eventually completed, but at a terrible price.  One day all 57 men were found to be dead or dying.  Some believe that a possible cholera outbreak may have killed the men.  Given the terrible nature of the disease, it is thought that some may have even been buried alive or some murdered in an attempt to stay the outbreak. The only person to have tended to the men was the company blacksmith assisted by some local nuns.  He did what he could for the men, and then hastily buried them in a ditch along the rail line, without a marker, ceremony, or given religious rights. 

For years, many believe this was a mass grave containing Irish railroad workers who died suddenly. Recently it was discovered that some were buried in a fill on the railway which in now the SEPTA Philadelphia Main Line.  Photo credit: public commons on wikipedia.org

Stories over the years reveal that many have seen what looked like men dressed in 19th century clothing dancing around in the wooded area next to the rail line where it is thought they were buried.  Others have seen strange glowing lights floating near the area. Stories date back to shortly after the men were buried. Reports of "glowing men" dancing in the woods spread about the area. There was talk among the local folks of the ghostly green and blue Irishmen literally dancing on their graves.

A SEPTA commuter train passes through Duffy's Cut on the Philadelphia Main Line. This ravine is where 57 Irish railway workers were hastily buried in a mass grave in 1832 after being wiped out by a cholera epidemic.

After an archeological dig in recent years, evidence suggests that some of the men may definitely have been murdered to stop the outbreak. Skeletons of the men showed signs of blunt force trauma to the head.

Looking south upon the hillside, a SEPTA train passes through a  section of "Duffy's Cut" along the Philadelphia Main Line.

A historical marker at the location of King Street and Sugartown Road in Malvern, PA indicates the general location of where this tragedy took place. A stone monument dedicated to the fifty-seven men still stands on the spot marking the area where some these men lost their lives and were buried. Others remain unfound in their unmarked graves. Some of the remains found were relocated to a cemetery and given a proper burial. May they rest in peace.

Abraham Lincoln's Ghost - The White House - Washington, D. C.

President Abraham Lincoln was such as charismatic person and was influential to many.  Many Southerners liked him as well because he wanted to be lenient towards them in post war reparations to help rebuild the Nation. Upon his death the whole Nation came to a halt and mourned his loss.  He was a very spiritual man and attended séances on a regular basis. Lincoln actually had a premonition that he would die shortly before it happened. It seems that his ties with the spirit world were great indeed as many have seen him wandering about The White House even to this day.

The spirit of former U. S. President Abraham Lincoln is said to haunt various rooms throughout The White House including the Oval Office and the Lincoln Bedroom.

In the 1920s, Grace Coolidge, the wife of President Calvin Coolidge was the very first person that ever reported seeing the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.  She claimed that she was in the Oval Office and saw him standing at the window looking outward towards the Potomac.  This would be the first of many sightings.

During the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s and early 40s, Eleanor Roosevelt used Lincoln's old bedroom as a study.  She stated that while working in the Lincoln Bedroom, she would get feelings as if Lincoln himself was actually present in the room. During the 1940s, Roosevelt would frequently, host Winston Churchill during his visits to the United States.  Churchill claimed that as he was emerging from his bath one evening, he saw the figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting by his fireplace.  It was also during this time period that the most notorious sightings of Lincoln would occur.  Many who slept in the Lincoln Bedroom claimed to hear knocking sounds on the door during their stay in the bedroom, including Harry S. Truman.  However, on a particular visit by Wilhelmina, the Queen of The Netherlands, she too heard a knocking on the door.  When she opened it, there stood Abraham Lincoln dressed in his trademark frock coat and top hat.  She collapsed to the floor in a heap.  She recovered later as she had only fainted, recounting her experience to those who assisted her.

In the 1980s, Lincoln was seen sitting in a chair near a stairway on several occasions.  Maureen Reagan, daughter of President Ronald Reagan, witnessed the ghost of Lincoln along with her husband as well.

There are times when the Lincoln Bedroom is unoccupied, that staff members working on the first floor can hear the footsteps of someone pacing in that room. When they investigate and open the door, the room is totally empty!  Folks have seen a shadowy figure of Lincoln lying in his bed and on occasion sitting on the edge of the bed as if getting dressed.



It is even thought that at one point, an the ghost of Abraham Lincoln was captured in a photograph that was taken of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.  When developed, the faint image of Abraham appeared over her shoulder and he had his hands on her shoulders.

A photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln thought to have the ghostly image of her dead husband, Abraham Lincoln standing in the background with his hands on her shoulders.

Considered one of the greatest Presidents of the United States, Abraham Lincoln's loss came too early and suddenly for many to let go. To borrow the words of Lincoln himself:

"...we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

Perhaps Lincoln sensed this in his spirit life and wants everyone to know... that he is still around.

View the Index of Haunted Places

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_Ghost

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/killing-lincoln/articles/the-story-of-lincolns-ghost/