Top Ten Most Haunted
Places in GettysBurg:
Mark Nesbitt ’s Top Ten Haunted
Places to visit in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
list:
1. Devil’s
Den
Devil's Den is the nickname for a
terrain feature south of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, that was the site of
fierce fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
during the American Civil War.
Devil's Den is a rocky expanse of
shrubs and scrub trees, the southernmost
part of Houck's Ridge, directly west
of Little Round Top across the Plum
Run Valley (also known to the soldiers
as the "Valley of Death").
The central feature of Devil's Den
is an outcropping of massive boulders.
This igneous rock, similar in appearance
to granite, is an outcropping of diabase
sill, known to geologists as "Gettysburg
Sill", that is about a mile (1,600
m) wide, 1,800 feet (550 m) thick,
and runs for almost 40 miles (64 km),
directly through the Gettysburg Battlefield.
It was formed over 180 million years
ago under and within the beds of sandstone
and shale that covered the area and
over time was forced upward between
existing strata. Where the sheet has
been exposed to the seasonal freezing
of water in the crevices and cracks,
it has broken into smaller pieces
that have been weathered over the
years into separate boulders.
The origin of the name "Devil's
Den" is uncertain. All documented
references to it are post-battle,
although historian John B. Bachelder
claimed in his 1873 travel book, Gettysburg:
What to See and How to See It, that
"it was a name given to the locality
before the battle." Stories by
local resident Emanuel Bushman, first
documented in 1884, claim that a "monster
snake" resided there. An account
by Salome Myers Stewart in 1913 referred
to a snake named "The Devil",
which was never caught and thus became
legendary. Some accounts by soldiers
after the battle began using the name
"Devil's Cave" or "Devil's
Den" because of the appearance
of the area. The boulders, tumbled
together loosely, form numerous natural
caves—the "den" of
the name. On the upper horizontal
surface of one of the uppermost boulders
is a depression used as a cistern.
When viewed from higher ground, the
depression resembles a gigantic horned
bat in flight—the "devil"
of the name. The natural caves and
galleries among the boulders provided
cover for sharpshooters from both
sides throughout the battle. By the
late 19th century, the name "Devil's
Den" became universal.
2. The Triangular
Field
Located between the Devi's Den and
Little Round Top, this unique landmark
lies at the southern end of a forested
ridge that separates Plum Run Valley
from the Wheatfield. The fight to
take Devils Den began here, in the
Triangular Field, around 4 pm on July
2, the second day of battle at Gettysburg.
The Confederate 15th Georgia and
the 1st Texas Infantry launched a
series of offensive attacks toward
the 4th New York Battery perched on
Devils Den, finally forcing the trapped
Union men to attempt a retreat or
face death head on. The fighting was
intense and at close range.
Many ghostly encounters, Sightings,
Ghost Photos and Ghoat Video have
been reported from the Triangular
Field and recording or electronic
devices frequently malfunction there.
3. Spanglers Spring
Spanglers Spring, a spring that soldiers
of both armies used to take water
during the conflict for Culp's Hill.
Stories tell of the wounded of both
sides taking water from the spring,
and the water running red with their
blood. The natural spring has been
replaced with this stone and marble
enclosure.
Night of July 2, 1863 "It seams
Captain Selfridge of Company H, had
taken some of his men's canteens and
gone on ahead to Spangler's Spring
to fill them, when he discovered "Johnnies"
also there filling their canteens.
He backed out with the best grace
he could command, and reported it
to the Colonel ...A skirmish line...found
the enemy as started and saved many
lives.
Captain Joseph Morchett, 10th PA
Volunteers
The Gettysburg National Military
Park also hosts living history encampments
and programs each weekend, often at
multiple locations throughout the
Park. Usual locations for the encampments
include the Cyclorama Center lawn,
the Pennsylvania Memorial, Spangler’s
Spring, and Pitzer Wood. Many EVP's
happen at this point, and encounters.
4. Iverson’s
Pits
A lone solitary marker indicates
where long trenches were dug for the
bodies of Iverson's Brigade. Erected
by the 88th PA of the 1st Corps, it
states they "Charged to this
point, capturing 2 battle flags and
a number of prisoners" The prisoners
were few -- rifled muskets are deadly
accurate at 80 yards -- that any survived
uninjured was a miracle. General Iverson,
in command of a North Carolina brigade,
sent his troops too hastily into to
the fight. Without skirmishers (scouts),
his men marched directly into a Union
ambush. Most of the entire brigade
died instantly when the first volley
of lead hit them by surprise. They
died falling in neat rows, and were
later buried in mass, in long trenches
dug beside them.
Seven years later, when Southern
families had raised enough money to
get their boys exhumed and returned
to North Carolina soil, most folks
had forgotten where the bodies were
located. The story ends with the fact
that there are still Rebel troops
buried in Yankee soil….
Iverson's Pits is the source of the
first stories of strange activity
to be reported after the battle. It
is a regular stop for many seeking
to find real ghosts, as despite its
reputation, it does not draw the crowds
the way Devils Den and Spanglers Spring
do.
Strangely, it is in the small stretch
of woods -- running along where the
low stone wall once concealed the
Federal Troops who lie in wait that
bloody afternoon. Many EVP's are captured
here as or Ghost Photos and strange
encounters.
5. Pennsylvania Hall – Gettysburg
College
Gettysburg College is a private national
four-year liberal arts college founded
in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
adjacent to the famous battlefield.
Its athletic teams are nicknamed the
Bullets. Gettysburg College has about
2,600 students, with roughly equal
numbers of men and women. Gettysburg
students come from 40 states and 35
countries. Gettysburg College was
founded in 1832 as a sister institution
for the Lutheran Theological Seminary.
Both owe their inception to Thaddeus
Stevens, a Radical Republican and
abolitionist from Gettysburg. The
college's original name was Pennsylvania
College, and was founded by Samuel
Simon Schmucker.
In June 1863, southern Pennsylvania
was invaded by Confederate forces
during the Gettysburg Campaign. Many
local militia forces sprung up around
the area between Chambersburg and
Philadelphia to face the oncoming
foe.
Among these units was Gettysburg's
26th Pennsylvania Emergency Militia
Regiment (PEMR). Comprising mostly
students from the College and Seminary,
the 26th PEMR was mustered into service
on June 22, 1863. Four days later,
the students would fight just to the
north of town, skirmishing with troops
of Confederate division commander
Jubal A. Early. Neither side sustained
heavy casualties, although around
one hundred of the militiamen were
taken captive.
During the Battle of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania Hall, or Old Dorm, was
used as both a signal corps station
and field hospital. Penn Hall is an
interesting anomaly in the battle.
Due to the geographic position it
held, it was used by both Confederate
and Union troops during the battle
for signal work and surgery.
Partly due to the role the college
played during the Battle of Gettysburg,
numerous legends about haunted buildings
exist. One building, Pennsylvania
Hall, was on an episode of Unsolved
Mysteries and is featured on the Ghosts
of Gettysburg tour for this reason.
Other buildings also have been featured
in documentaries shown on The History
Channel and other outlets.
The college is the home of The Gettysburg
Review, a highly respected literary
magazine.
By Congressional decree, a Civil
War era flag (for the year 1863) flies
above Pennsylvania Hall (Old Dorm)
at Gettysburg College. This building,
occupied by both sides at various
points of the Battle of Gettysburg,
served as a lookout and battlefield
hospital.
6. Brua Hall – Gettysburg College
Brua Hall was the former chapel.
The college is located on a 200 acrecampus
adjacent to the Gettysburg National
Military Park. Gettysburg. Gettysburg
College changed its name from Pennsylvania
College to Gettysburg College following
the Battle of Gettysburg. This was
done to capitalize on the town of
Gettysburg's new-found national celebrity.
* One of the most famous of these
spurious "ghost stories"
is that of "Blue Boy". This
is supposedly the ghost of a young
boy who froze to death on a window
ledge.
* Among the other tales is that
of "The General," a Civil
War era officer who appears on Kline
Stage in Brua Hall (the former chapel).
7. Ghosts of Gettysburg
Headquarters, 271 Baltimore St.
On
September 24, 1849 Andrew Woods, a
carriage trimmer and dealer, and his
wife Sarah purchased the property
and continued to own it through the
maelstrom outside their door known
to history as the Battle of Gettysburg.
The next increase in tax assessment
does not appear until 1888 and corresponds
to the construction of the section
that faces Baltimore Street. So to
visualize the structure as it appeared
during the battle, one must stand
on Breckenridge Street and erase in
their mind the windowless eastern
gabled section to the right.
According
to Christ’s report, in July
of 1863, the house became part of
the Confederate battlelines which
stretched through the town. “The
second story of the house afforded
sharpshooters a vantage point from
which to harass Federal troops in
the vicinity of the Rupp Tannery and
along the Emmitsburg Road towards
the Dobbin House.” So, picture
rifled-muskets emerging from the windows
on the balcony roaring with fire and
smoke, then being withdrawn to be
reloaded. In fact, to the right of
the middle door, there is a chip in
the brick, made by a minie ball from
the Federal troops near the cemetery.
Corinne,
a manager at the Ghosts of Gettysburg
Candlelight Walking Tours® was
alone in the house one night. She
was between tours and the phone had
finally stopped ringing for a moment.
The place was quiet...until she heard
something entirely out of place. Echoing
softly from the dark stairwell across
the room-and apparently across decades
of time as well-came footsteps. She
heard them lightly descend, one step
at a time, and could actually follow
the sounds, as the footfalls came
slowly down the stairs and stopped
at the bottom. She peered into the
darkened hall, but saw no one. She
bravely walked around the information
desk and cautiously peeked around
the corner to the foot of the stairs.
No one-at least no one visible-was
there.
The
upper floors of the Ghosts of Gettysburg
Candlelight Walking Tour® Headquarters
are closed to our customers, but the
most active area up there is too dangerous
to visit anyway. The stairway to the
attic is narrow and winding and the
only light is activated by a string
at the top of the stairs. Even when
your eyes grow accustomed to the dark,
lights dance eerily from the openings
under the antique tin shingles. The
roof is too low to stand upright anywhere
in the attic, and, although hot air
rises into the attic, it seems that
whenever you ascend the stairs you
are met by a cold draft on its way
out. One could easily become disoriented
and imagine things up there. But Rick
Fisher, renowned ghost hunter and
paranormal investigator, doesn’t
need an imagination to see ghosts
in “The Ghost House.”
He has caught them on video tape!
For
the Whole Ghost
Story visit here, The Ghost House
By Mark Nesbitt
8. The Cashtown Inn
The Cashtown Inn offers seven guest
rooms, an elegant dining room for
dinner or group functions; a cozy
Tavern room for lunch, drinks and
dinner; a porch for sitting and swinging
as well as various gardens for strolling.
As one of the oldest hostelries in
the region, Cashtown Inn had served
“for the entertainment of strangers
and travelers” since 1815. That
fateful summer of 1863, however, Cashtown
Inn served hundreds of unwelcome strangers,
including Confederate Gens. A.P. Hill,
Henry Heth, and John D. Imboden. Suffering
from a chronic ailment when he arrived
at Cashtown at the head of his corps
on June 29, the 37-year old Hill set
up his headquarters in the relative
comfort of Cashtown Inn. It was a
good choice. For decades Cashtown
Inn had been touted for its “healthy
neighborhood; pure mountain air”
and “daily bath” in fine
waters from a natural spring flowing
through the cellar. The cellar also
included two giant brick ovens where
Confederate commissaries could bake
bread in abundance. (The spring and
evidence of the brick ovens are visible
today).
Cashtown itself was transformed into
an armed camp for several days in
late June and early July 1863, while
the battle of Gettysburg raged just
eight miles to the east. It was from
there that the pivotal battle was
launched when A.P. Hill sent Maj.
Gen. Henry Heth's division to Gettysburg
for shoes and supplies. Cashtown Inn
bustled with activity during this
time while Confederate officers and
their staffs were quartered here.
A stable located next to the Inn (but
no longer standing) was used to shelter
the wounded, as were many of the homes
in the vicinity. Also dotting the
orchards and meadows surrounding the
village were hundreds of Lee's supply
wagons and the cannons and carriages
belonging to his artillery reserve.
Lee used many of these same vehicles
to transport his wounded back to Virginia
following his defeat at Gettysburg.
Commander of the 17-mile long wagon
train of misery, Brig. Gen. John Imboden
made his headquarters at Cashtown
Inn. On July 4, Imboden wrote, “About
4 pm the head of the column was put
in motion near Cashtown and began
the ascent of the mountain in the
direction of Chambersburg.”
It wasn't until the next day when
Imboden passed over South Mountain
with the last of the wagons that peace
returned to Cashtown.
7 miles from the Gettysburg National
Military Park. A.P. Hill used the
Inn as his headquarters during the
days that preceded the battle.
Most ghostly activity in Gettysburg
happens during the summer months due
to the timing of the actual battle
on July 1, 2, & 3 1863. The Cashtown
Inn is said to possibly be one of
the most haunted places in and around
Gettysburg. And don't look for the
spirits, they'll find you.
9. The Gettysburg
Hotel
Est.1797, The Gettysburg Hotel has
a tradition of hospitality that dates
to 1797, when James Scott first opened
his tavern. In the summer of 1863,
the hotel played witness to one of
the seminal events in American history
as Union and Confederate troops swarmed
over the small town of Gettysburg
during a pivotal and bloody three-day
battle. President Lincoln honed the
immortal words of his Gettysburg Address
at the Wills House, just steps away
from the hotel. Nearly a century later,
at the height of the Cold War, the
hotel served as President Dwight Eisenhower's
national operations center while he
recuperated from a heart attack at
his nearby farm. A victim of post-war
changes in America's traveling habits,
the Gettysburg Hotel closed its doors
in 1964. After a careful and detailed
restoration, the Best Western Hotel
Gettysburg once again welcomes guests
to share its rich legacy. As old as
this Haunted hotel is how can it not
be the home to ghosts?
Several times a year, guests of
the Gettysburg Hotel in Gettysburg,
Pa., tell of their friendly encounter
with Rachel, a civil war nurse. Believe
it or not, Rachel details her frustration
with caring for wounded soldiers and
their damaged limbs. Moonlit ghost
tours stroll through the streets of
Gettysburg giving the opportunity
to meet Rachel and other wandering
souls. Earlier this year, Rachel made
two visits to the same room, with
different guests. Each told stories
of the dresser drawers being opened,
clothes mysteriously being removed
and a cold draft or breeze in the
room.
10. The Farnesworth House
The Historic Farnsworth House Inn
was built in 1810, and gained it's
claim to fame as it became intimately
involved with the Battle of Gettysburg
in July of 1863. In particular, it
was used as a Confederate stronghold,
and several sharpshooters shot from
the safety of the windows in the "garret",
picking off Union soldiers, and in
one tragic case, a civilian named
Jennie Wade. The house is listed on
the Register of Historic Places, and
it proudly highlights the over 100
Civil War bullet holes in the south
side wall.
Is it haunted? Yes! It currently
operates as a Bed & Breakfast,
offering 9 rooms, 5 of which are said
to be haunted. The house is said to
be haunted by no fewer than 14 ghosts.
There used to be 16, but a couple
of years ago, they conducted a "ghost
release" ceremony and advised
any spirits who wished to leave instructions
on how to pass the veil. Only two
took them up on the offer. In particular,
the ghost they call "Mary"
seems to be the main spirit. She is
said to come to those in suffering
or discomfort, and attempts to comfort
them, often laying down on the bed
with the visitor. There is also the
ghost of a small boy who was killed
by a horse & carriage in front
of the house while playing, and the
ghost of his distraught father has
been seen as well. The sounds of rebel
soldiers moving trunks in the attic
are often heard, while footsteps and
voices are heard with no human source.
One of the story tellers in the Mourning
Theater has seen the same three Civil
War soldiers several times, often
with one mortally wounded and calling
to her. The second floor bathroom
has been reported to have blood running
down its walls, presumably from a
dead soldier in the attic above. See
the upcoming Farnsworth Stories section
for more details.
Also
Check Out: Ghost
TV Dead On Productions is a
partnership between historian Mark
Nesbitt, author of the highly acclaimed
Ghosts of Gettysburg series, and Investigative
Medium Laine Crosby, marketing strategist
and former director of marketing for
high-tech ventures, including the
launch of The Weather Channel New
Media and weather.com.
The
duo also co-host the talk show Ghost
Talkers. The show includes interviews
with psychics, authors, historians,
and paranormal investigators. The
first season’s topics include:
unpublished Gettysburg ghost stories,
capturing electronic voice phenomenon,
psychic encounters, demonology, possessed
possessions, and all things paranormal.
“We noticed a void in the market-
audiences’ desires were not
being met,” said executive producer
Laine Crosby, an ex-marketing executive
who now works as an Investigative
Medium. “Although national cable
networks have begun to offer quality
programming about the paranormal,
with the exception of the random podcast,
the Internet seems to be dead silent.
We are the first non-television network
to launch this unique programming
in the high-tech world.”
www.ghostchannel.tv
The
World's 100 Most Haunted Places
So please read these
very haunted ghost stories and watch
a real ghost video or two. And be
sure to visit our to
find more then your heart should
take. This web site is not for the
squeamish. These Very real Haunted
places are sid to be the best places
to capture a real ghost on film,
video, or digital voice recorder
or have a real paranormal encounter.
HAUNTED AMERICA TOURS
Official Web Site is a ghost tour
information site; our information
is only as reliable as readers'
contributed ghost and haunted reports.
We assume no credit for your adventures,
and accept no liability for your
misadventures. Use common sense.
Read our ghost hunting recommendations.
Before visiting any "haunted"
site, verify the location, accessibility,
safety, and other important information.
Never trespass on private and/or
posted property without permission
from the proper authorities.
The Real Haunted
Hotels In Cities, America
Hotels, like airlines, overbook reservations
because they know that not everyone
is going to show up. But some of their
inventory goes to third-party travel
sites like TravelNola.com,
which contract with hotels ahead of
time to sell a preset block of rooms.
Book your haunted
Hotel here!
Alabama
Montgomery - Tutwiler Hotel
Alaska
Skagway - Golden North Hotel
Arkansas
Eureka Springs - Crescent Hotel
Arizona
Flagstaff - Monte Vista Hotel
Douglas - Gadsden Hotel
Phoenix - Hotel San Carlos
Prescott - Hotel Vendome; Hassayampa
Inn
Scottsdale - The Hermosa Inn
California
Carmel-by-the-Sea - La Playa Hotel
and Cottages
Coloma - Sierra Nevada House
Coronado - Hotel del Coronado
Grass Valley - Holbrooke Hotel
Groveland - Groveland Hotel
Healdsburg - Madrona Manor
Hollywood - Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
La Jolla - Grande Colonial Hotel
Long Beach - Queen Mary Hotel
Mendocino - Mendocino Hotel and Garden
Suite
Napa - Napa River Inn
San Jose - Hyatt Hotel St. Claire
Mendocino's Sea Rock Inn
San Luis Obispo - Paso Robles Inn
Santa Monica - Georgian Hotel
Ventura - Pierpont Inn
Colorado
Denver - Brown Palace Hotel
Estes Park - Stanley Hotel
Connecticut
Griswald - Homespun Farm
New London - Lighthouse Inn
Florida
St. Augustine - Casa de la Paz
Tampa/St. Petersburg - Don Cesar Beach
Resort and Spa
Georgia
Augusta - The Partridge Inn
Jekyll Island - Jekyll Island Club
Hotel
Illinois
St. Charles - Hotel Baker
Iowa
Bentonsport - Mason House Inn
Louisiana
New Orleans - 1891 Castle Inn; Hotel
Maison de Ville; Le Pavilion; Delta
Queen Steamboat
St. Francisville - Myrtles Plantation
Massachusetts
Boston - The Omni Parker House
Salem - The Hawthorne Hotel
Michigan
Marquette - The Landmark Inn
Mississippi
Natchez - Monmouth Plantation
New York
Bolton Landing - The Sagamore
Grand Island - Holiday Inn
North Carolina
Asheville - Grove Park Inn Resort
and Spa
Chapel Hill - Carolina Inn
Ohio
Cincinnati - Hilton Cincinnati Netherland
Plaza
Oregon
Portland - The Heathman Hotel
Pennsylvania
Bethlehem - Hotel Bethlehem
Gettysburg - Farnsworth House Inn
Ghost of Gettysburg Tour Head Quarters
Texas
San Antonio - Menger Hotel
Galvez Hotel - Galveston
Vermont
Manchester Village - The Equinox
Washington
San Juan Islands - Rosario Resort
Washington, DC
Omni Shoreham Hotel; Hay-Adams Hotel;
Renaissance Mayflower Hotel
Wisconsin
Fond du Lac - Ramada Plaza Hotel
Milwaukee - Pfister Hotel
Wyoming
Casper - Ivy House Inn
Cheyenne - The Plains Hotel
Jackon Hole - The Wort Hotel
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