Reap Sow Radio Program The Main Event! Tuesday November 18th at 6 P.M. eastern time, 3 P.M. Bobby Zoeller and Tim Yancey. -- reapsowradio.com

Though the battles have long ago ended and the sound of cannons and muskets is but a distant memory, there are some souls who are still waiting for the call to “Retreat” – and for them, it may never come!

Three days of the bloodiest fighting of the American Civil War have forever etched these hallowed fields into the memory of a country and a people. But in the hundred-plus years since the last shot was fired and the last man fell, there continue to be reports from the fields of the fallen: reports of spectral armies still marching in step, of ghostly sentinels and horsemen, of mournful women in white, and the ghostly wails of orphans and animals alike.

Gettysburg National Military Park
Travel back in time to Civil War days.
97 Taneytown Rd.
Gettysburg, PA 17325

Located 50 miles northwest of Baltimore, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of the largest battle ever waged during the American Civil War. Fought in the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in a hallmark victory for the Union "Army of the Potomac" and successfully ended the second invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee's "Army of Northern Virginia". Historians have referred to the battle as a major turning point in the war, the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy". It was also the bloodiest single battle of the war, resulting in over 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing.

View official Web site

#2. ANTIETAM, MARYLAND

 

Established by Act of Congress on August 30, 1890, this Civil War site marks the end of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North in September 1862. The battle claimed more than 23,000 men killed, wounded, and missing in one single day, September 17,1862, and led to Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Second only to Gettysburg in the annals of warlike horror is Antietam. On a single day – September 17, 1862 – the Union and Confederate Armies clashed in the corn fields and farmlands surrounding this little corner of a divided nation. When the day had ended, 23,000 souls had been dispatched to the hereafter: this is more than all the dead of the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican American and the Spanish American conflicts combined.

Over the years visitors and park rangers alike have reported strange occurrences from the now idyllic fields of Antietam. Like their brothers at Gettysburg, the soldiers who fell at Antietam still remain as more than memory.

 

#3. Chickamauga, (Chattanooga) Tennessee

In the early to mid-1800’s, the present town of Chickamauga was just a large plantation in the North Georgia rolling hills. The name of the post office was Crawfish Springs-named for Indian Chief Crayfish, of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Indians had settled the area, farming and enjoying the natural beauty of the land. Chickamauga is derived from an ancient Cherokee word meaning "River of Death".

During the War of 1812, five hundred Cherokee soldiers from the area fought with General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the Creek Indians, who were aligned with England. Their valor helped assure victory for the Americans. The Cherokee nation was divided into districts and courts with Crawfish Springs the county site of one of the districts. A courthouse was built in the town in 1820 and the first court in Walker County was held here. The Cherokees called this area their home until their forced exodus in 1838, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Between 1890 and 1899 the Congress of the United States authorized the establishment of the first four national military parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. The first and largest of these, and the one upon which the establishment and development of most other national military and historical parks was based, was Chickamauga and Chattanooga. It owes its existence largely to the efforts of General H.V. Boynton and Ferdinand Van Derveer, both veterans of the Army of the Cumberland, who saw the need for a national park to preserve and commemorate these battlefields during a visit to the area in 1888.

Site of a major Confederate victory, it was nonetheless hard earned: All told 34,624 died in the battle that raged from September 18 – 20, 1863. Chickamauga is a Cherokee word meaning “River of Blood” and for the dead of both sides this is just what it became.

Still, there have been hundreds of reports of paranormal events and ghostly encounters with the remnant spirits of the souls who once fought and died here.

Site of the Last Stand of U.S. Texans and proud Tejanos against the overwhelming might of Mexican General Santa Anna, the Alamo is burned into the history and patriotic memory of every American generation since then. The valiant defiance of Texas was tested in the forge on the 6th of March 1836 when men like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett chose to fight and fall together for the honor of Texas and the independence of America. Many say that the spirits of Bowie and Crockett, and of the other brave defenders of this Mission turned Fortress remain to this day, still watchful and resolute, still prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“If we succeed, the country is ours. It is immense in extent, and fertile in its soil and will amply reward our toil. If we fail, death in the cause of liberty and humanity is not cause for shuddering. Our rifles are by our side, and choice guns they are, we know what awaits us, and are prepared to meet it.”

Letter from Daniel William Cloud of Kentucky, a defender of the Alamo, en route to San Antonio, dated Dec. 26, 1835.

The clash of the U.S. Army, under the command of General George Custer, and the Western Sioux Nation, under the hand of the great Sitting Bull, is forever carved into the American psyche for the horror and the loss of the June day in 1876.

Today visitor’s to the battlefield can view the black marker that occupies the spot where General Custer allegedly fell, but all around the black marker are other no less significant headstones attesting to the brutal fall of U.S. soldiers who had the misfortune of trying to fend off the Indian attacks. The soldiers were scalped and mutilated in the Indian custom of keeping the warrior from reuniting with his body on the other side. All around, the hollow melancholy of that day still lingers on the hills of Little Big Horn.

Reports have come from the battlefield in modern times of ghostly images, shadows and mists, and the eerie sounds of Indian chanting and war cries mixed with the whimpering of men who knew with certainty they were about to die.

"Oil droplets still bubble from the remains of the USS Arizona, the still-beating heart of the Japanese attack on American forces on the “day that will live in infamy” – December 7, 1941.

 

2,390 brave American died on the USS Arizona alone and it is just one site of many reportedly haunted by the memory of that infamous day. A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial should include a visit to the nearby buildings, part of the military complex still maintained to this day, and source of numerous reports of paranormal activities including voices and footsteps in empty rooms, ghostly lights, and even the ghostly sounds of the actual bombing on that horrible day.

The center and USS Arizona Memorial are free of charge to the public and there are no reservations. Everyone visiting the USS Arizona is encouraged to view a 20 minute film documenting the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film is presented by the Park Service, prior to the short U.S. Navy shuttle boat trip to the memorial itself. Be prepared to wait however. The memorial is a very popular site in Honolulu and the crowds at all hours of the day can be overwhelming. Visitors are issued free tickets for the film and the shuttle to the Arizona upon arrival at the center on a first come, first served basis, but waits of one hour or more are commonplace. For this reason, go early!

Chalmette Battlefield is located 6 miles SE of the city of New Orleans and is the site of one of the most famous battles ever on American soil. On January 8, 1815 the U.S. fought the battle that brought victory over British forces, the bloody official ending of the War of 1812. With the aid of famous Louisiana Pirate Jean Lafitte and his Buccaneers, the U.S. forces at Chalmette soundly defeated the more skilled and more numerous British. But it was not without loss, and some say the memory of this loss still lingers in the swampy fens and mist-enshrouded paths of the Chalmette Battlefield.

General Andrew Jackson’s stunning victory over crack British troops at Chalmette plantation on January 8, 1815, was the greatest American land victory of the War of 1812. Commonly called the Battle of New Orleans — the last battle of the last war ever fought between England and the United States—it preserved America’s claim to the Louisiana Purchase, prompted a wave of migration and settlement along the Mississippi River, and restored American pride and unity. It also made Jackson a national hero.

The War of 1812 was fought to vindicate U.S. maritime rights, secure the western frontier from British provocation of the Indians, and pave the way for the annexation of Canada. It was pursued half-heartedly by both sides, and with little success for either. Also, battling Napoleon’s armies in Europe, England could spare few troops to fight in the United States and did little more than help to defend Canada. American victories were few and mostly at sea. When England defeated Napoleon in the spring of 1814, the character of the American war changed dramatically. Thousands of battle-tested British soldiers sailed for the United States, and invasion thrusts were planned via Lake Champlain, the Chesapeake Bay, and, later, the Gulf coast.

The first thrust ended when Commander Thomas MacDonough defeated the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Champlain in September 1814. The second was turned back about the same time at Fort McHenry, the main defense of Baltimore, but not before the British had burned the White House and the Capitol at Washington. The third began in late December when 36-year-old British Major General Sir Edward M. Pakenham led 10,000 troops overland from Lake Borgne to attack New Orleans. The capture of this important port was Britain’s main hope for exacting a favorable peace settlement from the Americans. By controlling the mouth of the Mississippi River, England could seriously threaten the economic well-being of the entire Mississippi Valley and hamper U.S. westward expansion.

Defending New Orleans were about 5,000 militia and volunteer soldiers (including a contingent of Jean Lafitte’s Baratarians) under 47-year-old Major General Andrew Jackson. On December 23, when Pakenham’s troops were within nine miles of the city, Jackson halted their advance in a fierce night attack that caught the British off guard. The Americans then withdrew behind the banks of the Rodriguez Canal.

Reports continue to come in of paranormal occurrences including the sound of ghostly cannon and voices barking commands to unseen troops. Many have heard whispers in the cemetery and seen the wandering figure of a lone British soldier walking among the headstones.

Chalmette Battlefield, Beauregard house, and the National Cemetery are about 7 miles downriver from the New Orleans French Quarter.

At Valley Forge is the story of the six-month encampment of the Continental Army of the newly formed United States of America under the command of General George Washington. The site is located a few miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Though no actual battle was fought here, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778, a struggle against the elements and no moral was engaged on this sacred ground. Here the men of the Continental Army steeled their wills and were forged in the crucible of Nature to meet the British with firm hearts and resolve. Here the greatest challenges to the will and determination of General George Washington were met head on by that great man. Visitors in modern times have reported encounters with the paranormal including the ghostly images of silent sentries and the ghostly sounds and moans of men being tormented by all a bitter, long winter could muster.

Today, the park is a lush, 3,600-acre expanse of rolling hillsides dotted with flowering dogwood trees. Washington's original stone headquarters has been restored and furnished; log huts have been reconstructed; and statues and monuments throughout the park remind visitors of our national heritage. Among them are statues of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and Baron Friedrich von Steuben; and the Monument to Patriots of African Descent.

Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau
600 West Germantown Pike, Suite 130
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Phone: 800.441.3549 or 610.834.1550
Fax: 610.834.0202 Email: info@valleyforge.org

Valley Forge Official Site - Visit the home page

Stop at the Visitors Center at the junction of Rt 23 and N. Gulph Rd. Open daily, it features exhibits, artifacts, a gift shop and an18 -minute film.

Recurring Events include

Valley Forge National Historical Park, Route 23 and N. Gulph Road, Valley Forge, 610.783.1077.
"A Glimpse into Time" exhibit in the newly renovated Welcome Center. See the weapons and equipment once used by the officers, soldiers and camp followers during the American Revolution. Daily, 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Valley Forge: A Winter Encampment. This film takes a step back in time to show that the victory won at Valley Forge was not that of weapons, but of will. Showing every half hour, 9:30am to 4:30pm, daily.
Soldier Life at Muhlenberg Brigade offers visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the soldiers at Valley Forge and how they lived during the six months of their winter encampment. Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Weather permitting.
Musket Firing Demonstration at Muhlenberg Brigade teaches visitors how Washington's soldiers were taught to load and fire their musket and to use this weapon on the battlefield. Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30pm. Weather permitting.
Washington: Commander-in-Chief at Washington's Headquarters is a presentation about the role George Washington played as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Daily, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm.
Tours of the Park: Enjoy a 90-minute guided tour of Valley Forge in the comfort of a 28-seat mini-bus. Tours depart from the Welcome Center at 10am, 12pm and 2pm, and feature stops with costumed interpreters at key landmarks including: Muhlenberg Huts (learn about life as a soldier), George Washington's Headquarters (includes tour of Headquaters) and Washington Memorial Chapel (historic chapel built in 1903 as a tribute to George Washington).

At the Welcome Center you can see a new exhibit about the Valley Forge encampment, shop for
unique gifts and enjoy light refreshments.

Tour dates: Saturday- Monday May 29- 31, Saturday- Sunday June 5- 6, Saturday- Sunday June 12 - 13, Friday - Monday June 18 - 21, Thursday - Monday June 21 - Sep. 6

Tour ticket prices: Adults $15.50, Students 13-16 $10.50, National Park Pass Holders $10.50
Children under 12 $7.50

For information about the tours call 610.783.

Valley Forge National Historical Park
610.783.1077. Rt. 23 and N. Gulph Rd. Valley Forge. Open daily, 9 am-5pm. Free ($3 adm. to historic buildings; pay at Visitors Center.) Park facilities include Visitors Center, picnic areas, a 16-mile multi-use trail, ten miles of horse trails. A Valley Forge to Philadelphia bike path begins near Betzwood Bridge. www.nps.gov/vafo

American Revolution Center at Valley Forge
The American Revolution Center and Valley Forge National Historical Park are partnering to create the nation's first museum telling the complete story of the American Revolution. Scheduled to open in 2006, the museum will showcase the world's largest known collection of artifacts, manuscripts, and objects from the period of the American Revolution. These collections will be displayed in a multi-dimensional fashion that will dramatically portray the story of our nation's founding.

Please address all correspondence to:
American Revolution Center
435 Devon Park Drive, Building 800
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 610.975.4939
Fax: 610.225.8420
email: zmason@safeguard.com

#9. Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Union and Confederate forces gathered around the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia for almost a month before the actual engagement took place, but on December 12, 1862 the Union forces crossed the Potomac River into the City and into history. One of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, it, like Gettysburg, spread out over the surrounding farmlands and rustic homesteads. In the end, there were 17,000 casualties of which most were Union soldiers.

The memories of the battle and the months and days of apprehension that led up to it have left their mark and visitors of modern times have reported many strange encounters and paranormal events.

Fredericksburg Battlefield

Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center
Open All Year 9:00 - 5:00

Chancellorsville Visitor Center
Open All Year 9:00-5:00

Walking Trails

The Battlefield Visitor Center is located along the historic Sunken Road portion of the battlefield. Two walking trails will allow you to walk over the same ground that was so hotly contested on December 13, 1862. Clicking on either walking tour link will provide you with an online walking tour "brochure". You may just want to look at it online, or if you are contemplating a visit to the park, print it off as a ready resource.

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

 

#10. Cold Harbor, Richmond National Battlefield, Richmond, Virginia

The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought between May 31 and June 12, !864 and is one of the battles at which General Ulysses S. Grant was present in personal command. This did not forestall the Confederates or prevent a Union loss, but men of both sides fought and fell valiantly: 16,000 men died or were wounded or lost at Cold Harbor and years later the number was being revised as farmers and hapless visitors continued to uncover remains of men who fell in this horrible corner of Virginia. Visitors to the Cold Harbor / Richmond battlefields have reported encounters with ghostly soldiers and unexplained lights; the sound of hoof beats and cannon fire still persist to this day.

Cold Harbor
Second Cold Harbor Virginia
American Civil War
May 31-June 12, 1864
On May 31, Sheridan's cavalry seized the vital crossroads of Old Cold Harbor. Early on June 1, relying heavily on their new repeating carbines and shallow entrenchments, Sheridan's troopers threw back an attack by Confederate infantry. Confederate reinforcements arrived from Richmond and from the Totopotomoy Creek lines. Late on June 1, the Union VI and XVIII Corps reached Cold Harbor and assaulted the Confederate works with some success. By June 2, both armies were on the field, forming on a seven-mile front that extended from Bethesda Church to the Chickahominy River. At dawn June 3, the II and XVIII Corps, followed later by the IX Corps, assaulted along the Bethesda Church-Cold Harbor line and were slaughtered at all points. Grant commented in his memoirs that this was the only attack he wished he had never ordered. The armies confronted each other on these lines until the night of June 12, when Grant again advanced by his left flank, marching to James River. On June 14, the II Corps was ferried across the river at Wilcox's Landing by transports. On June 15, the rest of the army began crossing on a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Weyanoke. Abandoning the well-defended approaches to Richmond, Grant sought to shift his army quickly south of the river to threaten Petersburg.

 

Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center

Open
Open All Year 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Phone
(804)226-1981

Location
Five miles southeast of Mechanicsville on route 156.

Richmond National Battlefield -- Cold Harbor

The Battle of North Anna and Cold Harbor Official Records

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