Touring America's Greatest Haunted Areas
Ghost Research Question on Battlefields
A reader of Ghosthunting Virginia who has lived in the Northern Virginia area the past 22 years recently wrote to me with, among other things, a question about conducting research at battlefield sites.
"I am trying to research ghosts on Civil War battlefields," he wrote. "Would you happen to have a contact, or happen to know if the park authority would allow someone to camp overnight at [the] Manassas or Chancelorsville/Wilderness battlegrounds?"
I wrote back to explain that no, I do not have any special contacts at any of the battlefields, and normally just go through the public affairs person for anything I need related to a visit to a government-run site. And, as anyone can see from some of my chapters, some of the administrators at the sites run by organizations won't even respond to my email or phone messages (e.g., Cedar Creek).
Suffice it to say, however, that in my experience people are not generally going to get any sort of special treatment -- at least not good special treatment -- if they identify themselves as ghosthunters, and battlefield sites tend to be closed after dark. My recommendation for people interested in such sites would be for them to look for battlefields that have un-administered sections that can be accessed after dark, or to look for scheduled night-time events at various sites that they can be part of (e.g., ghost walks). And it certainly doesn't hurt to ask if any particular site has provisions for visits during hours of darkness -- I just wouldn't count on getting a positive answer.
Any perspectives on this subject other than my own would be welcome!
"I am trying to research ghosts on Civil War battlefields," he wrote. "Would you happen to have a contact, or happen to know if the park authority would allow someone to camp overnight at [the] Manassas or Chancelorsville/Wilderness battlegrounds?"
I wrote back to explain that no, I do not have any special contacts at any of the battlefields, and normally just go through the public affairs person for anything I need related to a visit to a government-run site. And, as anyone can see from some of my chapters, some of the administrators at the sites run by organizations won't even respond to my email or phone messages (e.g., Cedar Creek).
Suffice it to say, however, that in my experience people are not generally going to get any sort of special treatment -- at least not good special treatment -- if they identify themselves as ghosthunters, and battlefield sites tend to be closed after dark. My recommendation for people interested in such sites would be for them to look for battlefields that have un-administered sections that can be accessed after dark, or to look for scheduled night-time events at various sites that they can be part of (e.g., ghost walks). And it certainly doesn't hurt to ask if any particular site has provisions for visits during hours of darkness -- I just wouldn't count on getting a positive answer.
Any perspectives on this subject other than my own would be welcome!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paige on -
I have only been living in Manassas for 2 months and I have been wondering the same thing. I live near Featherbed Lane off of 234 in Manassas which leads through parts of the battlefield. Last Friday my friend who knows everything about the area took me to all parts of the battlefield. It wasn't until 2:45am that we finally caught a glimpse of something. We approached the "Unfinished Railroad" on Featherbed and pulled over into the parking lot (The gate was unusually open for some reason). We had only been sitting there for maybe 30 seconds when a perfectly round blue orb appeared in the trees. My friend and I looked at eachother but didn't say anything. When I looked back the orb disappeared in a "burst." Being rational, we though maybe it was a deer eye...but it definitely was not the color of a deers reflective eye. We continued to look and it reappeared! For roughly 5 seconds it fluttered in the air like a butterfly in movement and once again disappeared with a burst of a little light. I have NEVER seen anything like this in all my searches and ghost travels.
I know this does not quite answer our question, but it is simply an idea of where a good place to start would be. There are houses not too far down the road...with some sort of contract (drawn by you) and signed by both parties, you could always ask permission. I will continue to research other options. Good luck to you! ^_^
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Permalink Reply by Debra Robinson on -
It largely depends upon the level of government involved in the ownership/management of the battlefields and parks (i.e., local, state or federal). I believe the NPS (National Park Service) has a policy that they do not allow people in the parks between dusk and dawn and I've never known them to exempt that policy.
Your best bet is local and maybe some state. Even many of those are limted to those having camp sites. Most parks actually have hours of operation like any other business. It never hurts to ask though.
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Permalink Reply by Pamela K. Kinney/Sapphire Phelan on -
Some battlefields will let you get a park ranger to take you around for a sort of investigation--for a fee. Two paranormal investigators did this. I was invited along as a friend of one of them (no, I did not pay--they did).
But depends on the park--you have to contact them about it. But yes, since after dark and closed , if they do it expect to pay the ranger. This was Cold Harbor in Mechanicsville and was in 2007. Not sure if they do that now.
Pamela K. Kinney
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Permalink Reply by april kassel on -
I have done ghosthunting after dark at the Battlefields of Gettysburgs and at Sach's bridge. Sach's bridge is not on the battlefield so you can do that after dark. We have got alot of activity there our motorcycles were completely cover with a fog that we not there. My husband had someone push him from behind again no one there. We ever got a picture of a civil soldier in a tent when taking a picture in the woods. Battlefield of Gettysburg is closed after dark but twilight is much better there you ever can get sounds of gun fire in the day time too. There are some ghost walks there in the town that are very good. My husband was in at one time was an orphange than he felt like someone was sittiing on his chest once he left there it was no longer there. There are alot of places you can walk at night through the park if they are doing a ghost walk, so think about going there for a trip. You can stay at the Fransworth Hotel in the Sarah's Black if you want alot of action. I could sleep all night because someone kept walking back and forth in front of the door were I had to put in ear plugs to get some sleep. So if you can't get into the battefields you want than try Battlefield in Gettysbury. Good hunting
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Permalink Reply by Stu on -
Most battlefield sites close after dark and one is subject to fines and/or arrest if found inside the environs. Gettysburg is a fine example. And at Antietam don't even approach the NPS about the subject. Staff over there are not only not allowed to discuss the presence of psychic phenomena but are not even allowed to acknowledge it. The higher-ups there do not want Antietam to become "a ghost hunters Disneyland like Gettysburg".
I have never heard of any Rangers allowing investigators on battlefields at night even for a fee though I have to admit it is possible. One's best bet is to investigate on property or land adjacent to the battlefield(s).
Lastly, phenomena is not limited to night time hours. I know of at least three incidents (two of them well-known stories) that happened at Gettysburg during daylight hours.
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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Varhola on -
Stu, that is all good information and, in my experience, quite accurate. Apropos of Maryland battlefields like Antietam, I experienced pretty much the same sort of reaction to the subject of ghosts from the rangers at the Monocacy battlefield. All of them were quite pleasant, but there was this weird, Stepford Wife-like homogeneity in their responses to questions about ghosts, which was sort of like "Ghosts? Huh. No, no one has ever experienced anything like that here." Which, of course, is preposterous with regard to a battlefield; even if it wasn't haunted, there would still be people who had at least claimed to have exprienced things there. (In any event, the research I did on both Antietam and Monocacy for Ghosthunting Maryland satisfied me that both were pretty profoundly haunted.)
Your advice that daytime investigations can be fruitful is also right on. And so is your suggestion that areas on the periphery of a battlefield can be good bets is also right on; most battlefield parks don't include the entirety of a battlefield, and a little research and exploration can often identify areas that can be accessed by the public ay any time of day or night. There are certainly plenty of such spots around both the Antietam and Monocacy battlefields.
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Permalink Reply by Stu on
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Though they obviously do allow investigations at Gettysburg, NPS Rangers and Licensed Battle Guides will follow the official stance and tell folks that there is nothing going on. However, in off-the-record conversations I have had with members of the two groups there is acknowledgment that there is definitely phenomena happening on the battlefield. Some of the folks I spoke to even related their own experiences!
Secondly, some of my sources mentioned a file that the NPS supposedly keeps when phenomena is reported....and that they take it very seriously. Whether or not this true I can't say but it certainly falls within the realm of possibility.
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Permalink Reply by Chris & Julie on -
Loretta Lynns ranch in Hurricane Mills tennesee is haunted with alot of civil war soldiers, see my picture and read my story please....
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Permalink Reply by GabrielsParanormal on -
My perspective is that night time when the parks are closed isn't required. I know most investigators like to go out in the dark of night or at midnight, but I suggest that you don't limit yourself to those hours. I have investigated sites in Gettysburg (and many other places) during the day and had lots of activity.
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Permalink Reply by Juliet Marie Keller on -
Hello I guess I didn't want to change the subject with the paranormal investigations and their battlefield researching, but I too, have a question if anyone knows any history to link what troops other than Doubleday's Division marched over Sachs Bridge on July 1st, 1863 and where did they go to fight when the bridge was seemingly over taken by the Confederacy troops on July 2nd, 1863? Did the troops move to fight over in the Battlefield known as the Wheatfield on July 2nd, 1863? Which Confederate troops overtook Sachs Bridge from DoubleDay? I guess my overall question is did any troops stationed at Sachs Bridge partake in the battle at the Wheatfield? Alot of stories that I have looked into mention Doubledays Brigaide stationed at Sachs then leaving then the Confederacy arrives to take shelter and make-shift military hospital stances over the next few days...but it does not mention the infantry's listing, like what corp's, calvary, under whose command they fought and so forth , even where their division was from? I'm just trying to find the link between who served and died there in th wheatfield and who is buried at cornfields around Sachs so we can get the actual history tied together.....any takers on this question? Sorry I know confusing.
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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Varhola on
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Yes, that is a pretty specific question! Battle history is not my specialty, and I'm afraid I can't offer a very satisfactory answer (i.e., my two front-runners are "Sure" and "Probably not"). But Gettysburg is a popular site and I know there are a number of people on this forum who have visited and done investigations at it, so hopefully one of them will chime in with something useful.
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