Confederate Soldiers

This story a part of the True Ghost Stories page on Obiwan's UFO-Free Paranormal Page. Please do not copy or distribute without permission from Obiwan and/or the original author!

Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 18:17:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: Harry Borger (hborger@oberon.hs.gettysburg.edu)
Subject: Ghost Story
To: obiwan@netcom.com

Ghost Story from a Ghost Guide
by
Harry L. Borger

As a ghost guide with the Ghost of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours, I've heard many ghost stories from our customers. The stories often, if not usually, follow predictable patterns, and certain common elements regularly emerge. Most are intriguing stories. Some are exceptional.

Recently, I was walking between buildings in Gettysburg, headed toward the bricked area in front of the parking garage to begin a group tour. I was approached in the middle of the alley by four people walking from the parking garage. They were animated, excited, gesturing, and walking toward me at a rapid pace. "We need to talk with you," they said. They were clearly strangers, not part of the group. I had no idea what was going to happen or what they needed to talk to me about.

Since we couldn't talk in the middle of the street, we continued on to the comfortable landscaped plaza area in front of the parking garage. After a brief orientation and introduction to group, I turned my attention to the four strangers. They clearly had a ghost tale to tell.

"It just happened twenty minutes ago," the younger man explained. My new friends were from New Orleans, and had a story to tell that I won't forget.

It seems that while vacationing in Gettysburg the group had taken a Ghost of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tour. They didn't see a ghost on the tour, and seemed a bit disappointed, but they did hear the story of The Lady in White at Spangler's Spring.

The next evening, after a long day of shopping, they set out in earnest to see the The Lady in White at Spangler's Spring on the Gettysburg National Military Park. At approximately 9:15 PM they entered the park road and headed for the Spring.

The legend of a promise to be broken was reenacted in jest. Along the lightly traveled road a bird of some sort, probably an owl, flew in front of the car. The party was wondering what they would do if they saw "The Lady."

Upon reaching Spangler's Spring they stopped their vehicle approximately 50 to 75 yards from the Spring itself. It was about 9:30 PM. They sat there talking about what they would do if they saw the Lady in White. They found themselves reacting to every lighting bug and noise in the woods. They strained to see any glowing light in the nearby meadow that might foretell the coming of the spirit. Periodically, they would turn on the headlights and then turn them off again. They debated turning off the motor, but thought better about it.

After about ten minutes, the ghost watchers were thinking about leaving when they noticed movement off to the right, coming out from behind some boulders near the road. "Look at that!" They pointed toward the movement. Within moments it was clear, a sight to clearly get their attention. Three Confederate soldiers were crossing the road--and the one on the left was carrying over his shoulder the body of a limp comrade. The one on the right appeared to be helping him.

The appearance was distinctive. They weren't wearing the typical Confederate gray, but rather the butternut brown uniform. They wore pants and a jacket, and the one on the left sported a slouch hat. The injured one had no hat and a white shirt under his jacket. All wore accoutrements. The injured apparition was wet about the head, and they were moving at a rapid pace from right to left. Everyone became excited and started to describe this visual encounter.

The rules to follow when seeing a ghost are unclear; we don't get to practice and learn these rules very often. At this point, the bright lights were focused on the sighting. With intent and apprehension, the car was put into gear. They were heading straight for them, yet they didn't make eye contact. The soldiers didn't flinch or glance in the direction of the car. It was as if the automobile didn't exist; as if there was no car heading straight for them at a rapid speed.

Surely, humans would, out of curiosity and caution, look to see if the car was going to stop. The Confederate soldiers just continued moving straight ahead across the road into the adjoining ground. They didn't quicken their step. The car stopped and backed up to keep them in view using the headlights. The soldiers continued toward the tree line. They moved in a smooth flowing motion without any bounce in their gait. They were gliding, but yet their legs were moving; and they seemed to be moving with a purpose.

They traveled approximately 100 yards. As they neared the tree line, the sighting suddenly disappeared. They didn't quit walking. They didn't put the injured soldier down, and they didn't lie down. One second they were in headlights and then gone. They disappeared. After a few minutes of silence and disbelief, the car was straightened on the road and the group returned to Gettysburg. There was no other sign of humans in the area.

Upon returning to the area the next morning, they found no signs of humans at the site; no foot prints, no trampled grass, nothing. While they were there, they did notice a musty, tack room scent. This scent appeared to come and go, and it was always near the boulders on the right side of the road.

At the end of the story, the older man said, "You know what the soldier being carried looked like don't you?" "No," I admitted, "I didn't see it." "He looked dead, that's how he looked," was the reply.

As a ghost guide and story teller, I know what do we do with this kind of story. I can pass it on and share it with others. As a teller of ghost stories, I think I can tell stories in a fun, accurate, and entertaining manner. What I can't do is to offer an explanation that will satisfy.