Tread lightly when you visit Gettysburg where spirits, from a bloodied and haunting chapter of American history, still linger in all corners of the historic town. The tragic story behind this haunted battlefield in Pennsylvania will leave you speechless.

An American Story

Wikimedia Commons/Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives (Public Domain) A century and a half has passed since the Civil War ended in 1865. Two years before the war ended, Gettysburg took center stage for an epic battle that lasted three days and had devastating results. The Battle of Gettysburg between the Union and Confederate Armies, known as the largest battle on North American soil, started on July 1, 1863. More than 165,000 soldiers participated in the battle.

The Battle of Gettysburg

Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain The ensuing three days were the bloodiest of the Civil War. When the battle ended on July 3, the casualty tolls were staggering. More than 51,000 soldiers – including those who died or who were wounded, captured, or missing – became casualties of the battle. One civilian, Jennie Wade, also lost her life during America’s bloodiest three day period.

Paranormal Tales

Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain When the Confederate and Union armies retreated from Gettysburg, they left most of their dead and injured behind. Many of the dead were left unburied and those who were buried were sometimes moved. Since the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, tales of the paranormal have flooded out of Gettysburg.

A Helping Hand

Wikimedia Commons/Wilson44691 An area strewn with large boulders used to shield snipers, Devil’s Den played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Today, visitors to Devil’s Den tell of encounters with a young man in a large, floppy hat. He’s enthusiastic about helping visitors get the perfect shot of the boulders and may even agree to a photo himself. As soon as the visitor snaps the camera, however, the man disappears and he never appears in the photographs.

Point and…shoot?

Flickr/Bob Usselman Frame the shot perfectly then shoot. But, nothing happens. You feel a chill slither down your spine. The camera or phone simply don’t work. Or, the batteries, which moments before were fully charged, suddenly die. Camera malfunctions are a common occurrence at Gettysburg Battlefield.

An Eerie Fog

Flickr/Bala K Those who have visited tell of a fog rolling over the battlefield. The fog may be expected but what’s in the fog is what typically startles onlookers. Some tell of seeing apparitions on horses, apparitions marching, and lights flashing across the battlefield.

Leave What You Find Behind

Flickr/m01229 Never take anything with you that you find on the Gettysburg Battlefield. That includes rocks and even twigs as, according to park officials, they are said to be cursed. (Plus, taking anything from the battlefield is a federal offense and could cost you.) The Gettysburg National Military Park has received packages with rocks, twigs, and other mementos from the battlefield along with notes about the bad luck that has befallen – divorce, illness, and even prison time – those who have taken the pieces of the battlefield.

Have you ever visited this haunted battlefield in Pennsylvania? Pennsylvania’s vibrant history makes it rich with stories of the paranormal, like the tales told in Gettysburg and about this haunted tunnel in Altoona.

Wikimedia Commons/Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives (Public Domain)

A century and a half has passed since the Civil War ended in 1865. Two years before the war ended, Gettysburg took center stage for an epic battle that lasted three days and had devastating results. The Battle of Gettysburg between the Union and Confederate Armies, known as the largest battle on North American soil, started on July 1, 1863. More than 165,000 soldiers participated in the battle.

Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

The ensuing three days were the bloodiest of the Civil War. When the battle ended on July 3, the casualty tolls were staggering. More than 51,000 soldiers – including those who died or who were wounded, captured, or missing – became casualties of the battle. One civilian, Jennie Wade, also lost her life during America’s bloodiest three day period.

When the Confederate and Union armies retreated from Gettysburg, they left most of their dead and injured behind. Many of the dead were left unburied and those who were buried were sometimes moved. Since the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, tales of the paranormal have flooded out of Gettysburg.

Wikimedia Commons/Wilson44691

An area strewn with large boulders used to shield snipers, Devil’s Den played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Today, visitors to Devil’s Den tell of encounters with a young man in a large, floppy hat. He’s enthusiastic about helping visitors get the perfect shot of the boulders and may even agree to a photo himself. As soon as the visitor snaps the camera, however, the man disappears and he never appears in the photographs.

Flickr/Bob Usselman

Frame the shot perfectly then shoot. But, nothing happens. You feel a chill slither down your spine. The camera or phone simply don’t work. Or, the batteries, which moments before were fully charged, suddenly die. Camera malfunctions are a common occurrence at Gettysburg Battlefield.

Flickr/Bala K

Those who have visited tell of a fog rolling over the battlefield. The fog may be expected but what’s in the fog is what typically startles onlookers. Some tell of seeing apparitions on horses, apparitions marching, and lights flashing across the battlefield.

Flickr/m01229

Never take anything with you that you find on the Gettysburg Battlefield. That includes rocks and even twigs as, according to park officials, they are said to be cursed. (Plus, taking anything from the battlefield is a federal offense and could cost you.) The Gettysburg National Military Park has received packages with rocks, twigs, and other mementos from the battlefield along with notes about the bad luck that has befallen – divorce, illness, and even prison time – those who have taken the pieces of the battlefield.

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