It’s October again in Indianapolis. The air is crisp, the farmers are harvesting their crops in the fields, the smell of burning leaves permeates the air and Hoosier imaginations turn to ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night. I just returned from an extended weekend visit to the Borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, without a doubt one of the most haunted “towns” in America. Anyone who knows me can tell you I spend a lot of time in Gettysburg. Two to three trips per year is not unusual for me. I’ve been visiting those hallowed fields of battle for over a quarter century and during that time have seen many changes. During this, the 150th anniversary year of the battle historians consider to be the turning point of the Civil War, I plan to share several stories from Gettysburg. But since it is October, and ghost season is upon us, I’ll start with the Ghosts of Gettysburg.
I attended the very first Gettysburg Ghost Conference in 1994 and come this March, it will be 20 years since I first watched the ghost phenomenon explode in this sleepy little tourist town. Back then, there were two ghost tours in Gettysburg. Today, there are 27. That number promises to grow in coming years. One of those original tours was developed by former National Park Service ranger Mark Nesbitt and the other was led by the direct descendants of some of the most famous family names in the borough — families who were present during the battle and whose names adorn the houses that still dot the battlefield and tombstones that rest peacefully in Evergreen Cemetery today.
Both of those original tours survive today and both brought the necessary street cred to the fledgling Gettysburg ghost tour industry. Nesbitt can be credited with starting the ghost tour mania by authoring a series of books appropriately titled, Ghosts of Gettysburg. These stories were gathered by Nesbitt during the time he spent as a tour guide at the park and became the foundation for most of the stories told on the tours today. It has been interesting to watch Nesbitt’s transformation from a skeptical observer to an active participant. I guess two decades of chasing ghosts and the need for new stories will do that to a guy. Regardless, he is the undisputed godfather of the industry and I respect his ability to tell a tale.
Some of these newcomer tours are quite interesting while others are dubious at best. There are now tours that promise their guests that they will actually “see” a ghost. I don’t know how they do it or whether they are able to keep their promise, but hey, you’ve got to admire their moxie. Others bill themselves as quasi-scientists by offering their guests the opportunity to prove (or disprove) the existence of paranormal activity. Still others present their tours as staged productions in dimly lit cellars and streetside theatres.
One of the most interesting of these recent tours takes their guests inside two historic buildings to explore the basement of the Jennie Wade house and the cellar of the Soldier’s Orphanage. Jennie was the only Gettysburg civilian to die in the great battle, the victim of a sniper’s bullet fired blindly through a wooden kitchen door as she labored unselfishly baking bread for hungry soldiers on the morning of July 3, 1863. The Soldier’s Orphanage was created after the battle and headed by a kind woman who lost her husband (New York soldier Amos Humiston) in the battle and was left to raise her three children on her own.
I can testify that while present on one such tour (I have been on this one several times) I watched the chain surrounding the death bier containing a wax replica of poor Jenny’s lifeless body swing back-and-forth by it’s own motivation. It was interesting, but perhaps not entirely unexplainable. Later on that same night, one of the guests present in the cellar of the orphanage was convinced that she heard a child crying and left the tour. Turns out that one of the “mistresses” of the orphanage (not the widow Humiston) treated the children badly and often forced them to spend time alone in the cold, dark cellar as a form of harsh punishment.
Yet another of these tours includes stories told in the attic, or “garret,” of the Farnsworth House. This tiny room, located in the peak of the roof, is alleged to be the spot where the shot that killed Jennie Wade was fired from. Legend claims that Confederate sharpshooters were stationed there and the accidental death shot was fired by the rifleman as he checked his rifle site for accuracy by aiming at the doorknob of the door. The Jennie Wade house still stands and the bullet hole is still there. Local lore claims that if an unmarried woman sticks her ring finger through the hole, she will be married shortly afterwards.
As for me, I was present on one such tour behind the closed attic door with a small group of friends. The very authentic looking guide wore a Confederate uniform and spoke in a natural southern drawl. In the middle of one of his tales, a clap of thunder was heard coming from a clear blue sky and the latched door opened on it’s own volition. The startled storyteller’s face turned white as he abruptly stopped speaking and escorted us out of the “rafter” room. These are simply my own personal observations and experiences from the tours. I assure you that stories abound of encounters from other guests on the Gettysburg ghost tours.
There is however, one thing you will not experience while hunting for ghosts in Gettysburg. You can’t take a ghost tour on the battlefield proper as defined by the park service boundaries. The National Park Service of the United States of America does not believe in ghosts. Period. If you ask a park ranger or park service employee about the ghosts of Gettysburg, you will receive a polite smile and a quick denial. That historical hard-line does not only apply to Gettysburg, but to all 59 of our nation’s national parks. However, at one time or another during the 3 day battle, the whole town saw shots fired in anger so in effect, every Gettysburg ghost tour takes place on the battlefield.
Today, a new battle is taking place in the streets of Gettysburg. The battle between the historians and the ghost tour guides. Historians complain that stories about dearly departed soldiers and citizens overshadow the real history that took place there. Ghost tour guides and devotees argue that they are telling the history of the battle in unison with their folktales. Park Rangers are required to pass a rigorous test (some say it is tougher than passing the bar to become a lawyer) to attain official certification while ghost tour guides need only have the ability to spin a good yarn.
Based on 20 years of observation, I have watched as the kitschy souvenir shops and antique stores have been systematically pushed aside by the likes of Amazon and eBay. I have seen the closing of countless house museums, gradual disinterest in all things historical by anyone under the age of 30 and replacement of quality historical research and fact-finding by community Web sites like Wikipedia. For my part, I say any port in a storm. If ghost stories bring youngsters closer to history, if ghost stories bring people into a community, if ghost stories rekindle the fire under the non-virtual world we live in, then so be it.
I strongly and emphatically recommend a long weekend getaway to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to anyone who may desire it. While there, take a Park Ranger guided tour, walk the fields where heroes fought and died, visit the homes of of the brave civilians who weathered the storm of battle and its aftermath, and, especially during this autumn season, take a tour and experience for yourself the Ghosts of Gettysburg.
Al Hunter leads a ghost tour in Irvington every Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. in October. For details go to indianaghosttours.org.
Al Hunter is the author of the “Haunted Indianapolis” and co-author of the “Haunted Irvington” and “Indiana National Road” book series. Contact Al directly at Huntvault@aol.com or become a friend on Facebook.
