Gettysburg Ghosts

One of the most haunted sites in America is the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg. As the

bloodiest engagement of the war, the horrific suffering was unparalleled in American history. For

three days, July1-3, 1863, the fate of the nation was at stake. During this time, over 7,000 men

died on the battlefield. And some believe that this grim toll at Gettysburg has resulted in

an extraordinary amount of paranormal activity.

Dr. Andrew Nichols of the American Institute of Parapsychology, has written that spiritualists

believe that ghosts are earthbound spirits of dead people. After death our spirits continue to

exist in another dimension, but that some spirits—often in cases of sudden or violent death—

become attached to a certain location where they can sometimes be seen, heard, or felt by

certain people.

For those conducting paranormal research, Gettysburg is a veritable goldmine of first-hand

ghostly accounts, including photographs, videos, audio record

ings and other unexplained

activities. As Burke and Roth wrote in their book, “Ghost Soldiers of Gettysburg, “Some of the

most compelling eyewitness testimony associated with paranormal activity in Gettysburg comes

from people who live and work in town…Almost every historic building in Gettysburg is

reportedly haunted.”

The question among Gettysburg residents is not whether they believe in ghosts, but whether

they’ve seen one lately. Ghostly visitations are an everyday occurrence, according to the “Ghost

Mistress of Gettysburg,” Patti O’Day. O’Day’s family purchased Gettysburg’s historic Farnsworth

House in 1972 and converted it into an inn. The house is named for General Elon Farnsworth, a

Union Cavalry General killed on the final day of the battle.

According to the inn’s staff, it is home to at least 14 different ghosts. The old house was occupied

By three Confederate sharpshooters who fired upon Union soldiers from a small window in the

Garret. The spirits of the three are among those that still roam the building. One of the

sharpshooters may have fired the bullet that accidentally killed Jennie Wade, the only civilian

casualty of the battle.

To the skeptic, all the talk about ghosts is based on one thing—money. Ghosts are indeed big

business in Gettysburg, with theater performances, books, tapes, videos and candlelight ghost

tours, which attract thousands of visitors. In an increasingly technological society, people enjoy

believing in the unexplainable. The thrill of a ghost story on a dark and stormy night delight those

who seek an escape from everyday realities.

Some claim that spiritual “energies” are greater in places where tragic and violent loss of life

suddenly occurred. If that is true, then battlefields like Gettysburg surely qualify. The carnage

was incredibly horrific, resulting in over 23,000 casualties during three days of vicious fighting.

Writers Bachar and Worel state in their book, “Haunted Gettysburg,” that when death comes to

a young man, it is unexpected, resulting in his soul not being at peace. This may cause the spirit

to remain where he died, seeking some sort of closure. Another theory is that persons dying a

long way from home roam about, searching for their family and friends. Or, a spirit may even

occupy an inanimate object, like a rock or a tree.

Whatever the explanation, ghost sightings have a long tradition in Gettysburg, with frequent

reports of new encounters. Many sightings have been made by Civil War reenactors, with the

rationale that their familiar uniforms attract spirits searching for lost comrades. Of course

reenactors may not be the most objective observers, since their imaginations are already

operating in overdrive.

But plenty of other “normal” people have also had seemingly inexplicable experiences. Most

scientists concede that some phenomena called paranormal cannot be fully explained. Science

doesn’t have all the answers. And since man’s greatest fascination is his fear of the unknown,

the possibility of the spirit world endures.

Unfortunately, there are charlatans who prey upon gullible people who want to believe in the

supernatural. Mediums who claim to contact deceased loved ones for a hefty fee are among the

worst. But what about the average person with no preconceived notions about ghosts who drops

by Gettysburg for the history or a family outing? It is the experiences of the uninitiated or even

non-believers that are particularly puzzling.

At the Farnsworth Inn, Bob Withrow was one of the master storytellers who entertained guests.

The story of the Codori Ghosts remains one of the best stories. The Codori Farm was situated on

the Emmittsburg Road, which runs through the middle of the field where Pickett’s Charge

occurred on July 3, 1863. Some 13,500 Confederates made a valiant but futile frontal assault

against the center of the Union line. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives in the fierce struggle.

The dead, dying and wounded were everywhere on the battlefield.

One wounded soldier, a young lieutenant, was taken to the Codori Farm at the edge of the

battlefield where surgeons had established a field hospital. Amputated arms and legs piled up

rapidly as the surgeons performed their grisly operations. Orderlies began disposing of the

amputated limbs down a dry well, soon filling it up.

Since the wounded quickly occupied all the schools, churches and other large buildings in

Gettysburg, the Codori family kept the lieutenant and nursed him back to health. The soldier and

the family became good friends, and when the soldier finally departed, he promised to return

after the war for a visit.

Years later, the lieutenant and his wife wrote the Codoris and made plans for their visit. On the

appointed day of their arrival, Mr. Codori paused to rest on his porch, which faced the direction

of Pickett’s Charge. It was a hot day, so he was surprised to see a heavy fog begin to roll in from

the tree line where the Confederate charge had begun.

As the fog slowly drifted across the field, the farmer thought he saw shapes forming in the mist.

To his consternation, the shapes transformed into human forms. His wife joined him on the porch

with lemonade and also witnessed the ghostly figures approaching.

Alarmed, the two retreated into the house, slamming the door behind them. They waited a few

minutes before the farmer opened the door. The shapes were closer still, and he could see that

they appeared to be soldiers, horribly mutilated and missing arms, legs and even heads. Their

uniforms hung on them like bloody rags.

Terrified, the farmer slammed the door again, and gathered his wife and children about him.

Several long minutes later, they heard heavy steps on the porch, then a knock at the door. The

farmer was afraid to answer the door, and then they heard footsteps at the window, then back

to the door followed by louder knocking.

The farmer could stand it no longer and threw the door open to find the young lieutenant and

his wife standing there. He grabbed them both and pulled them into the house, shutting the

door behind them. The astonished lieutenant asked what was going on and the farmer described

the ghostly soldiers approaching in the mist.

The lieutenant countered that they had seen nothing as they approached the house in their

buggy. But the farmer insisted that both he and his wife had witnessed the apparitions. The

lieutenant became offended, thinking that the farmer was behaving strangely because he did not

want them as guests.

The lieutenant turned and threw the door open to prove that nothing was there. But they were

all terrified to see the ghosts of the soldiers gathered around the old dry well, searching for their

missing arms and legs, the unsanctified remains of their bodies. The lieutenant grabbed his wife

by the hand, ran to their buggy and drove away, never to return to Gettysburg.

Most of the Gettysburg ghost stories are not as dramatic as the Codori tale, but are nonetheless

mysterious. The famous photograph of the dead Confederate soldier in Devil’s Den was actually

a staged shot. The photographer dragged a nearby soldier’s body to Devil’s Den and posed the

body. Numerous visitors have experienced problems with their film and cameras when

photographing the Den. Some believe that the spirit of the dead soldier haunts the Den, seeking

vengeance on photographers since his remains were moved.

There are many other stories of ghosts who were mistaken for reenactors, who suddenly

disappeared or were absent for photos. Noises, cannons, musket fire, lights and cold spots are

all commonly reported at the battlefield. These incidents don’t just occur to people seeking out

ghosts, but to ordinary tourists who may not even believe in spirits.

For the adventurous, several candlelight ghost walks are conducted at Gettysburg. Tales of local

haunts and legends handed down through the generations are retold for the interested listener.

The Farnsworth House also offers the Civil War Mourning Theater in its basement, where ghost

stories are told. There is also an authentic Victorian era séance, which reproduces many of the

magic tricks popular during the Civil War.

The Farnsworth Inn, which is scarred by 150 bullet holes from the battle, has attracted

numerous TV shows, Including “Sightings,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” as well as features on The

Travel Channel, Discovery, A & E, and The Learning Channel. Psychic Richard Jackson has

periodically blessed the house, due to the high level of paranormal activity. Jackson is respected

as a legitimate psychic by the Farnsworth staff, who have seen their share of amateurs.

With its 14 resident ghosts, the Farnsworth Inn lays claim to the title of “ghost central” in

Gettysburg. The Inn has rooms decorated in the Victorian style, with two rooms, the Sarah Black

and the Jennie Wade, being haunted. The main dining room is graced by oil paintings of the

commanding generals, George C. Meade and Robert E. Lee. There is also dining in an open air

garden, alongside a spring-fed stream that both armies drank from during the battle. At the rear

of the house is a tavern, which contains memorabilia from the movie, “Gettysburg.” It is hard to

imagine a more congenial atmosphere to encounter ghosts.

Guests at the Inn, the staff and the ghosts experience an uneasy coexistence at times. A few

ghosts have even abruptly terminated their stays in the middle of the night and fled to the local

Holiday Inn.

As one of the Farnsworth Inn’s brochures reads, “Where so many poured out the wine of life,

where the very name of the field brings tears to the eyes of thousands of mourners; is it any

wonder that, with feet standing on sacred sod, the very air seems haunted, as well as hallowed,

and every wind the sigh of ghostly presence.”

Joe D. Haines, Jr., MD, MPH, FAAFP