Un-Civil Grounds - Paranormal Activity at U.S Civil War Prisons
by Donna Dalton
While researching settings for my historical romance, THE
REBEL WIFE, I took a field trip to the southern-most point of the state of
Maryland where Point Lookout Union Prison once stood. It was a glorious late
spring day. Short-wearing weather. Yet as I passed through the reconstructed
gate and into the prison innards, a heavy sense of oppression overcame me. This
flat, austere land had once imprisoned thousands of men. It had seen much
suffering and many deaths. Flanked by
the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other, the harsh
winter months must have been pure hell for the sparsely clothed and starving
inmates. Although I didn’t encounter any paranormal activity that day, I could
see how departing life in such a wretched place could leave behind tormented
souls.
I did a little research and discovered Point Lookout is
considered to have one of the most haunted lighthouses in the country. The
lighthouse sits at the very end of the peninsula. The most frequent sighting is
of a gaunt ghost clothed in ragged, homespun clothing, running back and forth
across the road. Other visitors have reported seeing a old woman on the beach,
and some speculate she is looking for her gravestone. Paranormal researchers to
the area have recorded over twenty-four different sounds and voices.
Other prison camps have reported paranormal activity as
well. At the Confederate prison in Andersonville, Georgia, many visitors have
heard eerie noises, including gunshots, marching, voices talking, and moaning.
There’s a stench that people have smelled in the general area of the camp. One
visitor was walking the grounds during twilight and spotted a strange figure
walking ahead of him. A putrid odor permeated the air. The stranger and the
odor vanished, but later, the man overheard a voice behind him talking about
giving the last rites.
At Fort Delaware prison camp, in a restored and fully
working officers’ kitchen, there have been reports of a female ghost that
lingers around the pantry, hiding items stored there and calling people by
name, telling them to get out. The officers’ quarters is reported to be haunted
by several apparitions. A childlike ghost tugs on people’s clothing and its
laughter can be heard. A woman’s ghost has tapped people on the shoulder and
has touched them. Books fall from shelves by themselves and crystals hanging
from a set of candlesticks move back and forth when there is no breeze to
account for the movement.
While I have never personally meet with any apparitions,
I believe they do exist, especially those souls who met their end during
calamitous times like the U.S. Civil War. For those readers who find this
period in American history fascinating, my latest book, THE REBEL WIFE, is set
during the height of the war. The hero is a Yankee war correspondent on his way
to Point Lookout to write an article about the prison. Louisa Carleton, a
southern rebel, is also headed to there to try and free her imprisoned brother.
Jack sees the world in black and white, while dyslexic Louisa sees everything
in a distorted light. The joining of these two people cannot help but be filled
with conflict and emotion. You can read
more about this story and how to purchase it on my website at www.donnadalton.net.
1 comment:
I apologize if anyone has already seen this post on Beth Trissel's blog. I inadvertently sent Eliza the wrong document. Trying to do too many things at the same time. Sheesh.
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