Ghosts of the Civil War by Rich Newman

Author:Rich Newman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ghosts of the civil war;civil war ghosts;civil war;haunted;ghost hunting;haunted locations;gettysburg;paranormal;true ghost
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2017-08-22T13:47:38+00:00

Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga.

If you drove past the small patch of grass and trees between East Third and East Fifth Streets in Chattanooga, you probably wouldn’t give it a second look. Unless of course you saw the bizarre sight of ghostly soldiers standing at attention.

During 1862 and 1863, Chattanooga was the center of Civil War action. There were three battles that involved the city—two were minor affairs, but the third was a major seize initiated by Confederate General Braxton Bragg.

After his defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga (located just south of the city of Chattanooga), Union Major General William S. Rosecrans fled north to the city to recover. Because of Chattanooga’s strategic importance as a railroad center and port on the Tennessee River, General Bragg determined to root out the Federals there. General Ulysses S. Grant would have something to say about that, however.

Once he had assumed command of the western front for the US Army, General Grant determined to help the Northern force under siege in Chattanooga. First he opened up the Tennessee River for supplies to enter the city (known then as the “Cracker Line”), then he sent in Major General William T. Sherman with his troops to shore up the strength of the army there. Then the battles began. Attacks on nearby Orchard Knob and Lookout Mountain both proved successful. And though an attack on Tunnel Hill would initially fail, a second push created a Union victory and drove Confederate forces completely from the area.

During all this, as well as the other times the city came under attack, many of the major buildings and homes in Chattanooga were transformed into hospitals to care for the wounded and dying. And many of those who perished were buried in hastily made, makeshift graveyards. The Confederate Cemetery was one of these plots. It wasn’t until 1992 that the local mayor determined to renovate and improve the graveyard—and it didn’t take long after the improvements for reports of spooky residents to start emerging.

Eyewitness accounts of paranormal activity in the cemetery include ghost lights, misty apparitions, and the sounds of moans and groans. In addition to this, there seems to be a particular spirit that likes to hang out at the location, too. This male entity usually appears as a black mass or dark figure that’s seen in the back area of the cemetery (farthest from the road). Those who have run into this spirit say he seems to be watching those who are there and that he often appears with the smell of tobacco.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery

Russellville, Tennessee

Originating in 1832, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church was in turmoil when the American Civil War kicked off in 1861. The congregation was split between those who sympathized with the Southern states and those who were staunchly loyal to the United States government in Washington, DC. So the church did the only sensible thing available: Services were shut down pending the end of the war. If only everyone could have been so reasonable.

The church would, however, play a small part in the war a couple years later.

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