Ghosts of the Civil War

by Rich Newman

  Though the Rebels vastly outnumbered the Federal troops 13 to 1, they were unable to dig the Northern soldiers from their trenches. General Hood realized that a full assault, though most likely successful in the end, would bring with it a lot of casualties. So he decided to cross the Tennessee River farther along the waterway in the city of Tuscumbia. What small amount of gunfire took place created a little over 600 casualties, the bulk of them being Confederate.

  During this affair, the Old State Bank (then known as the State Bank Building) was used at the Union Army’s headquarters. And once the fighting began—and was over—a portion of the place was utilized as a makeshift field hospital for the wounded. The circa 1833 building was just close enough to the battle that it earned its fair share of slugs and Minie balls in the exterior walls. The inside of the bank, specifically the vaults, is also decorated by something even more gruesome: the blood of the men who were treated within.

  Today, the Old State Bank is a living museum (and one of three structures from the Civil War era still standing in Decatur). With its Palladian styled architecture and recently renovated interior it makes for a wonderful visit and tour. It’s also a popular place for ghost hunting enthusiasts to check out. With a couple of well-known ghosts (perhaps three) on the premises, it definitely warrants your time.

  The most well-known spirit in the bank is that of the “Black Lady” or the “Lady in Black.” People have seen her roaming the rooms and softly crying in the corners. Some say these are actually two different ghosts, though nobody can explain why the Lady in Black cannot be the ghost that is also crying. There is also said to be an apparition that’s been seen near the vaults (where much of the medical procedures were performed) that looks like a Civil War soldier. Add in doors that open and close by themselves, cold spots, and items that move around, and you’ve got a good haunting going on.

  Swing by the Old State Bank when they’re hosting ghost tours or some other paranormal-related event and you’ve got one heckuva good trip planned.

  Marion Military Institute

  Marion, Alabama

  Founded in 1842, the Marion Military Institute was originally known as the Howard English & Classical School. The name changed again prior to the Civil War to “Howard College,” and so it would remain during the entirety of the conflict. As battles raged throughout the south, it became necessary to establish a medical center for all the wounded and dying, and so the South Barracks of the college, along with the chapel, were transformed into Breckenridge Military Hospital from 1863 until 1865.

  In 1887, Howard College was moved to the city of Birmingham (where it would later be renamed once again to Samford University) and the campus was turned into the Marion Military Institute (MMI), a preparatory high school and college. The Old South Barracks building would become Lovelace Hall and the chapel … well, the chapel remained pretty much the same.

  These days, MMI is a thriving campus and the ghost stories of the institution are well known with the faculty and students. They date back to the Civil War and are said to be a product of those who died while being treated at Breckenridge Military Hospital. During those years, Lovelace Hall was the actual treatment center, and the chapel was a hospice of sorts for those who were doomed to die. Behind the chapel was a cemetery used to bury those who never left the surgeon’s table—and that is said to be the area from whence the ghosts now come.

  Pretty much the entire area around the chapel has had some kind of paranormal activity. It ranges from sightings of apparitions to hearing disembodied voices and footsteps. Students have had encounters in the dorms, glimpses of ghosts have taken place in various classrooms, and ghost lights are said to wander the grounds. On an interesting note, stories of students being temporarily “possessed” by the spirits are also told, and many believe the spirits are angry and quite malevolent. Let’s hope this is truly not the case.

  University of Montevallo

  Montevallo, Alabama

  Dating back to 1896, the University of Montevallo is the only public liberal arts college in Alabama. There are twenty-eight spots on the campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the institution consistently ranks in the top colleges in the South. Nothing in this description—including the date it was founded—would conjure up any notion of a Civil War era ghost being present. At least, not until you look at the individual buildings on campus.

  The two oldest structures in the university, the King House and Reynolds Hall, date back to the mid-1800s. Edmond King, a rich businessman, moved to Montevallo in the 1820s and built his home, which he named the “Mansion House.” The town was steadily growing around him when the Civil War began. Initially, Montevallo was a safe haven of sorts for the Confederate Army; they could do a bit of R&R, recuperate from fighting, and even seek medical aid if necessary.

  As the war wore on, and casualties grew, the need for medical aid outweighed the need for any relaxation, so a local building was turned into a field hospital. This building is now known as Reynolds Hall. Locals say that in addition to the death and misery that usually happens at a military hospital, Reynolds Hall received even more than usual when Federal troops swept through the city. Legend states that soldiers under the command of Major General William T. Sherman stormed the hospital and killed many of the sick and wounded. History of course does not back this up. Troops did enter the city to destroy the nearby Brierfield Ironworks, but no facts back up the bloodshed in the hospital.

  Either way, those who perished in the hospital were taken and buried at the nearby King Cemetery. And when the war was over, the Alabama Girls Industrial School moved in, partially due to the support of war veteran Captain Henry Clay Reynolds. He would become the first president of the university, with Reynolds Hall being named after him. He would later be fired when it was discovered he was embezzling money.

  The name of the school changed to University of Montevallo in 1969 just after the first three African American students enrolled for classes. It’s also estimated that the first ghost stories began to circulate among the student population in the late sixties. There are few haunted locations on the campus, and you may consider taking one of their “ghost walks” if you want to get first-hand accounts of the happenings there and visit all the hot spots. There seems to be five haunted areas.

  Reynolds Hall is said to be populated by the man it’s named for. It’s said that Captain Reynolds was so crushed when he was fired from his position that it affected him until his death—so he returned to the hall in the afterlife. People have seen his pale blue apparition in the building, heard moans and groans during the night, and say that windows and doors seem to constantly open by themselves. There’s also a legend that at one time a painting of Reynolds was removed from the wall and replaced with something else. The next day the original painting had magically returned itself to the wall.

  Our next stop is the old Main Hall building, also known as the women’s residence hall. It seems to be haunted by the spirits of two young women. One is said to have hung herself due to bad grades. The other, named Condie Cunningham, burned to death after her gown caught fire from a portable stove. Residents of the hall say that they hear female screams at night, footsteps in the hall, and a female voice that says, “Help me.” Opinions vary as to the ghost doing these things.

  Other haunted places on the campus include the King House (said to be haunted by Edmond King), Palmer Hall (where the ghost of Dr. W. H. Trumbauer is said to reside), and Hanson Hall, where the spirit of an ex-employee has been seen a few times. See, that ghost walk sounds pretty good now, doesn’t it?

  Crooked Creek Civil War Museum

  Vinemont, Alabama

  The Crooked Creek Civil War Museum and Park is the culmination of twenty-five years of hard work for one man named Fred Wise. He worked laboriously to slowly turn a parcel of harsh land into a tourist site for those interested in the Battle of Hog Mountain and the Battl
e of Day’s Gap. The museum is located in the historic Vinemont Stagecoach Inn, and if you really want to take the time to explore the park, you may consider staying in the cabin located there. It is also a historic structure known as the “Mayes Home.” It dates back to 1830 or so and was relocated to the park in 1996 from the town of Somerville, Alabama.

  As for the two battles that occurred there, they are part of a series of skirmishes known now as Streight’s Raid. Led by Colonel Abel Streight, a Union force attempted to destroy or disrupt the Western & Atlantic Railroad that was supplying General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate soldiers with supplies in Tennessee. But when Southern cavalry commander Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest learned of the movement, he pursued the Federal troops.

  This set off a series of rear attacks by General Forrest as Colonel Streight and his men fled. These clashes started at Day’s Gap and then occurred at Crooked Creek, Hog Mountain, Blountsville, Black Creek, Blount’s Plantation, and ended at Cedar Bluff when General Forrest surrounded the Union soldiers and forced their surrender. As an interesting side note, once the pursuit was over, one of General Forrest’s subordinates, Lieutenant A. Wills Gould, challenged him to a duel. He was angry that the general was planning to transfer him. General Forrest won the duel and Lieutenant Gould was transferred to the local cemetery.

  As for the ghost stories associated with the Crooked Creek Civil War Museum, there aren’t any specific tales or entities to be named. Most everyone agrees that the paranormal doings are associated with those who were killed during the war, but aside from one group who claims to have photographed an apparition of a soldier, there aren’t many specifics. There is, however, quite a bit of documented activity.

  Both the cabin and museum seem to be visited by spirits. People have heard disembodied voices (mostly whispers and moans) and the odd knocks/bangs on the walls, etc. Doors are said to open by themselves, objects seem to be moved when nobody is around, and—when ghost hunters have visited the location—there does seem to be an odd amount of EMFs (electromagnetic fields). So this may warrant a night’s stay in the old cabin.

  Old Fort Smith Courthouse

  Fort Smith, Arkansas

  The military post of Fort Smith was an important one during the American Civil War. This fort and the arsenal located in Little Rock were the backbone of the Confederate Army in the state of Arkansas. Soldiers stationed at Fort Smith participated in the Battles of Wilson’s Creek and Pea Ridge and stood their ground at the post until a large Union force approached in August 1863. They then decided to abandon it, rather than take on the Federals. The Union Army kept control of Fort Smith for the remainder of the war.

  While all of this was taking place, Isaac Charles Parker was serving as a city attorney in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was also enlisted in the local pro-Union home guard, known as the 61st Missouri Emergency Regiment, where he earned the rank of corporal. He continued working in politics, as well as the court system until well after the war. When Ulysses S. Grant, the commander of the Union Army, was elected President of the United States, he appointed Parker to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.

  After Judge Isaac Parker arrived in Fort Smith on May 4, 1875, he wasted no time cracking down on local criminals. In his first session of court he tried eighteen men, all accused of murder, and found fifteen guilty. Eight were sentenced to mandatory death—and six of them were executed on September 3, 1875. Judge Parker presided over the court until 1889 when the court was shut down in favor of a new system that held jurisdiction over “Indian Territory.” Parker died later the same year of Bright’s Disease.

  During his twenty-one-year tenure as judge, Isaac Parker tried over 13,000 cases, with more than 8,500 either pleading guilty or being found guilty. He handed out 160 death sentences, with seventy-nine making it to the execution (the others either died in prison or were acquitted). But his legacy as the infamous “Hanging Judge” Parker would live on. It also seems that several of those executed by Parker would live on as well …

  The Old Fort Smith Courthouse is now part of the Fort Smith National Historic Site and, along with the barracks and jail, is the visitor’s center. Employees of the site, as well as visitors who have toured through the building, have had some rather interesting ghostly experiences. The apparitions of haggard men have been seen outside in the vicinity of the gallows where they, presumably, were hung. And some say the old court room is home to a residual haunt that allows people to catch a glimpse through time.

  At least two witnesses have been in the courtroom when they suddenly heard voices begin speaking, and then they began to see the apparitions of prisoners and even what looks like guards taking away a prisoner. Some say this ghostly prisoner is the same apparition that’s been seen outside, too. He appears to be an old man dressed in ragged clothing and is known to hang out in the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

  Old State House

  Little Rock, Arkansas

  The Old State House in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi. It was built between 1833 and 1842 by architect Gideon Shryock for territorial governor John Pope, and it would remain the official state capitol until a new one was built in 1912. At that point, the building was converted to a medical school for a bit, was renamed the Arkansas War Memorial, and in 1947 it was then transformed into the museum that it is today.

  While Little Rock never had an official battle during the Civil War, the nearby Battle of Bayou Fourche had a great impact upon the city. Major General Fred Steele of the Union Army had his sights set on capturing the city of Little Rock. So, to that end, he deployed Brigadier General John Davidson and his cavalry across the Arkansas River to advance on the city. His men ran into Confederate cavalry, though, at Bayou Fourche. Led by Colonel Archibald Dobbins, they were the last hope of keeping the Federal soldiers out of Little Rock. And they failed. The Southern force was quickly routed and the US Army took the city of Little Rock that same day.

  Federal officers quickly took the Old State House and not only made it their headquarters, but declared it the Union capitol of the state (the actual Arkansas governor, Harris Flanagin, had already relocated himself to the city of Washington, which he declared to be the Confederate capitol of the state). But it would not be any of these folks associated with the Civil War that would stick around to haunt the place. The ghost (or possibly ghosts) is one, or both, of two politicians associated with two ugly incidents that occurred on the premises.

  Our first candidate for the spirit there was a man named John Wilson. He was the Speaker of the House and was involved in an incident with a fellow representative named Joseph J. Anthony. When Wilson ruled Anthony “out of order” during a session, Anthony attacked him with a knife. Wilson drew a blade of his own and ended up the victor. Anthony died and the incident was ruled an “excusable homicide.” Several witnesses who have seen the ghost in the State House say it is John Wilson.

  We also have a second person that could be the ghost (or perhaps both haunt the building). He is Joseph Brooks, a politician who was involved in a bizarre incident that caused a temporary rift in the Arkansas government. It seems that Brooks was running for governor against Elisha Baxter and lost. Instead of being a graceful loser, he decided to usurp the office, set up a cannon in front of the State House, and declared himself governor. Meanwhile, Baxter set up an alternate government office down the street. President Grant was forced to step in and depose Brooks—and many say he was so crushed by it all that he has now returned to the place.

  Whoever the ghost is, an appearance seems to be rather rare. So why not take a tour and check out all the exhibits?

  The Capitol Building

  Washington, District of Columbia

  Troops waiting in ambush by the Capitol Building.

  How can a location that’s so integrally a part of the history of the United States be withou
t a ghost? The answer: It can’t! Since the Capitol building (also known as Capitol Hill) was finished in 1800, there have been numerous stories of unexplained events taking place in those hallowed halls. This structure houses the entire United States Congress and receives thousands of visitors annually, so there are certainly plenty of people around to see the bizarre happenings that occur there. We will highlight some of the best and most well-known paranormal tales involving this spot.

  Since the Capitol was the site of much unrest and worry during the American Civil War, you might think it would be spirits from this era who inhabit the place. You would be wrong. It’s our next location that’s said to be one of the spots that Abraham Lincoln hangs out in during the afterlife. The Capitol is, however, occupied by a bevy of other infamous ghosts instead.

  The most famous ghost that is said to inhabit this location would be that of President John Quincy Adams. His spirit has been seen and heard in the area known as Statuary Hall (this was the former chamber of the House of Representatives). President Adams suffered a stroke while attending a debate there, but he was moved and perished two days later. Those who have encountered his ghost say that you can hear his footsteps walking across the floor and, sometimes, even see what looks like a pale glowing apparition.

  Right behind President Adams was his predecessor, the ghost of former President James Garfield. He was assassinated on July 2, 1881, at the now defunct Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station as he was leaving to begin his summer vacation. His spirit is said to walk the halls of the Capitol, and witnesses have seen him on a few occasions. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, is also said to be seen haunting the building!

  Another well-known entity in the Capitol would be that of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the original planner of the building. After working on the construction of the site for some time, L’Enfant was fired by President George Washington for destroying a local home that blocked the view from the new capitol. Because he was summarily fired, he was never paid for the work and planning he had done. As a result, he died a destitute man. Now his forlorn spirit can be seen in the subterranean portions of the capitol, usually moaning to himself about his mistreatment.