A story from Gettysburg Ghost Walk
I promised to tell you one of the ghost stories that I heard on the ghost walk in Gettysburg. The one that stood out in my mind that night happened here.
The area you see here may not look like much now, but on July 4, 1863 this area was known as WILLOUGHBY RUN. It was all dirt with a creek running through it. During the combat, the Confederates used the seven foot banks of Willoughby Run both as an entrenchment and a place to get some relief from the blazing sun and the heat of the battle.
It's said that on the last day of the battle as the troops were pulling out that a sudden thunderstorm hit the area and cause a flash flood of Willoughby Creek (there actually was a storm like that on July 4th.) It trapped several troopers and drowned them, and you're supposed to be able to hear their cries to this day. The stream crosses town, and it's been reported that if you get too near a storm grate that ghostly hands will grab at your trouser cuffs in an effort to pull themselves out of the surging waters. We were told that the little stream and a footbridge were still there a few years ago, and that when the city went to close it off (as shown in the photo above) that they found both fossil type claw marks and human finger nails embedded into the sides of the dirt. We were also told that Some of the wounded soldiers were down in the entrenchment and that for several days after the battle that the water ran red with blood.
Now I don't know how true any of this is, but it made for a good ghost story, and I don't mind admitting I hurried across that area and on down the sidewalk.
The area you see here may not look like much now, but on July 4, 1863 this area was known as WILLOUGHBY RUN. It was all dirt with a creek running through it. During the combat, the Confederates used the seven foot banks of Willoughby Run both as an entrenchment and a place to get some relief from the blazing sun and the heat of the battle.
It's said that on the last day of the battle as the troops were pulling out that a sudden thunderstorm hit the area and cause a flash flood of Willoughby Creek (there actually was a storm like that on July 4th.) It trapped several troopers and drowned them, and you're supposed to be able to hear their cries to this day. The stream crosses town, and it's been reported that if you get too near a storm grate that ghostly hands will grab at your trouser cuffs in an effort to pull themselves out of the surging waters. We were told that the little stream and a footbridge were still there a few years ago, and that when the city went to close it off (as shown in the photo above) that they found both fossil type claw marks and human finger nails embedded into the sides of the dirt. We were also told that Some of the wounded soldiers were down in the entrenchment and that for several days after the battle that the water ran red with blood.
Now I don't know how true any of this is, but it made for a good ghost story, and I don't mind admitting I hurried across that area and on down the sidewalk.
Labels: Civil War History, Gettysburg, Ghost
posted by Patty at
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
4 Comments:
What a fascinating story, I've never heard about Willoughby Run or any of that. I think I'd be hurrying through there myself after all that! I wonder if it's true about the fossils and the fingernails??
Good Post!
You must have taken the same Ghost Tour that we did a number of years back. We enjoyed it and I do remember this place being explained by our Tour Guide. However, I don't recall anything being said about Claw Marks or fossils being found. Maybe this was done after we had taken the Tour.
Can I share your story on my blog ghosts2009.blogspot.com if so send me an email to jamieinenglewood@gmail.com
I just stumbled on to your blog and wow! I work for a museum in Kansas City (yep, of course it's haunted) and have met several ghost hunting groups that have come to investigate. Gettysburg would be SO cool. Thanks for sharing!
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