Ghosts of the Civil War

by Rich Newman

  The most famous criminals to have passed through the jail would have to be John and Lavinia Fisher. This husband-and-wife team ran an inn by the name of the Six Mile Wayfarer House. Located just outside the city of Charleston (about six miles), the small lodge gained a local reputation for disappearing guests. It seems, though, that law enforcement did not take these claims very seriously; the Fisher family was held in high regard and no evidence was ever produced that would damn them. Then their luck failed.

  Lavinia and John were alleged members of a small gang that would take advantage of people staying in the inn. At least they did so with the people who had money. Lavinia would serve the unsuspecting guests tea laced with poison and when they had succumbed to the brew in their room, John would rush in and stab them to make sure they were dead. The remainder of the gang presumably helped dispose of the bodies with the cleanup. Unfortunately for them, two guests survived their wiles and hastened the Fishers’ doom.

  One man, David Ross, was actually caught by the gang while he was staking out the place. He was roughed up—with Lavinia herself smashing his head through a window—but managed to escape. He went straight to the authorities and reported the incident. A short time later a second man, John Peeples, decided to stay at the inn. When he was served his tea, he refused it (he didn’t like tea) and went straight to his room. Prior to retiring, though, he had suffered enough interrogation from Lavinia that he was now suspicious of her and the inn, so he slept in a chair next to the door rather than the bed. He woke to the sound of John attacking the bed with his knife, so he quickly fled.

  Once Peeples alerted the police in Charleston to what happened, they had enough evidence to move on the Fishers. They were both arrested and charged with highway robbery—a crime that carried the death penalty in the day. A year later they were hung right in front of the jail. But one of them never really left. The spirit of Lavinia is said to still roam the jail, angry as ever. She’s usually seen as a black, shadowy mass or silhouette and is known to set off the motion alarms, move things, and generally creep people out.

  Other spirits that reputedly reside in the prison include pirates who were jailed there, Denmark Vesey, who organized a slave revolt (and was hung for it), and the aforementioned prisoners of war who spent the last moments of their lives sitting on the cold, hard floors of the Old Charleston Jail.

  Old Exchange Building

  Charleston, South Carolina

  Formally known as the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, this civic-minded building has been used for a plethora of functions over the years. It took almost five years to build (1767–71) and was initially a custom house and trade center, though it would quickly be expanded to accommodate a small jail and place for city officials and merchants to meet.

  During the American Revolution, the Exchange Building was used to store tea that had been confiscated from the British Army—and it was the original meeting place for local revolutionaries. When the British captured the city of Charleston in 1780, they used it to house prisoners of war, as well as traitorous and criminal British soldiers. It’s estimated that more than 120 prisoners were held during this time. Once the war was over, though, the Exchange Building was transformed into a post office for the region until the American Civil War.

  After South Carolina seceded from the Union, it became clear that the Confederacy needed to figure out the solutions to a lot of problems. One such problem was the mail system. Without the use of Federal stamps and the logistics that were in place for the mail, postmaster Alfred Huger had to come up with something. Though he was a Unionist, Huger loved his state, so he stayed in Charleston to continue running the post office for the Confederates. And since the creation of postage stamps had occurred at the Exchange Building, Huger simply went to a local printer and created a stamp to use for the Confederate States of America.

  Charleston saw a lot of turmoil during the Civil War, and the Old Exchange had its fair share of that. During a heavy bombardment by Union gunships, the building was damaged, but after a few repairs it was as good as new and would continue to operate for the people of Charleston for many years.

  Today, the Old Exchange is owned and operated by the South Carolina Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They offer costumed tours of the site that detail all the history and wonder that’s taken place over the years. And if you ask nice, you might even get some firsthand accounts of ghostly happenings, too.

  While the structure certainly played an important part during the Civil War, this time around the ghosts are significantly older than that. They are said to date back to the American Revolution, when the dungeons belowground were in heavy use. The conditions of the prison were deplorable, with standing water often causing stagnation, disease, and death. Those who have encountered the paranormal in this area say it is terrifying. The moans and groans of those in despair are often reported, as well as the occasional sighting of a dismayed apparition.

  Sometimes the ghosts even manage to get upstairs into the main part of the Old Exchange. Because the tours are given in period costume, you can imagine the confusion these spirits must endure—probably believing they are still in their own time. The confusion is also passed onto tourists; at least two have spoken to a “tour guide,” just to see him disappear right before their eyes.

  Tennessee State Capitol

  Nashville, Tennessee

  The Tennessee capitol building.

  Construction of this Greek Revival masterpiece began in 1845 and took fourteen years to complete. It is the masterwork of architect William Strickland who passed away before the building was even completed. Part of the building was modeled after the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece, and is one of only twelve state capitol buildings that does not have a dome.

  During the American Civil War, the capital of Tennessee was the first of the Confederacy to fall to the Union Army, and the capitol building was quickly occupied by that force. At first it was used as a hospital to treat the wounded coming in from the Battle of Stones River. When the worst of that was over, the hospital was expanded into a barracks and, eventually, into Fort Andrew Johnson. The fort was never attacked, however, so the cannons were only used for ceremonies and events.

  Once the war was over, the capitol reverted to its role as the seat of government for the state of Tennessee. And the same can be said of the structure today. Tours are offered of the capitol—and it’s a great way to see all the sights there, including the tomb of President James K. Polk and statues and monuments dedicated to President Andrew Jackson, President Andrew Johnson, and Civil War hero Sam Davis. But the main attraction is the dual tombs of William Strickland (the designer of the building) and Samuel Morgan, a government appointee who oversaw the construction of the capitol. This is said to be the source of the haunting there.

  Strickland and Morgan famously argued over every aspect of the capitol’s construction. Everyone was well aware that the two men hated each other and both were famously buried within the structure after their deaths. So imagine the surprise of those working there when they heard the phantom voices of the two men arguing. Over the years, numerous visitors to the capitol have heard the disembodied voices of Strickland and Morgan, speaking in heated tones.

  If you make a visit to the haunted capitol, you may want to make sure you’re there for the first tour of the day. It’s said that your best chance at hearing the ghostly voices is at 9 a.m. But don’t be sad if you miss it; there’s also a female apparition seen around the building in an antebellum dress, a ghostly figure who seems to grieve over the monument to President Polk, and the spirit of a Confederate soldier who wanders the grounds.

  Longwood University

  Farmville, Virginia

  While Longwood University is a public liberal arts school today, it wasn’t always so. In fact, racial tensions ran high at this university during the Civil Rights Era. As the town of Farmville r
esisted the laws of desegregation in 1959, community leaders of the college did nothing to further the cause of those being discriminated against. Public schools in Prince Edward County shut down until 1964 before accepting the law of the country. It just seems an odd thing since the school originated in 1839 as the Farmville Female Seminary Association.

  During the Civil War, the state of Virginia was an almost constant battleground. With massive clashes like The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Chancellorsville, the state endured hardship and far more than its fair share of casualties. Longwood University actually saw the war’s two most illustrious generals—Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee—march their respective armies to the Appomattox Courthouse to end it all.

  Today, the institution is like many others in the country, and well known for their quality of education. After researching the various spooky tales that surround this campus, though, I believe this university may be the most superstitious in the country as well. Seriously, urban legends, curses, and weird stories seem to be in abundance at Longwood. Here are a few of them …

  One of the most well know legends involves the name of the school. Through the years, the university has had a few different monikers—and it’s said that every time the name has changed, it has doomed the school to fire. In 1923, a dining facility burned down after the decision was made to change the name to State Teacher’s College, and just before the name was switched to Longwood College in 1949, a blaze destroyed White House Hall. There was even a fire in 2001 when the current name was taken by the school (this time in Ruffner Hall). So don’t expect any name changes for this place any time soon.

  There’s also a legend that involves the statue of a Confederate soldier located on campus. It states that, as long as you can see a shadow from the statue on the nearby wing of Ruffner Hall, the ghost of a resident soldier will remain dormant (presumably, the ghost somehow resides in the statue). However, if the shadow is not present, the spirit then roams the campus—and the town of Farmville—looking for trouble. There is even a supposed photograph of the shadowy apparition standing in front of the fire of 2001.

  How about some more legends? Tabb Hall is said to have a banshee of sorts that screams when someone is about to come to harm, Jarman Auditorium is haunted by a spirit who is placated by reserving him a seat during theater presentations (if you don’t leave a rose and program in “his” seat, he will sabotage the production), and Curry Residence Hall has the spirit of a young boy that you can see if you simply take the elevator to the tenth floor and then take it down to the basement. See? Superstitious.

  Virginia Military Institute

  Lexington, Virginia

  The Virginia Military Institute (also known as VMI) was created in 1836 when the Virginia legislature passed a bill allowing the arsenal located in the city of Lexington to be re-purposed into a school. The goal was to teach a balance of practical subjects, coupled with military training. Classes began in 1839 and the Class of 1842 graduated sixteen cadets. From the very beginning, the tradition of a “sentinel” was instituted, with the first ever being Private John Strange. Since then, a sentinel has been on duty at all hours, almost without fail.

  In 1850, a new set of barracks was constructed, and the very next year Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson began teaching on campus. And when their teacher became General Jackson, students from VMI were shipped to Camp Lee in Richmond to help train new Confederate soldiers. In all, students from the school would contribute to fourteen different engagements—and it’s said that when General Jackson noticed how many of his former students were present at the Battle of Chancellorsville, he said, “The Institute will be heard from today.”

  At the Battle of New Market, an individual unit was made called the VMI Corps of Cadets. They suffered fifty-five casualties in the clash with ten cadets killed. Even their commander, Colonel Scott Shipp, was wounded. But it was the addition of these troops that carried the South to the victory that day. VMI graduate and sculptor Moses Ezekiel (who was one of the wounded during the battle) created a statue to honor those who fell at the Battle of New Market. It’s called “Virginia Mourning Her Dead” and it still stands today.

  VMI is currently running strong and is consistently ranked well by US News and World Reports. Students enjoy a quality education on a historical campus. And with all the tradition and history comes a couple of ghost stories. There seem to be two that are well known through the faculty and student population. The first involves an apparition that’s known as the sentinel (or, sometimes, the “ghost sentinel”).

  The ghost is said to have been seen on many occasions, dressed in a long woolen coat, shoulder cape, and white gloves. He’s usually spotted outside in the vicinity of the old barracks, but he has even been witnessed inside a few times as well. On the surface it would seem to be a prime example of a residual ghost, but many students claim the ghost is quite intelligent, and they usually place blame on the phantom for various objects that move around in the barracks, ghostly footsteps that are heard, and cold spots that seem to appear.

  For our other ghost story, we need to return to the famous sculpture. Created as a memorial for the ten cadets who were killed in the Battle of New Market, this piece of art is known for ghostly activity. People have heard moans and cries coming from the area of the statue and shadowy apparitions have been seen nearby. This could be because six of the ten who died were buried behind the sculpture. It’s said you will know the spirits are active if the statue has “tears” on its face, so you may want to give that a look before doing any ghost hunting.

  St. Alban’s Sanatorium

  Radford, Virginia

  The Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain occurred on May 9, 1864, and is one that is probably missed by most folks. With a little over a thousand casualties, this clash in Virginia took just over an hour to complete. Though this sounds like a rather mundane affair (as battles in the American Civil War go), those who survived it say some of the most vicious fighting imaginable occurred—most of it hand-to-hand. Such intense emotion can often provide rich fodder for a haunting, even when that haunting occurs in a place that wouldn’t be built for another twenty-eight years.

  Dating back to 1892, St. Alban’s was originally constructed to be a school for young boys. Created by George W. Miles, the school quickly gained a reputation for its competitiveness and discipline. It maintained regular enrollment and seemed to do very well until Miles passed away. After that the institution began to lose students and soon it was shut down. But not for long.

  In 1916, Dr. J.C. King purchased the property and transformed the school into a sanatorium for the mentally ill. His intentions were good—to help those with psychiatric problems—but the methods of the day pretty much turned the place into a house of horrors. Techniques like electroconvulsive therapy, hydroshock therapy, and insulin coma therapy were used regularly, usually causing more problems than the patients were admitted with. Over the years, the health care improved at St. Alban’s, but it eventually shut down completely in 2003.

  Now who would imagine that an old sanatorium would be haunted? Okay, admittedly, everyone pretty much thinks the place is haunted. There are quite a few ghosts that have been documented by numerous paranormal investigators, television shows, and the staff there. What’s really neat about this particular spot is that you can go investigate the activity for yourself. You can book the place for your own investigation, take one of their official tours, or swing by when they’re doing one of their “haunted house” events. Let’s talk about the hot spots to check out on the chance that you’re planning to do some ghost hunting there.

  First there’s the electroconvulsive therapy room. It’s said to get a lot of activity, including shadow people, disembodied voices, and even physical contact (i.e. a ghost touching you). With some of the worst “treatment” being performed in this room, you can imagine the sounds you can hear here. Once you’re finished with this room, you will want to m
ove on to the other active areas in the building—the boiler room, the bowling alley, and the old bathroom.

  The boiler room is said to be haunted by a mean spirit that likes to shove people and speak with a hateful voice, the bowling alley is the hangout for a young spirit that has been named “Allie,” and the bathroom reportedly has a lot of activity due to several documented suicides that occurred there during the years the place functioned as a sanatorium. You will also want to swing by the “Whistle Room,” where you can take turns whistling with a ghost, and the “Rocker Room,” where a chair moves by itself.

  So what about the Civil War ghosts? Well, thanks to that war and an incident known as the “Draper’s Meadow Massacre,” people have heard the residual sounds of fighting in the vicinity of the structure. So make sure you spend some time outside, and maybe you will hear the ghostly sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle.

  Spotsylvania High School

  Spotsylvania, Virginia

  Known for the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the town of Spotsylvania is said to have a few ghostly hot spots. Most assume the spiritual activity has to do with the Civil War, though the town has seen a few other horrible events over the years, too, including a massive fire in 1807 (supposedly started by two drunk servants) and a deadly serial killer, by the name of Richard Evonitz, who killed at least three young girls in the area.

  The ghost (or ghosts) that haunts Spotsylvania High School is, most likely, associated with the war. Casualties from the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House number over 30,000—and, following the clash, many of the rural areas surrounding the town were converted to hasty cemeteries to accommodate the sudden deaths. Spotsy High (as the locals call it) is said to have been built on one such cemetery. When the school was constructed, graves were, indeed, relocated to accommodate the structure, so this may be the case with this haunting.