Ghosts of the Civil War

by Rich Newman

  Barbara Fritchie House and Museum

  Frederick, Maryland

  Everything about this location is quite interesting. First there’s the house; it’s actually a replica of the original building that stood there during the American Civil War. Then there’s the person: Barbara Fritchie (also spelled “Frietchie” and “Frietschie”). It’s said that she was so strongly in favor of preserving the Union of the United States that when the Confederate Army under Major General Stonewall Jackson came through the town of Frederick, Barbara accosted them by waving the Union flag. According to the tale, she was approached by General Jackson, but Barbara was not daunted. She said, “Shoot if you must this old gray head, but spare your country’s flag.”

  A poem was written by John Greenleaf Whittier about her (titled “Barbara Frietchie”), and when her home was deemed destitute, it was replaced with a replica that is now open to the public today. If you stop by and check it out, you just may run into Barbara herself. Well, the ghost of Barbara anyway. Visitors to the museum have reported seeing her apparition, hearing her voice, and seeing a rocking chair move all by itself. It’s an interesting side tale from the Civil War and a unique haunting.

  Sotterley Plantation

  Hollywood, Maryland

  It’s always nice when a historic location embraces its haunted history. At Sotterley Plantation they even go the extra mile by offering a “Ghosts of Sotterley” experience. You will have to visit the home in the month of October, though, if you want to participate in that. It’s also a great time to visit this circa 1703 property (if you count the original two room house). It was originally built by James Bowles, but is more associated with the second male owner, George Plater III. It was he that named the place “Sotterley” after his ancestral home in England.

  At the time of the Civil War, Dr. Walter Hanson Stone Briscoe was running the estate, along with much of his family and approximately fifty slaves. Three of the young men there, all Briscoe’s sons, signed up to fight for the Confederacy. When the state of Maryland emancipated slaves in 1864, though, the plantation fell on hard times. Thankfully, that is not the case today. With so much to see and do at the historic site, Sotterley Plantation is thriving. But let’s get back to those ghosts we mentioned earlier …

  The most well-known spirit on the property would have to be that of George Plater III. It’s said he likes to hang out on the second floor of the property and that he will let visitors know he is there by tugging on their clothes, touching them, and (sometimes) speaking in their ear. Additional spirits are said to walk the area around the old slave quarters (they are thought to be the ghosts of slaves). People have heard music playing and seen shadowy apparitions there. And if that’s not enough, there seems to be a motherly ghost that lingers in the main kitchen; some have smelled the scent of food cooking and heard a female voice there.

  Hampton House

  Towson, Maryland

  More formally known these days as the Hampton National Historic Site, this Georgian styled mansion dates to 1790 and a man named Colonel Charles Ridgely. When it was built, it was the largest private home in the country—and it serviced the Ridgely family through the Revolutionary War (a prosperous time for them since they had an ironworks). And when the Civil War rolled around, Charles Ridgely created the pro-Confederate Baltimore County Horse Guards. They functioned as a sort of “State Guard” unit the end of the war. At that point, the state of Maryland eliminated slavery in 1864, and the grand tobacco estate of the Ridgely family began to fail.

  Operated by the National Park Service, the Hampton House is part of a massive national site that includes the original house, the slave quarters, dairy, barn, and granary. You can tour the entire complex—but you might want to skip asking about the ghosts. The employees don’t officially speak about them. Before the home became a national site, though, the previous owners of the place (Preservation Maryland) spoke plenty about them, and even offered ghost tours. There seems to be quite the collection of spirits on the site, so you might want to pay close attention as you take the tour.

  The two main ghosts are the spirits of young women named Priscilla Ridgely and Cygnet Swann. Priscilla has been seen and heard throughout the home, but Cygnet is said to stay in her old bedroom, where she has been seen and the sound of a harpsichord has been heard playing. A third apparition, that of a butler named “Tom,” has been witnessed at various times on the lower floor. In addition to all this, there is a plethora of activity at the Hampton House. Disembodied voices, doors opening and closing by themselves, and heavy footsteps heard on the stairs and in the hallway top the list.

  Landon House

  Urbana, Maryland

  Also known as the “Stancioff House,” this historic home is instantly recognizable due to its unique clerestory roof, double full-length porches, and Greek Revival interior. It was originally constructed in 1754 in Virginia, but was relocated in 1846 and expanded. Over the years, the property has been used in a number of ways—as a seminary, a military institute, and (of course) a family home. When the Civil War started, it was known as the Landon Female Academy, but was abandoned because of the fighting in the area. General J.E.B. Stuart actually hosted an impromptu ball at the school on September 8, 1862—and Union troops took a bit of respite at the place just a week or so later.

  These days the Landon House is known for special events and gatherings. Specifically, weddings. They also host the occasional ghost tour and “haunted mansion” type of event close to Halloween. It’s only slightly ironic that this is the period when people seem to notice the spiritual activity at the place, too. Most of it seems to be residual sights and sounds stemming from two specific events at the house: When the “Sabers and Roses Ball” was held by General Stuart and the short period that the home was used as a field hospital during the Civil War. The ghostly activity includes disembodied voices, glimpses of misty figures (sometimes appearing as people attending the ball), and sounds that are associated with most hauntings (footsteps, knocks, bangs, etc.).

  The Dr. Mudd House Museum

  Waldorf, Maryland

  The execution of the conspirators of President Lincoln’s assassination.

  Of all the horrific events associated with the American Civil War—or at least the time period immediately following the war—the assassination of Abraham Lincoln may be the most notorious. John Wilkes Booth, an actor from Maryland, plotted with others to kill President Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William H. Seward. On the night of the attack, Johnson was actually spared. Seward was wounded. Only Booth carried out the plan correctly, shooting President Lincoln in the back of the head at Ford’s Theatre.

  Immediately following the attack, Booth fled the scene of the crime and was later killed while hiding in a barn in Virginia. Eight conspirators were tried, all were found guilty, and four were hanged for their crimes. Dr. Samuel Mudd was one of these conspirators; he was sentenced to life in prison for his help with the assassination. So what help did he provide? The night of the killing, Booth (along with another conspirator named Herold) visited Dr. Mudd to receive treatment for a broken leg he suffered during the attack. Dr. Mudd fixed him up, managed to secure him a set of crutches, and gave the two men shelter for the night. It also seems that Mudd was a key contact when Booth was planning the attacks.

  The Dr. Mudd House Museum is now a living museum. They offer tours, host events, and generally offer a fun and educational experience to all who visit. The paranormal activity in the house is tame enough that you shouldn’t feel frightened during your visit. It’s said a spirit likes to hang out in the bedroom where John Wilkes Booth spent the night there. The staff often finds the bed messed up when they return to open in the morning, even though the house was empty the night before. Nobody is sure who the spirit is—some think it’s Booth, some think it’s someone from the Mudd family—but he or she often gets blamed for things that
go missing and the odd sounds that seem to occur there.

  Deason House

  Ellisville, Mississippi

  The story of this old farm house is forever entangled with that of a man named Newt Knight and his attempt to create a “Free State of Jones” during the Civil War. Amos Deason built the home in 1845 and found himself in a strange predicament when Major Amos McLemore arrived on his doorstep. The Confederate officer was there to hunt a band of deserters led by Knight. When Newt found out that he was staying at the Deason house, he made a preemptive strike; he stormed the house and shot McLemore dead as he was warming by the fire. If that murder wasn’t enough to make the place haunted, also consider that the home was used for surgery on soldiers wounded while fighting in Mississippi.

  Now owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution, you can arrange to tour the home or attend one of the yearly events that are held there. If you mention that you are interested in the ghosts—well, you’re going to get an earful. Almost everyone who has been in the home has had an experience. Misty apparitions have been seen, disembodied voices heard (especially gasps and whispers that sound like they’re right in your ear), and there’s an old rocking chair that seems to be favored by one of the spirits there. Some say the ghost of Newt is in the house, but odds are that the spirits are either family members who passed away while living there or soldiers who perished during surgery.

  Cedar Grove Mansion Inn & Restaurant

  Vicksburg, Mississippi

  Though you can certainly swing by this fine establishment for a nice meal, I’d recommend spending the night in one of their rooms if possible. John Alexander Klein finished building Cedar Grove in 1852 for his young bride, Elizabeth, and they moved in right after. When the siege of Vicksburg began in 1863, the house was struck by cannon fire (there’s still a cannonball lodged in the side of the home today), but would survive the battle. What would not survive was the Klein family’s reputation. It was well known that Elizabeth was a relative of Union Major General William T. Sherman (not a popular guy in the south).

  Cedar Grove is now a top-notch tourist destination for people traveling Highway 61 (famous for the blues), as well as visiting the city of Vicksburg. As for the ghost stories associated with the place … well, there’s quite a few of them. It seems that the entire Klein family has stuck around. During their tenure at the mansion there were several bouts of bad luck. One of their sons accidentally killed himself while cleaning a gun, and three different children died of natural causes (disease, illness, etc.) in the home. It’s said that one or more of them are responsible for the sounds of children laughing that are heard in the house—and it’s them that get blamed for things that go missing. The spirit of Elizabeth has been seen going up the staircase and even John is thought to haunt the place. They say you can smell the scent of his pipe when he’s around.

  Duff Green Mansion

  Vicksburg, Mississippi

  Shortly after Duff Green married Mary Lake, he built her this awesome home in 1856. They were quite the socialites and often threw galas there. Of course, when the Civil War made its way to the city of Vicksburg, this all ended. During the period in 1863 when General Ulysses S. Grant held the city under siege, Duff Green Mansion was used as a hospital. Duff made the arrangement to spare the place from the almost constant barrage of artillery that was hitting Vicksburg. The basement was used for surgery, the main floor for recovering Confederate troops, and the top floor was reserved for the Federal soldiers who were wounded. Meanwhile, Mary gave birth to a baby boy in a nearby cave (she named him William Siege Green).

  Duff Green mansion is a stylish bed and breakfast today that’s as known for its ghost stories as it is for plush rooms and top notch service. The spirit of Mary Green has been seen quite a few times throughout the mansion—she’s said to appear with her blond hair pulled back and wearing a green dress. And if you feel like staying in a room that’s known for the occasional ghostly appearance, you may consider staying in the Dixie Room. It’s said to be the residence of a one-legged Confederate soldier. Well, his spirit anyway. People see him sitting in a chair that’s in the room.

  McRaven House

  Vicksburg, Mississippi

  This particular house was built in several sections, with the first (and oldest) dating back to 1797 and a man named Andrew Glass. He used the property as a waystation of sorts for people traveling the Natchez Trace. Sheriff Stephen Howard purchased the house from him in 1836, added on to the property, but suffered a personal blow while there: The death of his young bride, Mary Elizabeth, during child birth. So he sold the property to John Bobb in 1849. During the Civil War, when the siege of Vicksburg was in effect, Bobb decided to offer his home for use as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. Normally this would spare a home from attack, but due to the close proximity of the railroad (used for supplies), the estate was hit by fire a number of times.

  Now the place is known as the McRaven House (it was named after the street it’s located on—though the street has since changed names, too). It is a southern mecca for ghost hunters. Offering ghost tours, paranormal investigations, and a gift shop, this is one of the most accessible Civil War era homes to ghost enthusiasts. It’s known for three different spirits, though there’s plenty of side activity happening, too. The spirit of Mary Elizabeth Howard has been seen in the bedroom where she perished, John Bobb’s ghost seems to like the balcony and second floor of the house, and Andrew Glass is said to still be in the bedroom now named for him. There’s countless eyewitness accounts online concerning experiences at the McRaven House. Definitely include it on the itinerary if you’re planning a visit to Vicksburg.

  Kendrick Place

  Carthage, Missouri

  This living museum dates back to 1849 and a blacksmith named William Kendrick. When it was first constructed, locals called the place a “mansion” because it was the first home to have glass windows. It was one of the few structures in the area to survive the Civil War—and this was due to its use as a hospital by both forces. And when fighting was over, the home continued to help the town of Carthage by functioning as a “sick house” and a temporary courthouse.

  The Kendrick Place is now a living museum that you can visit, tour, and learn more about the struggle between the North and South in Missouri. With the history of the home as a military hospital—and all the death and pain that comes with that—you might think that the place is haunted by those who died there while being treated. But you would be wrong. The haunting is actually associated with a local legend that states a young female slave was hung near the house. It’s unclear why she was hung (some say she attempted to escape, others state she was caught shirking her duties), but people have been seeing and hearing her ghost for decades. She has been spotted walking around the yard outside the house, and some say she likes to whisper in the ears of those taking tours there. Maybe she just wants everyone to know that she’s still around.

  Jesse James Farm

  Kearney, Missouri

  Legendary outlaw Jesse James needs no real introduction. His infamous doings with the James-Younger Gang are well known. What’s less known is his participation in the American Civil War. Jesse, along with his brother Frank, were both “Bushwackers” during the war. This was a term used for pro-Confederate guerillas who operated in Missouri and Kansas. Known for constantly harassing Union troops throughout the region, Jesse James participated in an ugly incident that’s now known as the Centralia Massacre. This affair was perpetrated by William “Bloody Bill” Anderson and involved twenty-four Union soldiers being summarily executed after being captured.

  As for the farm, Jesse was born there in 1847—and after he was killed by Robert Ford on April 3, 1882, he was buried there in the yard (his body was later relocated). Want to know more? Visit the Friends of the James Farm and take a guided tour of the premises. Ghostly activity seems to happen inside and outside the home, so a tour w
ill be your best bet to get to all these areas. Inside activity seems to stem around the violence that occurred on the farm; Jesse’s half brother, Archie, was killed by Pinkerton agents at the farmhouse and his mother, Zerelda, had her hand shot off. People say bizarre lights will appear in the house that seem to float about, room to room. And outside, the residual effects of guerilla warfare are evident. Sightings of spectral soldiers and the sounds of battle top the list of activity.

  Oliver Anderson House

  Lexington, Missouri

  The Oliver Anderson House is part of the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site—and the history of the home is tied up with that clash. It began when General Sterling Price arrived in the city of Lexington, encountering Federal troops under the command of Colonel James A. Mulligan. Mulligan’s “Irish Brigade” from Illinois quickly took the defensive in the campaign, but a constant exchange of artillery eventually took its toll on the Northern soldiers. With a final rush, General Price managed to overtake the Union element, forcing their surrender. It was one of the few Confederate victories during Price’s march across Missouri.

  As for the Oliver Anderson House, it was used throughout the battle as a Union field hospital. During the heaviest part of the fighting, Confederates actually assaulted the hospital (a violation of the law of war) and took it briefly until Federal troops forced them to surrender it to them once again. A visit to the house today is a living testament to all this; bullet holes and other forms of war damage are still visible. There is also a nice collection of antique furniture to see and a lovely tour that you can take. Perhaps it’s the authentic environment that fuels the residual haunting that happens at the house. Visitors to the park have reported seeing phantom soldiers in battle, hearing the sounds of gunfire and cannons, and experiencing the sensation of never quite being alone …