A Ghost a Day

by Maureen Wood

  JULY 1, 1863 THE PHANTOM SURGERY

  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

  If tragedy and blood-soaked land are a root cause of hauntings, then it only seems logical that locations like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, would abound with paranormal phenomena. On July 1, 1863, the Civil War raged in Gettysburg. It lasted for three hellish days. By the end of the third day, it had left more than 51,000 casualties of wounded, maimed, and dying upon the fields. In the struggle to tend to the wounded, the dead had been left where they had fallen. But soon, the blistering sun would take its toll on the 7,000 dead. In fact, the smell of rotting corpses was so heinous, that the living could not leave the house without the aid of a scented handkerchief.

  Many of Gettysburg's structures quickly became makeshift hospitals for the thousands of wounded, who, even under the best of circumstances, were forced to endure prolonged misery, witnessing piles of amputated limbs while they waited their turn for medical assistance.

  Countless visitors to Gettysburg have seen the ghostly apparitions of soldiers walking through the mist-shrouded fields. And there is hardly a home or restaurant that doesn't have a ghost tale or two.

  Mark Nesbitt, an authority on Gettysburg's hauntings, related one of the many stories he'd heard. One night, while two administrators from Gettysburg College rode an elevator from the fourth floor to the first, they unexpectedly ended up in the basement. When the doors opened, they had the shock of their lives. Before them lay the dead and dying. They stood frozen for a few seconds as they both watched blood-soaked surgeons frantically work on the countless soldiers littering the basement. In a panic, they pushed the button on the elevator, their horror only relieved at the closing of the elevator doors.

  JULY 2, 1895 CAPTAIN JOSHUA SLOCUM

  Atlantic Ocean

  Two days out of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the thirty-six-foot sailing sloop Spray cut through the cold ocean waters. At the ship's wheel was its captain, Joshua Slocum, the only person aboard. He was attempting to do what no man had ever done before, circumnavigate the globe, alone. The trip had been uneventful until now. Without warning, a violent ocean storm descended upon the Spray. The small ship was tossed about like a child's toy in the waves. Towers of water cascaded over its decks. The able captain battled the tempest for three long days until his battered body could take no more. He dragged himself into the cabin, falling onto his bed, awaiting certain death.

  Hours passed as the exhausted captain slept. When he opened his eyes, the storm was still raging, but something was different. Monstrous waves pounded the ship, but the Spray ran smooth and true, slicing through the heaving waters. Captain Slocum staggered to the door of the cabin, peering at the cockpit. Frozen in terror, he watched as a heavyset man in fifteenth-century garb manned the wheel. As his fear subsided, the captain spoke, demanding to know who he was. After a long moment of eerie silence, the shadowy figure spoke, “I am the helmsman of the Pinta.” Slocum's eyes widened. How could this be? The Pinta was one of the ships under Christopher Columbus's command when he discovered America, in 1492. As the captain was about to speak again, the spectral helmsman dissolved into the misty sea air. An awe-inspiring wave of renewed strength surged through his body. He grabbed the ship's wheel and guided the Spray through the turbulent seas. The storm subsided, and Captain Slocum continued his perilous journey. On June 27, 1898, the Spray sailed into New Port Harbor. Traveling over 46,000 miles, Captain Slocum became the first man to sail single-handedly around the world.

  In November 1909, while on another journey, Captain Slocum and the Spray disappeared, never to be seen again. He had cheated death once, but it seems his luck had run out, or was it that he lacked the services of the helmsman from the Pinta?

  JULY 3, 1971 THE GHOST OF JIM MORRISON

  Paris, France

  Jim Morrison, the infamous lead singer of the Doors, died under what was considered mysterious circumstances in a Paris bathtub on July 3, 1971. In 1997, rock and roll historian Brett Meisner made a graveside visit to Père Lachaise Cemetery in eastern Paris. Little did he know at the time that a casual picture taken of him would later reveal a ghost standing behind him with his arms stretched out. Was this the spectral image of Jim Morrison? Many people believe so. In fact, Chris Fleming, the paranormal expert of the show Dead Famous, when viewing the photo, was quoted as saying it was “the best he'd ever seen.”

  At first, Brett was enthralled by the scores of people who approached him regarding the photo, stating that they too had been in contact with the late Jim Morrison. But no longer. It appears that ever since the media got hold of the photo, Brett has experienced nothing but bad luck, including a failed marriage, the death of a friend to a drug overdose, and the loss of many prestigious clients. A spiritual advisor and friend has told Brett that the photo of Morrison is cursed and should be disposed of respectfully. In an effort to find closure for himself and provide the ghost of Jim Morrison the peace he so rightfully deserves, Brett has been searching for a reputable foundation to donate his collection of pictures and negatives to. So far, all have declined.

  JULY 4, 1809 FORT CONSTITUTION

  New Castle, New Hampshire

  Originally known as “The Castle,” the first seeds of the fort were planted in 1631. In 1692, the fort was expanded and renamed Fort William and Mary by the British. Just prior to the beginning of the Revolutionary War, four hundred colonials raided the fort. They commandeered sixteen cannon and ninety-seven barrels of gunpowder, which were later used in the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. After the war, the fort continued to be improved upon and eventually became known as Fort Constitution.

  On July 4, 1809, while the fort's commander, Captain Walbach, entertained guests inside the officer's house there was a terrible explosion. When the captain and his guests made their way from the heavily damaged building they were greeted by a grotesque scene. Body parts were scattered about the fort as the screams of the wounded pierced their ears. Eight men and boys died in the explosion, and two more died later from their wounds. According to local lighthouse historian Jeremy D'Entremont, one body was actually blown over the fort's wall and landed adjacent to the nearby lighthouse. An official inquiry into the explosion deemed it an accident.

  Today the fort is a state park. Photographs taken there often reveal strange light anomalies. Visitors sometimes smell the faint odor of gunpowder and feel a deep sadness near the site of the explosion. During an investigation by medium Maureen Wood of The New England Ghost Project, contact was made with the spirit of a terribly disfigured soldier near the lighthouse. According to Wood, he felt great remorse. She also picked up on the name, Daniel. Oddly enough, one of the men killed in the explosion was a soldier by the name McDan-iel. Is he roaming the grounds of the fort forgotten, unable to rest? Plans are now underway to erect a plaque to the men who died in that terrible explosion. Perhaps, after it is erected, Private McDaniel will soon be able to rest, knowing that he and the men that perished that fateful day will not be forgotten.

  JULY 5, 1677 THE DEMON HOUNDS

  Buckfastleigh, UK

  In the county of Devon, not far from the moors, stands the burntout shell of the Holy Trinity Church. Among the ancient graves surrounding the church, you will find an odd structure. This large “pent-house tomb” known as the “sepulcher,” is the site of the Cabell family plot, or to be more precise, Squire Richard Cabell.

  Squire Richard Cabell lived in the 1600s, and by all accounts he was an evil man. He was described as immoral, quick tempered, and an avid hunter. It is rumored that he murdered his wife and even sold his soul to the Devil. Few tears were shed when he died in 1677. His body was entombed in the sepulcher, but it didn't lie in rest. Late that night, a pack of ghost hounds came from across the moors to bay at his grave. These demonic creatures with glowing red eyes howled all night and then disappeared back into the mist of the moors.

  Alarmed by the frightening happenings, the villagers placed a heavy slab on the squire's grave and as an added protection co
nstructed a large building with iron bars around it to prevent his ghost from escaping. But their attempt obviously failed. There have been many reports of people seeing Squire Cabell leading the pack of ghostly hounds across the moors. Others report a strange red glow emanating from his tomb. The church has been broken into several times and burned — some believe by Devil worshippers.

  Legend tells us that if you go to the Squire's tomb, run around it seven times, and stick your hand through the bars of the building, it will be bitten by a ghost hound, Squire Cabell, or the Devil, himself. But then again, it's only a legend, isn't it?

  JULY 6, 1685 SEDG EMOOR BATTLEFIELD

  Westonzoyland, Whales

  In the early morning hours of July 6, 1685, the forces of the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II, met the Royalist troops of King James II on the muddy fields of Sedgemoor. The duke's forces were routed as he fled the battlefield like a cowardly schoolgirl. He was eventually captured and executed, as were most of his followers. One particular soldier, a well-known athlete, was captured by Royalist troops. His lover, who happened to live nearby, pleaded for his life. The soldiers agreed that if he could outrun a galloping horse, he would be spared. He accepted their challenge, and to their astonishment, he succeeded, only to be gunned down in cold blood in front of his lover. She became so distraught that she drowned herself in the River Carey.

  The tragedy and carnage of the battle has left a bloody imprint in the swampy ground of Sedgemoor. Locals speak of phantom horsemen, ghostly voices, and even the spectral image of the Duke, reliving his cowardly escape for eternity. But the saddest specter is that of the young maiden, whose ghost has been seen at the site of her lover's tragic death. Those who wander to the site feel the thunder of spectral hooves, the heavy breathing of an invisible runner, and a rush of cold air, painful reminders of Sedgemoor's tragic past.

  JULY 7, 1898 THOMAS PLATER

  St. Andrews, Scotland

  In 1393, at St. Andrews Cathedral, there was a canon named Thomas Plater. One day, he had a heated disagreement with Prior Robert Montrose. In a fit of rage, Thomas stabbed Montrose to death. Plater was tried and convicted for the murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, but he died shortly after his conviction. For years Plater rested peace-fully, and then his spectral image began to appear in the cathedral and the surrounding grounds. One day, in 1898, his vision appeared to a Catholic hotel worker. He pleaded with the man to bury his bones in consecrated ground. Upon investigating the specter's request, the hotel worker discovered that Plater's remains had been dug up during an archeological dig. In July 1898, with the full rites of the church, his bones were reburied on the South Side of St. Rule's Chapel. The ghost of Thomas Plater was seen no more; once again, he was resting in peace.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  A ghost pig with human eyes has been seen near the ruins of St. Andrews. It is said that the spectral swine is full of desperation, sadness, guilt, and shame, and it begs for your understanding and compassion.

  JULY 8, 1758 MAJOR DUNCAN CAMPBELL

  Fort Ticonderoga, New York

  Late one stormy night in 1747, Duncan Campbell was at his ancestral home, the Scottish castle of Inverawe, when a stranger, bloodied and tattered, pounded at his door. In a hurried voice he told Duncan that he had just killed a man in a fight and asked him for asylum. Reluctantly he agreed, swearing an oath on his dagger. A short time later there was another knock on the door. This time it was the fugitive's pursuers. The armed men informed Duncan that a man had just killed his cousin, Donald. Duncan remembered the oath he had just taken and professed that he new nothing. After they went away he retired to his bedroom and fell asleep. He was soon startled from his dreams by an awful moaning. When he opened his eyes, he saw the ghost of his cousin Donald, standing beside his bed. In a deep muffled voice the specter uttered, “Inverawe! Inverawe! Blood has been shed. Shield not the murderer!”

  For several nights the ghost visited, each time pleading with Duncan to hand over his murderer. Disturbed by his vision, he confronted the killer. Yet when reminded of his oath, he was forced to back down. Once more the phantom appeared and said, “Farewell, Inverawe! Farewell, till we meet at Ticonderoga!”

  Donald's words meant nothing to Duncan, and as time passed, he forgot all about it. Until 1758, that is, when he and his regiment were sent to the colonies to battle the French and their Indian allies at the fort of Carillon, also known as Ticonderoga, a name he hadn't heard in ten years. Convinced of his destiny, he fought like a man possessed. The attack was a failure and he was ordered to retreat. He was elated. Duncan had survived the battle with only a flesh wound to the arm. And more importantly, he had survived the curse of his cousin Donald. Or had he? The wound festered and gangrene set in. The surgeon amputated his arm and did his best to save him, but the ghost had his way in the end, and Duncan died ten days later.

  JULY 9, 1935 THE VOGUE THEATRE

  Los Angeles, California

  In 1901, catastrophe struck Prospect Elementary School, when the small schoolhouse burned to the ground, killing Miss Elizabeth and her twenty-five students. In 1935, the Vogue Theatre was built in its place. After fifty-seven years, the theatre closed down and the building was abandoned. In 1992, the old Vogue Theatre became home to a parapsychology group, the International Society for Paranormal Research (ISPR). Soon they realized the building was haunted, and the group utilized the location as a research center rather than offices, as originally planned. For four years thousands of visitors, scientists, and psychics alike communicated with the nine spirits that haunted the old theatre, among them six children, Miss Elizabeth, and a projectionist by the name of Fritz, who had worked for the Vogue for forty years. Fritz's career had abruptly ended when back in the 1980s he died of a heart attack in the projectionist's room.

  On numerous occasions, the spirits made themselves known to the visitors by moving objects and appearing before them as full-bodied apparitions. But is the old Vogue Theatre building still haunted? The leading parapsychologist of ISPR, Dr. Larry Montz, says no. The group, having completed their research, cleared the property of all ghostly specters.

  JULY 10, 2009 GHOST THROWS TEENAGER OUT OF HOUSE

  Hartlepool, England

  According to the website In Pure Spirit, a family was so terrorized by a ghost that they rushed to St. Paul's Church in Hartlepool, England, for help. The mother, returning from picking up her five-year-old from school, found her thirteen-year-old son outside the front door of their home in the fetal position. Allegedly, the young man was in the home listening to music when something unseen lifted him up by the leg and dragged him across the floor before throwing him onto the front stoop. The attack lasted for at least five minutes. Based on the heavy breathing he'd felt while being dragged through his living room, the young man believed the entity was male. When the mother found her son, she helped him up. Together they tried the door, but it was locked. After unlocking it, they attempted to enter, but the sound of banging from within had them quickly running for safety.

  Their parish priest, Father Richard Masshedar, visited the troubled home the next day to offer up prayers and bless the building. Although the home has been cleansed, the family have decided to relocate as soon as there is a place available. There are some who believe the boy's claims to be nothing more than a scam to procure a larger place to live. Then again, maybe the young man told the truth.

  JULY 11, 1023 LOKRUM ISLAND

  Croatia

  A great fire erupted in the city of Dubrovnik in 1023. As it spread unchecked, the authorities panicked. They made a pact with Saint Benedict; if he would intercede on their behalf and save the city, they would build a monastery in his name. The fire was extinguished immediately. True to their word, the thankful citizens of Dubrovnik erected a church and Benedictine monastery on the nearby isle of Lokrum. In the fourteenth century, a French occupying general ordered the monastery closed and the removal of all of the monks from the island was ordered. Thr
ee prominent Dubrovnik families were sent to carry out the order. Before leaving the island the monks gathered together for one last time. With incense burning and solemn hymns, they conducted a secret liturgy. Walking out of the monastery in single file, they marched around the island, each carrying a candle upside down, allowing the wax to drip to the earth, thus cursing the ground. The solemn mystifying procession circled the island three times, as the monks chanted in unison, “Whosoever claims Lokrum for his own personal pleasure shall be damned!” After they completed their ceremony, the Benedictines boarded a boat and left the island, vowing never to return. Thus, the curse of the island was born.