Ghosts of the American Civil War facts for kids

Tales of ghosts from the American Civil War have been shared since the war ended. Many places where battles happened are now known for ghost stories. These include the Sharpsburg battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland, the Chickamauga battlefield in Georgia, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, Buras, Louisiana, and Warren, Arkansas.

Ghost Stories of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg was the biggest battle ever fought in North America. Because of this, many ghost stories come from Gettysburg.

The Soldiers' Orphanage has a cellar that is said to be very scary. Some people who claim to be psychic are too afraid to go inside because of its spooky past.

The Herr Tavern was built in 1815. During the battle, it became the first hospital for Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg. Many soldiers had amputations (when a body part is cut off) there. Their limbs were often thrown out the window. Many of these soldiers later died. Because of this, four of the guest rooms are said to be haunted. The rooms are numbered so there is no room 13.

People are still interested in ghosts and Gettysburg today. Many people say they have seen ghost soldiers. Some even claim to see entire ghost battles in different parts of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Eight different companies offer ghost tours in Gettysburg. Some tours run all year, while others are seasonal.

A book called Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places of the Battlefield by Mark Nesbitt shares many reports of ghostly sightings. These sightings happened in the area where the Battle of Gettysburg took place in July 1863.

Other Haunted Battlefields

Ghost stories are not only about major battles. A farmhouse in northern Georgia is said to be haunted by a ghost from The Battle of Kolb Farm.

The Battle of Sharpsburg was one of the bloodiest battles. People report seeing ghosts of Union and Confederate soldiers there. They are supposedly seen setting up and firing artillery at each other on the battlefield.

Lincoln's Ghost

Abraham Lincoln, who is said to haunt the White House

Willie Lincoln, who died in the White House during his father's presidency

Many people believe that Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, haunts the White House. First Lady Grace Coolidge, who was married to President Calvin Coolidge, was the first to say she saw Lincoln's ghost. She claimed to see him looking sadly at the Potomac River from the Oval Office. Writer Carl Sandburg also said he "sensed" Lincoln doing the same.

During World War II, both Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Eleanor Roosevelt (another First Lady) reportedly saw Lincoln's ghost. They saw him in the Lincoln Bedroom, which was Lincoln's office during the war. The Queen even said she fainted after seeing Lincoln wearing his top hat.

Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry S. Truman, often heard a tapping sound she believed was caused by the ghost. Her father, Harry Truman, even ordered the White House to be renovated because of it. Gerald Ford's daughter, Susan Ford, never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom because she was afraid of Lincoln's ghost. Maureen Reagan, daughter of President Ronald Reagan, also claimed to see Lincoln's ghost in the Lincoln Bedroom. Other people who have sensed or seen Lincoln's ghost include Harry Truman and even Fala, President Roosevelt's dog.

Lincoln's ghost was also reportedly seen outside the White House. In Loundonville, New York, his ghost was said to haunt a house owned by a woman who was at Ford's Theatre when Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. Other Lincoln hauntings include his grave in Springfield, Illinois. There are also stories of a phantom train on April nights. This train supposedly follows the same path his funeral train took from Washington, D.C. to Springfield.

The last reported sighting of Lincoln's ghost was in the early 1980s. Tony Savoy, a White House operations foreman, said he saw Lincoln sitting in a chair at the top of some stairs.

Lincoln's son, Willie, died while his father was president. A White House maid during Ulysses S. Grant's time as president said she saw the ghost of the young boy.

Haunted Places Elsewhere

The Beauregard-Keyes House in New Orleans is said to be haunted by the ghost of Confederate general P.G.T. Beauregard. People also claim to see an entire group of ghost soldiers reenacting the Battle of Shiloh. This battle was one of Beauregard's worst defeats and happened 415 miles away in southwest Tennessee.

Fort Davidson Battlefield in Pilot Knob, Missouri, is also said to have strange activity. People report hearing cannons firing in the middle of the night. They also claim to see spirits and shadows of soldiers walking or running by. Many Civil War reenactors have confirmed these stories.

The Rossborough Inn on the University of Maryland campus is believed to be haunted. One ghost is a Confederate soldier who camped on the college grounds. Another is a man who lost a duel in front of the Inn. The most famous ghost is Miss Bettie, who managed the Inn during the Civil War. The Inn was used as the headquarters for Confederate Army General Bradley Tyler Johnson and his cavalry in 1864. At that time, both Union and Confederate soldiers occupied the nearby campus.

Books About Civil War Ghosts

• Coleman, Christopher K. Ghosts and Haunts of the Civil War (Nashville: Routledge Hill Press, 1998).
• Coleman, Christopher K. The Paranormal Presidency of Abraham Lincoln (Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2012).
• Nesbitt, Mark Ghosts of Gettysburg Vols. I-VIII (Gettysburg: self published).
• Roberts, Nancy Civil War Ghosts and Legends (Columbia, SC: Univ. SC Press, 1992).