Confederate Soldier Haunts chapel in Auburn, Alabama

[civilwartalk]

The oldest public building in Auburn, University Chapel, is haunted by the ghost of a Confederate soldier. Built in 1851 by a Presbyterian congregation, this chapel was used as a hospital during the Civil War. In 1864, a British volunteer fighting for the South was struck in the leg by cannon shrapnel, and by the time he received aid his leg had already turned gangrenous. He bled to death during an operation to remove the leg. The Englishman, Sydney Grimlett, was buried in a graveyard not far from the chapel. Everything was quiet until a theater group, the Auburn Players, took over the chapel in the 1960's. Some say the emotional energy expended on the premises brought back Grimlett's ghost. In any case, his restless phantom was seen by several members of the company who then used an Ouija board to discover his identity. Sydney made his presence known by moving props, whistling in the attic, tapping his one foot nervously, and producing startling, floating lights.