fort pillow

[jr baker]

I herad this story last year at the fort pillow reenactment. Some friends of my commanding officer was riding there horses up to the fort. I don't remember if it was at night or not but they said that the horses wouldn't go near the fort. And the horses was really spooked and I have been up to the fort at night before and it was kind of spooky for me but I don't believe ghost but I thought it was a neat story

 

[unionblue]

jr baker,

Can't say about the Fort Pillow battlefield and restless spirits because I have never been there, BUT...

I am utterly convinced that there is an energy, a restlessness, on all Civil War battlefields.

I bought some property in southern Ohio, in Meiggs County, where Morgan's Raiders passed by, and I built a small cabin on that property where I, my wife and family sometimes go for vacation. It has no phone, no internet, no mail box, only electricity, running water, and bottled gas for cooking.

One night, I could have sworn I heard the hooves of many horses pounding and the jingle and clank of sabers ride by on the road to Buffington Island, the scene of the big battle between Morgan's men and the Union army. I simply could not bring myself to go outside on our porch to look for what was causing the sound.

The full moom was shining through the cabin windows, as I lay there in bed with my sleeping wife, when I heard these strange sounds. My guess, my fear, was that some of Morgan's boys were riding late behind the main body and were doing their best to catch up.

All I know is I was glad the dawn came.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

 

[jr baker]

I live about an hour away from fort pillow so I try to go there as much as I can I haven't see anything myself but I know all the park ranger there and they said that fort pillow has the most ghost sighing of a civil war battlefield in the us. A couple year ago one of the park ranger said the a team of ghost hunter when to the fort at to do some recording and they did pick up some

 

[diane]

unionblue,

There is certainly something to that, as if a place gets hurt somehow. Several years ago the state put in a lovely campground by the river on a high bar called Tree of Heaven. Many people passing through stop there but I've never heard of anyone stopping twice. During the 1860s, the US army, being otherwise occupied, let a batch of vigilantes have the job of escorting Shasta and Karok people to a reservation on the Oregon coast. They got to Garvey's Bar, about 30 miles out of town, got drunk and massacred them, over 100 people. Most were elders, not exactly capable of a fight. I've never seen anything documenting it other than one local newspaper article published at that time about the 'battle'. There's no history marker to explain the place, so nobody is imagining things who stays there, especially outsiders. Babies cry, kids have nightmares, dogs howl - nope, they never come back... I wouldn't doubt it is the most haunted campground on the whole West Coast!

(I think that was indeed Morgan's men you heard...)

 

[unionblue]

diane,

I'm a kind of guy that prides himself on getting the facts, to digging out history and finding out for myself what is what.

But these "feelings" that I had that night in my cabin, hearing the noises I heard and the fear that I felt, I got no clue about.

All I'm saying is that is what I heard and what I felt and I believe there are places that generate such for good reason and not by any fact or figure I can come up with.

I will say I have never once in my other stays at my cabin that I have felt such again. But once was entirely enough!

Sincerely,
Unionblue
(And I am certain that was indeed Morgan's men I heard.)

 

[Nathanb1]

diane,

I'm a kind of guy that prides himself on getting the facts, to digging out history and finding out for myself what is what.

But these "feelings" that I had that night in my cabin, hearing the noises I heard and the fear that I felt, I got no clue about.

All I'm saying is that is what I heard and what I felt and I believe there are places that generate such for good reason and not by any fact or figure I can come up with.

I will say I have never once in my other stays at my cabin that I have felt such again. But once was entirely enough!

Sincerely,
Unionblue
(And I am certain that was indeed Morgan's men I heard.)

I believe you. There's a resort in Texas, 33 miles south of Marfa called Cibolo Creek Ranch. It was founded by Don Milton Faver--supposedly the model for Gil Favor of Rawhide fame.....anyway, part of his family was massacred at what they call the El Fortin de la Morita (The Fort at the Little Mulberry Tree). The folks who run the place say moonlit nights there can be quite....uh.....interesting. (Same as yours, by the way--no electric, running water, etc.) My daughter heard children one afternoon at Ft. Lancaster, west of Ozona.....when there were no kids within miles, except the two buried in the fort's graveyard....and she's not the kind of person who's into the "woo woo" stuff.

 

[larry_cockerham]

I herad this story last year at the fort pillow reenactment. Some friends of my commanding officer was riding there horses up to the fort. I don't remember if it was at night or not but they said that the horses wouldn't go near the fort. And the horses was really spooked and I have been up to the fort at night before and it was kind of spooky for me but I don't believe ghost but I thought it was a neat story

No one believes in ghosts....... until they meet one.

 

[ConfederateGray]

I believe you. There's a resort in Texas, 33 miles south of Marfa called Cibolo Creek Ranch. It was founded by Don Milton Faver--supposedly the model for Gil Favor of Rawhide fame.....anyway, part of his family was massacred at what they call the El Fortin de la Morita (The Fort at the Little Mulberry Tree). The folks who run the place say moonlit nights there can be quite....uh.....interesting. (Same as yours, by the way--no electric, running water, etc.) My daughter heard children one afternoon at Ft. Lancaster, west of Ozona.....when there were no kids within miles, except the two buried in the fort's graveyard....and she's not the kind of person who's into the "woo woo" stuff.

Nathanb1, are you speaking of the Marfa lights? My parents attended college out at Sul Ross not too far away from where those sightings occur. They even saw them one night.

 

[Nathanb1]

Nathanb1, are you speaking of the Marfa lights? My parents attended college out at Sul Ross not too far away from where those sightings occur. They even saw them one night.

Actually, entirely different. The ranch is located south of Marfa, near Shafter (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffa16). The Marfa lights are--well, at Marfa.

 

[jr baker]

I am going back to fort pillow in a couple of weeks and I hope we be taking a hike up to the fort again this year at night and if I do get to go to the fort I will let everyone know how it was this year.

 

[kholland]

I've seen the "Ghosts of Gettysburg" show a couple of times. Some of the stories are bunk but some cannot be explained. It is fascinating that people from all walks of life have these experiences.

 

[jr baker]

fort pillow update!!!!!

I just came back from fort pillow state park tn and took the night hike to the fort again and the park ranger said that the most ghost activity they have is sounds like people talk and horse sounds and smell. We got up there Friday afternoon and we went to bed at about 12.30 and after I went to bed and was laying in bed from alittle while I throught I herad horses marching and that was before I heard the park ranger talking about what people mostly hear.

 

[Dugger]

jr baker,

Can't say about the Fort Pillow battlefield and restless spirits because I have never been there, BUT...

I am utterly convinced that there is an energy, a restlessness, on all Civil War battlefields.

I bought some property in southern Ohio, in Meiggs County, where Morgan's Raiders passed by, and I built a small cabin on that property where I, my wife and family sometimes go for vacation. It has no phone, no internet, no mail box, only electricity, running water, and bottled gas for cooking.

One night, I could have sworn I heard the hooves of many horses pounding and the jingle and clank of sabers ride by on the road to Buffington Island, the scene of the big battle between Morgan's men and the Union army. I simply could not bring myself to go outside on our porch to look for what was causing the sound.

The full moom was shining through the cabin windows, as I lay there in bed with my sleeping wife, when I heard these strange sounds. My guess, my fear, was that some of Morgan's boys were riding late behind the main body and were doing their best to catch up.

All I know is I was glad the dawn came.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

Unionblue you mentioned Morgan's raid. My Great-grandmother was born in 1858 and lived in Clinton County Oh at time of raid. She died when I was 7. She told me about being taken to the woods on their farm by her father along with the horses to hide from Morgan. Morgan got no closer than 1 county South of Clinton but when she told me about being hidden in the woods she was vivid about the memory. Experience scared her. I guess she would have been about 6 at the time but she was still freaked out over the experience when she was close to 100 years years old.

 

[bdacus]

You should believe... The Blood Lane is full of them... Animals always know what we wont open our eyes to... Thinking of going to Fort Pillow this weekend...

 

[ccastellani]

I know this doesn't relate to Fort Pillow, but living near Houston, TX, I have the ability to head to the San Jacinto Monument at the site of the Battle of San Jacinto.

A few years back, a couple of my co-workers (also history buffs) were out late, and wanted to see the park at night. Unfortunately, the park was closed, but we could see the field from the gate. Like unionblue, it was a clear night, full moon, and while we were looking at the field, I saw a fuzzy line of men with muskets walking across the field. To my amazement, my friends saw the same exact thing. Sent chills up my spine.

I agree wholeheartedly that there is restlessness on our battlefields.

Sleep tight.