My Civil War "Ghost"

[Gary Morgan]

A few years ago, I was researching at Andersonville and staying on site in the guest residence, about 40 yards from the stockade site (t was a groundskeepers' residence and a small museum in its earlier days). I've spent a total of 5 nights there. After my last stay, I went to open the closet to grab a broom to sweep the place out before I left. Inside the closet, I came face to face with THIS:

I almost wet my pants.

Turns out, he's made of cardboard and is left over from the filming of the movie Andersonville. He was used in the background to swell the crowd scenes. I suppose he was cheaper than hiring another extra. The rangers put him in the closet as a prank. Apparently, there's another one lurking behind the shelves in the supply closet at the POW Museum to surprise the interns.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

THAT would make me jump for sure!

 

[JOHN42768]

That will wake you up

 

[ami]

that's one heck of a skeleton in the closet!

 

[MRB1863]

That would be a surprise!

 

[bankerpapaw]

YIKES!!!

 

[1stMN]

I probably would have started swinging that broom in self defense!

 

[ScottMac]

Isn't he supposed to be in the attic ?

 

[James N.]

Isn't he supposed to be in the attic ?

No, no - he's from the wrong side!

 

[NDR5thNY]

No, no - he's from the wrong side!

I believe I would have pulled a Fred Sanford on my way out the front door!

 

[chubachus]

Veteran of a great movie!

 

[UCVRelics]

broom to sweep the place out

They would have had to hosed the place out after I open that door.

 

[Mrs. V]

Oh my, I would have screamed loud enough to be heard in 1865!

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

I worked at the Oldest Stone House in Lakewood, OH, several years before the historical society gained a new headquarters\archives building which increased the storage space available to them. So back then, every spare bit of space was ram packed with stuff. This is still somewhat the case, but no where as bad as it used to be. Anyhow, from some long forgotten museum display there was a undressed mannequin stored in the closet beneath the main stairs of the house that contained the light switches for the first floor display areas.

So every time you wanted to turn the lights on? Bam, creepy mannequin! While it wasn't very lifelike, it was this kinda creepy undead androgynous looking thing that was very uncanny valley. So it was less a jump scare and more just mildly discomforting. I think eventually I had the pleasure of getting rid of that thing when we cleaned out that closet several years later.

The only odder thing was writing about & researching Dr. Kirtland while his bust looked at me from across the room. That was... weird.

If I had discovered that standee my heart probably would have a skipped a beat.

 

[byron ed]

"almost wet your pants"? You can tell us, we're all pards here.

 

[mofederal]

With the way my heart is these days, that would give me a start. i am still hunting for an old video I saw 40 years ago or so on HBO. It was a Halloween show about Haunting, and it was hosted by Richard Kiley. It had a segment about Haw Branch Manor near Petersburg. I believe Sheridan used the house as an HQ around the time of Five Forks.

 

[JD Mayo]

That's awesome. That was one of my favorite movies of Ted Turner pictures. TNT 1996. On the Civil War Movies facebook group page they post a lot of behind the scene photos of the movies from reenactors on there. PS I guess that closet is your portal to hell? lol.

 

[Gary Morgan]

More like my portal to the broom. Note that he has it, and I wanted it. I've managed to never see the movie Andersonville. I didn't want it to influence me while I was writing, but from what I hear, they got pretty creative with the Raiders section.

 

[JD Mayo]

More like my portal to the broom. Note that he has it, and I wanted it. I've managed to never see the movie Andersonville. I didn't want it to influence me while I was writing, but from what I hear, they got pretty creative with the Raiders section.

I read that they used thousands of those and some of them where the same person one reenactor said during the pan shots in the beginning of the prison scene one guy said that he could see him self ten times in that one shot.

 

[Gary Morgan]

I read that they used thousands of those and some of them where the same person.

Sounds about right. The chief ranger told me that a fair number if the cardboard "extras" were left behind, but they were down to the last two when I was there last in November of 2018.

I think they should have a little exhibit in the museum on the movie and what it got right and what it fudge on, like they do at the Gettysburg Visitors center. For example, I'm told they have Collins say "This ain't so bad" as they place the noose around his neck. In actuality, the rope broke and they had to hang him twice, and he was begging and crying "piteously" when they went to hang him the second (fatal) time.