Shiloh Experiences

[mofederal]

A long time ago, it must have been in the spring of 1978 or 1979. my best friend and I took a spring break trip from college to Shiloh. It was an ok trip, we got a cabin to stay in, and went to the park. I parked my car and we went hiking. It was a long day, and it started to get dark. My friend hurt his ankle, and it was nearly dark. I told him to sit down near a monument. I started walking, and I must have gone a 1/2 mile or so, when I heard someone walking behind me. I turned to look, and no one was there. I quickened my pace, then I began to hear the sounds of walking behind me, only multiplied, this time I heard leather creaking, tin cups clanking, leather and steel hitting the road. there were other sounds also, all suggesting men on the move. I stopped and turned again, still nothing. no sound at all, no birds, or other animals at all. it was eerie and strange. It was near dark. I moved forward again, this time running. I heard the noises again., but I didn't stop, and they stopped when I entered the parking lot. I got in the car as fast as I was able. I went the wrong way and got back to my friend. He was really freaked out. He had heard things too, and he also heard people talking, just couldn't understand the words.
A year or so later I understood the noises as I began reenacting. Now the things I heard made sense. Soldiers on the move. I had never heard those noises before reenacting. We were near the area where reinforcements troops disembarked. My only guess as to what my friend and I heard. It scared the hell out of me then. I still remember it well. It was a foretaste of other paranormal experiences I had in college, when I actually investigated ghosts and hauntings. My college town had a battle in 1862, and executions were carried out on captured Confederate parole violators, and one incident led to letters between Lincoln and Davis. parole violators were a problem in the northeast part of the state in 1862. That is a long complicated story. Sorry to digress, but I believe in ghosts and hauntings. I have experienced other things on different Civil War battlefields and sights.

 

[Jimklag]

A long time ago, it must have been in the spring of 1978 or 1979. my best friend and I took a spring break trip from college to Shiloh. It was an ok trip, we got a cabin to stay in, and went to the park. I parked my car and we went hiking. It was a long day, and it started to get dark. My friend hurt his ankle, and it was nearly dark. I told him to sit down near a monument. I started walking, and I must have gone a 1/2 mile or so, when I heard someone walking behind me. I turned to look, and no one was there. I quickened my pace, then I began to hear the sounds of walking behind me, only multiplied, this time I heard leather creaking, tin cups clanking, leather and steel hitting the road. there were other sounds also, all suggesting men on the move. I stopped and turned again, still nothing. no sound at all, no birds, or other animals at all. it was eerie and strange. It was near dark. I moved forward again, this time running. I heard the noises again., but I didn't stop, and they stopped when I entered the parking lot. I got in the car as fast as I was able. I went the wrong way and got back to my friend. He was really freaked out. He had heard things too, and he also heard people talking, just couldn't understand the words.
A year or so later I understood the noises as I began reenacting. Now the things I heard made sense. Soldiers on the move. I had never heard those noises before reenacting. We were near the area where reinforcements troops disembarked. My only guess as to what my friend and I heard. It scared the hell out of me then. I still remember it well. It was a foretaste of other paranormal experiences I had in college, when I actually investigated ghosts and hauntings. My college town had a battle in 1862, and executions were carried out on captured Confederate parole violators, and one incident led to letters between Lincoln and Davis. parole violators were a problem in the northeast part of the state in 1862. That is a long complicated story. Sorry to digress, but I believe in ghosts and hauntings. I have experienced other things on different Civil War battlefields and sights.

Hello, @mofederal . Welcome to the coven.

 

[mofederal]

Thank you Jimklag, I have had other CW haunting experiences including evps. I know longer have the tapes. just the memories. I will tell you to avoid mass graves. Some things are still there. I can still hear the voices in my mind. This was a supposedly empty grave as the families supposedly recovered the remains during the war. I don't think all of the remains were recovered.

 

[JohnW.]

I will tell you to avoid mass graves

Speaking of mass graves...Iverson's Pits in Gettysburg is a very interesting place to visit, whether in broad daylight or after dark.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome. enjoy

 

[James N.]

Shiloh can be a haunting - if not haunted! - place, as in this shot I took at dawn on the 150th over the artillery camp.

 

[mofederal]

Speaking of mass graves didn't they find a new one at Shiloh? I thought I read of it. I think I saw something in Archaeology Magazine. It was a specialty area with my Historic Preservation degree. My experiences were with Mississippians, only some historic, and that was mostly WWII.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

You've got me burning with curiosity (and probably a few others) with your very interesting experiences. I've certainly had a few, most notably in Frederick, MD at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. I was fortunate enough a year ago in January to walk a lot of Monocacy with my niece (isn't it nice she lives in Germantown) and while we didn't see anything, it was very quiet, overcast, almost bare of any visitors but not too cold (or at least not at all like NH in January!). If anything, we felt almost overwhelming sadness around a couple of houses/farms where the dead and dying were piled up and around. I don't know if that constitutes a haunting per se, but there was certainly an atmosphere.

I know some of your experiences aren't necessarily things you want to go over and over, but you've sure got my curiousity spiked! Is there anymore you can tell us of your ghost hunting days in regards to Civil War?

 

[mofederal]

Yes I can, but I would have to write a new thread, because they deal in another location. I had EVP's, which were chilling to listen too. I lost the tapes in a fire. Hard to forget what I heard, you can't unhear it. It deals with the execution of paole violators, The execution of a high rank Confederate recruiter in North Mo. A Confederate mass grave, scattered burial sites. A visit in an empty late 1840's to early 1850's house. This was a very personal thing.

 

[mofederal]

I did most of my investigations at night. Weirder still, I was not alone, it was a big college classroom project. The others were by myself. I forgot my best friend, who was at Shiloh with me saw a lot of things at Pea Ridge, others at Wilson's Creek.

 

[1867crete]

Yes I must admit I'm intrigued!! What ever your stance on ghost or the paranormal may be ,I think these storys are fun

 

[mofederal]

Oh I definitely believe, I have heard too many things in my life with no one there at all. Voices in the clear. Cold spots, footsteps, other noise as well, soldiers on the march, gunshots, etc. Deathly quiet in a forest of noisy animals Part of a person appearing, not the whole person, and of course EVPs. I don't have to want to believe, I do believe.

 

[deelady]

View attachment 145678

Shiloh can be a haunting - if not haunted! - place, as in this shot I took at dawn on the 150th over the artillery camp.

Hauntingly beautiful...

 

[Longhall]

I believe Hallowed ground does hold the residual energy of the men who consecrated it with their lifeblood. Some people are more persceptive of its prescence than others.