No sense in being scared, he was a friendly fella and this was on the original battlefield near the anniversary of the battle around 12 years ago. Now his insistence on me reading the Bible, specifically the Book of Job, like my life depended on it, and him knowing my name, that was scary the next morning after I realized it wasn't another reenactor who had heard my name or something and apparently one of the ghosts of that battle visiting me, he came out of the fog silently, sat to talk to a soaked and freezing 16 year old kid, (it had been a big cold front, it was early April and the temperature had dropped to 28 degrees, yep still remember the temperature because it got a lot colder after he showed up), apparently to offer advise on the future, and said, "Well I'm gonna get goin." and walked off disappearing into the fog from whence he came and after returning to Pleasant Hill many times since I've yet to see him again, although I will admit due to some unhappiness on my part of the direction of the event I haven't been back since 2015, perhaps I'll change that this year, that particular Louisiana reenactment has always felt like a home.
He was a nice guy, I'd love to sit around the fire and visit with him again and ask him questions about the War now that I know he was a real Confederate soldier. But seriously him knowing my identity was a bit scary till I realized no harm had been done and I had come away with a heck of a tale. Oh and bragging rights, mustn't forget that, one could say it was a blessing, as wet and cold as I was I couldn't stop shaking and he helped me get the fire going enough to warm me up. Its almost like he was a guardian angel that night, odd part was it was only my maybe third event, and I was contemplating quitting due to my, (I thought) suffering, and him urging me to continue and "read the stories left behind" and really learn about the War helped me make up my mind to keep on, before I realized he was a voice from the past I might add. Except for the bragging rights I've been joking about, (there's some other fellas I know with better stories, that'll really make your hair stand on end, specifically at Sharpsburg/Antietam when they could reenact on a portion of the original battlefield or right next to it I can't recall off hand), I have nothing to gain from telling it, heck I'm glad it happened, I wish it'd happen again lol! It was an influential happening though...
But now I'm curious about this ghost of Champion Hill.