Phantom Gettysburg discusses the contemporary alternative version of a perceived haunted battlefield. In order to understand this alternative perception, contemporary anomalous phenomena must be affixed to and analyzed within their exact historical setting and social context. An ethnographic model of mid-19thc. American culture is used as the basis for this analysis. Specifically, the cultural beliefs relative to the concepts of death and the afterlife, as it was envisioned by these soldiers, is the basis for this model. This historical ethnographic analysis serves two purposes. First, it is a means to legitimize the methodology and fieldwork practices of ghost research. Second, it is meant to analyze the Gettysburg experience and its haunting uncertainty in its historical and sociocultural environment. The conclusion that is drawn from this comparative approach alters the reality and representation of an interactive ghostly battlefield presence. A Gettysburg haunted by Civil War soldiers is considered, for the most part, a phantom experience.

"Phantom cries from wounded soldiers echo through the air. Strange orbs of light appear in photographs. These stories and more are found at Gettysburg Battlefield, the site of a historical American Civil War battle. Readers will follow along in spooky delight as they discover the ghosts of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania"--

Gettysburg has long captivated historians, Civil War reenactors, and the American public. President Lincoln's dedicatory address, the monuments scattering the landscape, and the battle's pivotal role in the internecine conflict have elevated Gettysburg to a sacred place in the nation's memory of the Civil War. In their study of the battle, however, scholars have overlooked the rich body of supernatural folklore--ghost stories--which have arisen on the battlefield and in the surrounding town. In the years following the battle, ghostly encounters reported by tourists, park rangers, and Gettysburg residents have become popular with some visitors to the battlefield. The ghost stories consumed and perpetuated by these groups offer evidence of a new twenty-first century memory of the Civil War that is alive at Gettysburg. These ghost stories feature themes, characters, and narrative traits common to the traditional schools of Civil War memory, while highlighting new, more contemporary themes emphasizing the Union and Confederate soldier as well as doctors, women, and children--the war's noncombatants. The comingling of traits from the traditional schools of memory with themes not emphasized in early remembrances of the war are evidence of a new school of memory perpetuated and consumed at and about Gettysburg. Furthermore, the appearance of themes from this new twenty-first century war memory in popular supernatural-themed television shows suggests this new school of war remembrance is not solely confined to a small group of Gettysburg tourists, but is consumed by an American public which is continually shaping and redefining their memory of the Civil War. This dissertation argues that through a contemporary interpretation of these supernatural folk narratives the historian better understands how tourists drawn to the battlefield, and the general public, are remembering the Civil War more than one hundred and fifty years after the Appomattox peace.

Ghosts of Gettysburg: Walking on Hallowed Ground is a keep-you-up-all-night book from real life master ghost hunters, Drs. Dave and Sharon Oester, cofounders of the International Ghost Hunters Society, the largest ghost research society on the Internet. Drs. Dave and Sharon Oester spend their time traveling the back roads of America, investigating some of its most haunted places. Over a six-year period, they explored and recorded the amazing ghostly experiences of visitors to the Gettysburg battlefield. One year they devoted a full month for battlefield investigations and drove over 1,000 miles on the battlefield gathering data for this book. Drs. Dave and Sharon Oester were the first to hold ghost conferences in Gettysburg teaching about ghost photography and electronic voice phenomena known as EVP. Their annual ghost conferences started the ghost hunting movement in Gettysburg. Drs. Dave and Sharon Oester share 40 haunted sites on the battlefield, not according to folklore, but from their own personal investigations using scientific tools to validate the existence of ghosts. Each haunted site contains a short history of its part in this three-day battle. Read about the ten most haunted Civil War hospitals sites that can be visited by the reader.

Discover the paranormal legacy of one of America's most celebrated historical sites. Based on scores of investigations conducted at the battlefield, Ghost Soldiers of Gettysburg presents a wealth of fascinating Civil War history and compelling, first-hand encounters with ghost soldiers. Meticulously researched and respectful, this book reveals the mysteries of the spirit world while bringing the stories of this notorious battle to life. Follow investigators who listen to the testimonies of soldiers before helping them cross to the other side. Experience personal and thrilling stories, such as the fallen soldier who allows a present-day tourist a glimpse into his last moments on earth. These true encounters, and many more, are found within this amazing collection of the trials and triumphs at the Battle of Gettysburg. Includes thirty-five photos! Praise: "[This book] is not only the definitive guide to Gettysburg hauntings, but a priceless overview of phantasmal research in general...5 out of 5 stars!"—Joshua P. Warren, author of How to Hunt Ghosts

July 1-3, 1863. Two mighty armies clash outside the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In the aftermath, tens of thousands lay dead or wounded, many of the poor souls left abandoned on the battlefield for weeks or days. The Battle of Fairfield, a short but brutal cavalry engagement, is fought nearby. The victims are brought to the Fairfield Inn, now hastily pressed into service as a field hospital, where the surgeons ply their bloody trade. The Army of Northern Virginia then retreats through this small town southwest of Gettysburg, where Generals Robert E, Lee and Jeb Stuart also stop at the Fairfield Inn. Originally built circa 1757, the Fairfield Inn was also a stop on the Underground Railroad, used to hide runaway slaves who were fleeing to freedom in the North. Little wonder that it developed a reputation for being haunted that persists to this very day. Shadow figures and apparitions roam the hallways. Footsteps and disembodied voices disturb the sleeping guests late at night. Doors open and close of their own accord. Cold spots abound and objects are moved by invisible hands. Join author Richard Estep ("The Haunting of Asylum 49," "The World's Most Haunted Hospitals") as he and a small team of paranormal investigators move into the Fairfield Inn and work to uncover its many secrets. Accompany them on a tour of the most haunted parts of the Gettysburg Battlefield, from Devil's Den and Little Round Top to the Slaughter Pen, the Valley of Death, and finally to Pickett's Charge, where the ghosts of long-dead Civil War soldiers are said to still march, eternal spirit guardians of America's most hallowed ground.