Specific Purpose: To inform my classmates of specific places in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that are considered to be haunted.

Introduction: Do you believe in paranormal activity? Have you ever been to a place that is haunted? My personal opinion on this subject matter is open to question; however, there are a lot of people that have had firsthand encounters with the paranormal. Throughout the world there are countless places that are considered to be haunted by tormented souls that still lurk among us in search of a way to free their souls. Most places that claim to be haunted are intertwined with tales of battles and as a result many fatalities. Tragic times in history make for the perfect breeding grounds for the haunted places that exist today.

Thesis/Preview: Gettysburg is a city that is plagued by historical events that play a role in the manifestations that haunt Gettysburg today. These include locations at The Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and the Hummelbaugh House.

I. The Devil’s Den is considered a site for paranormal activity.

A. The Devil’s Den has historical significance retained during the American Civil War.

1. Location held heavy fighting during battle that took place on July 2, of 1863.

2. The total death toll estimated during battle consisted of 800 for the Union and more than 1,800 for the Confederates.

B. Some reported paranormal activity at the Devil’s Den.

1. According to author, consultant, and lecturer Dennis William Hauck, he states in his book Haunted Places that if you stand outside at the Devil’s Den there can be the sounds of drum rolls and gunshots heard.

2. According to many visitors there have been many people that claim to have seen and/or taken pictures of and had conversations with a friendly soldier who either disappears or doesn’t show up in photographs.

Transition: Spooky, unexplainable things happen at the Devil’s Den but there is also paranormal activity in another area of Gettysburg, Little Round Top.

II. Another location said to be haunted is Little Round Top.

A. Little Round Top’s historical significance.

1. A site where Union soldiers held up to maintain an advantage over the Confederate soldiers.

2. According to James Brann, an author from Civil War Magazine, this was a site Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain led his 20th Maine Regiment in perhaps the most famous counterattack of the Civil War.

B. Manifestations at Little Round Top.

1. During filming of the movie Gettysburg (1993), extras portraying Union soldiers were greeted by a man in the uniform of a Union private.

a. Handed them musket rounds.

b. Actual rounds that dated back to the Civil War.

2. Ghostly solders can still be seen marching in formation and riding horses in the fight against their enemy.

Transition: It seems that a lot of landmarks are haunted but there are also structures known to be stricken with paranormal activity.

III. Hummelbaugh House is a non-battlefield place for ghost-sightings.

A. Historical significance of Hummelbaugh House.

1. The house is located on the east side of the city and was just behind the Union lines.

2. It was used for a hospital and because of the times amputated limbs would be thrown out the windows resulting in a huge pile of body parts.

B. Paranormal activity at the house.

1. The windows in the house often startle people with loud vibrations.

2. The calls for help from soldiers can still be heard in and around the house.

Conclusion: In closing, according to History.com the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the biggest in the Civil War, resulting in over 150,000 causalities. With these statistics it is no surprise that lost souls still lurk the eerie grounds of this historical place. Whether it is vibrating windows or actual encounters with soldiers from 1863, Gettysburg has more than enough encounters with the paranormal to convince the biggest of doubters. Going to Gettysburg would guarantee a chance to literally step back in time and encounter something that is only remembered in history books. So believer in the paranormal or not, Gettysburg is a place to go to experience a part of history whether it be historical sites or a random run in with a ghostly soldier.

References

Brann, J. R. (1999). The full story. America’s Civil War, 12(5), 34.