The Phantom Soldiers of Gettysburg
On the battlefield of Gettysburg, people say they've seen soldiers in old uniforms who vanish, and heard drums and gunfire where no one is firing.
What was reported
In July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought over three days around a small Pennsylvania town, and more than 7,000 soldiers died. The fields, rocks and woods are now a national military park.
Visitors have long reported figures in Civil War uniforms who disappear, the sound of drums and musket fire, and a feeling of being watched, especially among the boulders of Devil's Den. Re-enactors tell of a soldier who offered them advice, then wasn't there.
Explanations offered
Sceptics point to re-enactors and costumed guides, the power of suggestion in a place where so many died, and sounds carried from the town. Ghost tours are now a large part of the town's visitor trade.
- When
- Reported since the 1860s
- Where
- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
- Witnesses
- Visitors, park staff and re-enactors
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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