Devil’s Den
The Devil’s Den is believed to be one of the most haunted places in Gettysburg. Many think that part of the reason Devil’s Den is so haunted might be because it housed scary stories before Gettysburg. However, Devil’s Den connection with the Civil War starts on the second day of battle, July 2, 1863. Devil’s Den was located at the Union line’s far end. When the troops met, both sides not only had to battle the opposing party, but they had to fight mazes of boulders.
The ghostly tales about Devil’s Den began shortly after the battle ended. One of the earliest reports comes from hunters, who got lost in Devil’s Den. While they were trying to find their way out, one hunter looked up and noticed a dim figure of a man standing on top of some boulders. The hunter then saw the man was gesturing to a specific direction with his hand. The hunter then realized that was the way out. When the hunters turned around to thank the man for helping them, there was no one in sight.
Devil’s Den also has many new haunting tales. One is from a photographer who was taking pictures around Devil’s Den in the 1970s. As she was about to take some pictures, a dirty, hippy-type male with no shoes approached her. He pointed to a region and said she would want that area. The lady looked to see where he meant, but when she turned back to him, he had vanished. In fact, she couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere. The following month, a different photographer went up to a park ranger to show him a picture. In the photo was the man who fit the same barefoot, hippy description. The twist was when the photographer snapped the image, no one else was around.
Reports show that the most recent spotting of this hippy ghost occurred in 2010. Some people, including Mark Nesbitt who gives Gettysburg Candlelight walking tours, the spirit is a soldier from Texas. It is reported that many soldiers from Texas did not receive packages of clothing from home. This reality was mostly because, at the time, Texas was a remote frontier area. Due to this, most of the Confederate Texas Soldiers were seen as dirty and often lacked shoes. Whoever this shadowy figure once was, he does not seem to be leaving anytime soon.
Of course, this is not the only ghost that is said to haunt Devil’s Den. There is another one, who people refer to as the ghost rider. When people see this spirit, which often vanishes as quickly as it appears, sounds of gunfire and shouting from men are also heard. No one has been able to explain these sounds or the disappearing rider. On top of this, it only takes a quick Google search to learn that are dozens of photographs which show ghostly phenomenon on the grounds of Gettysburg battlefield and the town.
Where did we find this information? Here are our sources:
“Haunted Appalachian Trail: Maryland’s Ghosts.” Jamie J., Gettysburg Ghosts. February 2015.
“Ghosts of Gettysburg.” Travel Channel.
“The Ghosts Of Gettysburg: One Of America’s Most Haunted Places” American Haunting Sink.
“Ghosts of Gettysburg: The 10 Most Ghost-heavy, Haunted Spots.” Stephanie Sadowski. October 2018.