Why are there so many ghosts at Gettysburg?

Answer 1

Because so many people died there during the American Civil War (North vs. South - 1863).

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 – July 3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's turning point. Union Major General George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.

Following his brilliant success at Chancellorsville in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley for his second invasion of the North, hoping to reach as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia, and to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved almost on the eve of battle and replaced by Meade.

The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division, which was soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south.

On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. Across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.

On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Pickett's Charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in the three-day battle.

The two armies had suffered between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties. Union casualties were 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured or missing). Confederate casualties are difficult to estimate exactly. Many authors cite 28,000 overall casualties, but Busey and Martin's definitive 2005 work, Regimental Strengths and Losses, documents 22,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured or missing). The casualties for both sides during the entire campaign were 57,225. There was one documented civilian death during the battle: Ginnie Wade, 20 years old, shot by a stray bullet that passed through her kitchen in town while she was making bread.

More than 7,000 soldiers had been killed outright; these bodies, lying in the hot summer sun, needed to be buried quickly. Over 3,000 horse carcasses were burned in a series of piles south of town; townsfolk became violently ill from the stench. Pennsylvania and New York state militia patrolled the Gettysburg battlefield and secured as much of the remaining military property as possible, often arresting souvenir hunters and forcing them to assist in the disposal of the dead horses. The ravages of war would still be evident in Gettysburg more than four months later when, on November 19, the Soldiers' National Cemetery was dedicated. During this ceremony, President Abraham Lincoln with his Gettysburg Address would re-dedicate the nation to the war effort and to the ideal that no soldier at Gettysburg—North or South—had died in vain.

That November President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the Union dead and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.

Today, the Gettysburg National Cemetery and Gettysburg National Military Park are maintained by the U.S. National Park Service as two of the nation's most revered historical landmarks.

Answer 2

Gettysburg was spooky before the famous battle - - - the earliest inhabitants recorded unusual incidents indicating that it is a 'hot spot' for pschyic energy - - - then one of the bloodiest of battles was fought at Gettysburg - - - many souls found themselves 'trapped' stuck unable to move on. And Gettysburg never grew much larger - - - it stayed a small rural town thus many buildings survived, were preserved, thus maintaining the enviroment many 'spooks' have grown accustomed too - - - The best way to answer your question would be to state there are fewer distractions at Gettysburg, no noise of a big bustling city crowding out the souls of the dead - - - by its very nature Gettysburg allows those souls to reach out, to speak across the gulf of time ....


Peace.....

Answer 3

Why do you think? More men died there in 3 days than I believe in any other battle of the Civil War. The sadness in the air at Gettysburg is unbearable. I have been there.

Answer 4

These are not ghosts. These are wandering souls who are looking to be properly buried with a Holy Mass, Funeral, and blessings at their funeral grounds. If you have no proper burial or grave your soul is doomed to wander which is really sad in this case.

Just think of how many men suffered without the last rites of a Priest or Parson. They were killed instantly in a state of violence, war, and hatred. I believe the place is sacred ground like a cemetary, and should be acknowledged and recognized as one with proper respects.

Answer 5

that would be so really cool to see, cause there was a big war at gettysburg and many men died there too.

Answer 6

there are no ghosts at gettysburg. Otherwise, Disney would already have built the Mickey Mouse's Super Fun Family Real Ghost Gettysburg Extravaganza there.

Answer 7

Do you really believe in ghosts? I think that a ghost is a spirit of a person who don't want or who is trapped on this world...material world...Maybe something happened there...and the ghosts are trapped

Answer 8

A lot of people died in a short amount of time and in alot of chaos. There were a lot uf unanswered questions and unfulfilled lives.

Answer 9

The more who die the more shall rise. Upon the face of hollowed ground and blood stained field the memory imprints shall exist. To relive the dreaded moment of death.

Answer 10

Most likely because so many people go there and want to part of the I SAW ONE crowd.