A Brief History: Sitting in the heart of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania sits Evergreen Cemetery. The cemetery sits on 29 acres of land that is next to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Evergreen Cemetery was founded as a civilian cemetery in 1854; nine years prior to the battles of Gettysburg that occurred during the American Civil War. During the three days of battles, Evergreen Cemetery sat in the thick of the fighting. The cemetery sustained noticeable damage. According to Henry Pfanz, an author of Civil War history, a Union Army Officer stated upon viewing the cemetery, “”A beautiful cemetery it was, but now is trodden down, laid a waste, desecrated. The fences are all down, the many graves have been run over, beautiful lots with iron fences and splendid monuments have been destroyed or soiled, and our infantry and artillery occupy those sacred grounds where the dead are sleeping. It is enough to make one mourn.” Four months after the fighting at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln stood atop a platform and read the Gettysburg Address to the large gathered crowd. One of the most famous burials at Evergreen Cemetery was that of Jennie Wade. She was the only civilian death that resulted from the fighting at Gettysburg.
Haunted History: With all that occurred on the property during the beginning of July 1863 it is not surprising that Evergreen Cemetery is host to tales of paranormal happenings. There have been claims from visitors to the site that they have seen figures resembling that of soldiers of the Civil War. People conducting investigations at the location have reported capturing electronic voice phenomena (EVP). These EVPs have included what sounds like voices calling for help. If you go for a visit to Evergreen Cemetery make sure that you pay attention to your surroundings. There just may be someone out there looking to get your attention. Perhaps, they may be a spirit from a battle fought long ago on a hot summer day in 1863.