The Haunts Of Gettysburg

What an eerie sensation it was to be standing here, here on the Gettysburg battlefield! So lethal a place that Mattie believed she could faintly hear the moans of wounded, dying men when she closed her eyes. It was painfully heart wrenching and yet, even still, it was presently peaceful - this place where thousands of men had lost their lives. Time itself had been kind to the area & healed the blood stained land. If she hadn’t known of it’s history, then it would appear as if it were any other common field; a place where one might pick wild flowers in the cool of the day.

She’d heard stories time and again about how haunted this place was. The mere thought of seeing a ghost, if they were in fact real, scared the heck out of Mattie! She came here to fracture her comfort zone, “face her fears” as one would say. Mattie pepeatedly asked herself why she had come at all, yet deep down Mattie knew why she’d come to this place. It was Halloween and she had never ever seen a ghost, although being devotedly cynical about the whole “haunting” of spirits thing! There really wasn’t much to be frightened of, after all, ghost weren’t real, or at least she had never seen any proof to back up the phenomena!

Fall was in the air; the nights were crisp. Mattie had formulated a plan. A no fail plan! If ghost were real, then she meant to see one tonight! So, with a backpack on, she steadily made her way deeper onto the battlefield hoping to get far enough out of sight as to not get caught. There would most assuredly be a hefty price to pay if caught building a campfire out here. All dressed in black as if to blend into the night, she finally reached a safe enough place to set up camp for the night. First she would build a small fire and get some coffee brewing over the open flame.

Mattie had put a lot of thought into this venture…”Civil war soldiers like coffee!” Really… What else did they drink back then besides water? Of course they liked campfires & coffee, and that’s why she had to get this stuff going. As soon as the restless spirits smelled the scent of a campfire & coffee floating in the air they would come join her. They had to! That’s why this was a no fail plan, she’d even gone out on a limb and went so far as to bring along cigarettes. What could be more inviting than coffee, food, and a good smoke while relaxing by a fire after a long spirit filled day of fighting? Whiskey? Perhaps. “Spirits for the spirits!!” Ha Ha! She laughed out loud. Corny, but that was funny to her. Mattie had brought some whisky along too… just in case.

While things were cooking on the fire, Mattie walked around carefully listening & watching the darkness around her. She could smell the food, and was getting quite hungry. She checked her watch seeing that it was nearly nine PM. No sightings as of yet. It could be a long, barren night, but she would tough it out. Truth be known, she was a little bit freaked out- being out here all by herself and all. Wanting all the sensory stimulation she could possibly provide to this ghostly atmosphere, she lit a cigarette, fanned the smoke with her empty hand as she walked around waiting for some apparitions to materialize. Ah… the fright of Halloween night!








[edit on 10/8/2008 by jensouth31]

Something wasn't right ! He smelled a god-damned woman ! What the hell
was a woman doing out here at this time of night ? And alone at that !

He hadn't much cared for women no way. They spelled trouble. Always.
The old ones, his mother and aunts, had beat him severly when he'd been
just a kid, and the young ones were too fickled to ever understand what
a hard life was about. Besides, not a one of them ever came to see if he
had survived the battle. (He hadn't, but that was beside the point). He just
didn't care for them too much atall.

He walked around her little campfire, knowing she wouldn't be able to see
him anyway. No one has "seen" him in years.

He'd been with the 1st Minnesota Calvry. Up on Cementary Ridge. "The
Mounted Rangers" as they used to be called. Yeah, the same ones that
were almost totally slaughtered as a unit. His sorrow rose up quickly, and
he had all he could do to contain his anger.

So what the hell was she doing here ?

He suddenly smelled the aroma of coffee, and thought it wickedly
pleasant. He watched her brush away the puffs of smoke from a perfect-
looking cigarette, as if she was trying to goad him into revealing hinself.

What the hell did she want here ?

Mattie walk back to the campfire to tend her cooking before she burned her dinner; squatting down with a spatula in hand, she flipped the ham over to brown the other side. Satisfied with that, she took a tin cup out of her backpack and poured herself a cup of coffee. Upon first taste, she decided to pour a little medicine in her coffee to warm it up. Oh she was glad she had brought along that whisky! She walked a quick circle around her camp fanning the scent of coffee & whisky before sitting down to eat her meal.

“Oh-hot, hot!” She said aloud as she took a bite of ham. When she had finished chewing the hot piece of ham, she broadcasted “Yoo-hoo, wouldn’t somebody like to come over… have a cup of coffee & dinner with me?” Once again, she rose up and fanned the smell of ham throughout her camp. She giggled thinking she must look like a total flipping loon! God forbid any living person sees her doing such a crazy act, but on second thought they’d think she was touched in the head and leave her alone to her own antics. “I’mm…. wwait-ting…..Yoo-hoo…I’m Waiting!” she hollered sweetly. And then Mattie watched & waited to see if anything would happened.

All the sudden, the coffee pot rattled on the fire; Mattie stopped dead in her tracks – stiff as a board, scared absolutely speechless! She wanted to scream her fool head off but she was far to petrified to move, and way to terrified to do anything but watch the coffee pot. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally took a deep breath, held her chest and mustered the strength to say “Hello? Who are you? Please don’t hurt me.”



[edit on 10/13/2008 by jensouth31]

He had managed to rattle the coffee pot by concentrating his energy in bursts, until his will all but gave out. He watched her. She didn't appear to
be scared silly, nor did she act as if this was all a big joke. Could she
really want to communicate with the dead here at Gettysburg ? For what
reason ?
Ignoring the delicious smell of the ham, he moved closer to her. She
looked to be middle-aged, with shoulder-length dark hair and a firm set of
breasts that begged to be set free. Just his opinion of course, and he was
careful in his thinking cause he'd always been taught to respect women
and their place, but he'd also been without for a long, long, time. He
reckoned he could be a tad easier on her after catching a glimpse of her
face. Fair but confidently curious. Strong stock if one was to make a
quick judgement.
He concentrated on the ground in front of her. He watched her watch as he
moved a stick in the dirt. At first it wiggled like a worm, but then he got it
under control and it began to smooth over the dirt, like erasing a chalk-
board. Slowly it began to scratch a message : WHAT DO YOU WANT ?

Mattie’s eyes were as large as saucers, her mouth fell open and without knowing, she reached up pressing her fingers tight to her lips. Trembling, practically stuttering, Mattie staid, “I I I want to… Oh I don’t know what I want?” Mattie was so nervous she started to cry. After a long moment she wiped her eyes and whispered… “My name is Mattie. I have some letters in my bag, love letters if you will sir, they were passed on to me by my grandmother; they belonged to my great, great, great grandmother” fidgeting, Mattie continued her story –

“The man that wrote those letters, he died here… somewhere here, I don’t know exactly where, but it was here, in this place. I didn’t believe it possible sir, but here I am seeing this with my own eyes. I really don’t know what I thought I could accomplish by coming here sir. I’ll go now and leave you in peace – I’m terribly sorry I disturbed you” Mattie said weeping. Her heart finally felt the painful energy of the land here. She could see a misty haze in the air just above the ground where the stick had written the message in the dirt. She started to clean the area and put out the fire when the stick moved, it started to write another message….

"READ ME ONE OF THE LETTERS !" "READ IT TO ME !" The stick stopped
moving, as if waiting for a response.
Mattie moved over next to the fire and pulled a gray envelope from the
pocket of her old bag. She sat down and withdrew a letter from
the worn envelope, reading it aloud as the fire crackled in the night.

Indeed it was from someone here at the battlefield, to his soon to be wife.

He watched Mattie as she read, noting the tears that made their way down
her cheeks. His respect for her was increasing by the moment. For her to
come here, yes HERE, alone, with love letters from the past and to read
them like she was doing was quite commendable. She was of strong
stock !

As she read he learned of the love that existed between these two
individuals, about their hopes and dreams of starting a family of their own.
A huge gust of wind suddenly blew across the battlefield, swirling the fire
to a frenzied height, and instantly there stood another of his kind, rolling
his head from side to side, his anger apparent.
"Who has the audacity to read MY private writings ?!"

Mattie couldn't hear him but she felt a change in the air around her. Even
though she sat close to the fire she shivered at the sudden change in
temperature. The sentinel went over close to Mattie again and moved the
stick in the dirt until another message appeared. It said : HE IS HERE !

Mattie gasp before cupping her hands over her mouth, tears rolling from the corner of her blue eyes. Were these ghosts toying with her like some kind of sick joke? “What DO You Mean HE is here?” Mattie asked through clenched teeth, now getting pissed that these spirits dare play with her heart the way they were. “Tell me his name! I don’t believe you! I don’t believe that my great, great, great grandfather is here! TELL ME HIS NAME!” Mattie shouted unexpectedly as she kicked the coffee pot off the fire before collapsing on one knees. “I have a picture of him, I know what he looks like. I know what he looks like, I’ve looked at his picture a thousand times.”

Mattie’s tearful eyes darted back and forth searching for answers, anything to fill in the blanks. Her great, great, great grandmother had given herself to the man in the letters. She had loved him dearly; he was the man she was to be married to, except he never came home from the war. Their love for each other, it had happened the night before he left for duty. A child, her great, great grandfather was the product of that union. It was for the most part a secret amongst the family rarely spoken of… lies had been created and told to cover any disgrace it brought upon the family. Mattie’s grandmother went to her grave never having given her love to another man, faithful & true she was to him unto her dying day.

“Show yourself to me, if you’re really here…please show me”

Mattie looked around, saw nothing out of the ordinary, and so once again
fixed her gaze on the stick. Slowly it began to move. The dirt smoothed
out and words began to take shape. "WHAT YOU ASK IS NOT POSSIBLE!"

Mattie replied "Why not?"

WE ARE DEAD.

"But you are ghosts. Ghosts have been known to take solid shape"

"AT TIMES, YES, BUT IT IS NOT A SIMPLY THING."

"Then how do I know it is really you ?"

"YOU WILL FEEL THE CONNECTION."

"When ?"

"WHEN YOUR CHOSEN SPIRIT DECIDES YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE."

"Is he here right now, like you said ?"

"YES"

"Where ?"

"HE'S STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU."

A chill went through her as she turned slowly around to meet him.

There was no one there ! Turning around and around, she saw no one.

The stick moved . . .YOU CANNOT SEE US.

Mattie quickly asked, "Then how will I know ?"

"YOU WILL HAVE TO BELIEVE."

The fire crackled in the dark.

"DO YOU HAVE HIS PICTURE WITH YOU ?"

"Yes."

"HOLD IT UP FOR US TO SEE."

“Oh heck no! Nice try though guys, but there’s no way I’m digging out that picture yet!” Mattie said laughing. “There’s only one thing I can think of that might make me believe that he’s here…”

Mattie turned around and said, “Let’s dance Pop’s!” then she smiled & said, “All my other grandpa’s have always danced with me, it’s the only way I can be sure that it might be you.” then she positioned herself in the correct dancing pose, humming the Tennessee Waltz.

At first Mattie felt like she were dancing with air, then pow! like magic she felt the connection just like the ghost had said she would feel. She could feel his energy albeit cold and tense, a strange, awkward sensation…but none the less there was a presence of some kind & they danced.

“How come I’m doing all the work here Pop’s?” Mattie teased “Oh, and could you stop stepping on my toes?!” She thought for sure these ghost must think she’s nuts, however, she was trying to make light of a tense situation for all. Perhaps a shot of whisky was in order? She thought better of doing that, just in case her Grandpa? might slap the glass out of her hand- better safe than sorry.

"What do you think pop's?"

The sentinel was amazed at what was happening. Ghosts, dancing with
live people ? Here ?
He sensed more spirits arriving. They formed a huge circle around the
fire and silently watched as one of their own danced around and around
with Mattie. How could this be happening in a sacred battleground ?
. . . . . . when sadness and despair were the going rate ?

People, live people, were supposed to be afraid of ghosts !

The moon rolled out from behind a dark cloud, casting shadows here and
there. If one was to look down on the picture they would only see Mattie,
dancing with herself, and now sometimes with her shadow. She appeared
to be alone, but that was not the truth of the matter. Now hundreds and
hundreds of spirits were joining the ranks, watching in wonder as Mattie's
great,great,great grandfather led her around the fire in step.

When they were done dancing, Mattie sat down by the fire and prepared another pot of coffee. She couldn’t hardly believe what took place here tonight on the Gettysburg battlefield. Her plan had worked after all, just like she always knew it would… that was if ghost were real… which she now knew to be true.

“Hold on a second, let me tend my fire then I’ll come visit some more.”

While she gathered more firewood, she tried to think what her next move should be? Should she ask him about her grandmother? Probably! If he was in fact her grandfather, then he should be able to supply her with some common details like the name of this great woman that he was going to marry. Mattie wondered if her ever knew from the letters they had exchanged during the war, that she was expecting a child, or had her grandmother kept that a secret? So many questions romped through her mind.

“Come sit down over here by this writing stick. Tell me what my grandmothers name was, what kind of a person was she? You know I never met her. I’ve only heard stories and saw pictures.” Mattie could still feel energy in the air, but was her grandfather’s spirit still in attendance? She sat patiently waiting…

The sentinel spirit willed the stick to move. "WHERE IS THE PICTURE ?"

"Are you my ancestor ?",Mattie asked.

"NO. BUT HE IS HERE. THE PICTURE WILL HELP YOU SEE HIM."

"How ?"

"IT WILL GIVE SUBSTANCE TO HIS BEING, FOR A BRIEF TIME."

Mattie looked into her bag, found the semi-faded picture, and pulled it out.

"SET IT DOWN BY ITSELF."

Mattie leaned over and put the picture on a stump near the fire. She
watched, fascinated, as the picture began to turn in circles. Faster and
faster the picture spun, and as it did so a man began to appear in front of
her. When the picture finally slowed down and came to a stop, her great,
great, great grandfather stood fully visible in front of her.

All the sudden Mattie could see him. The very same man that she’d seen in a picture that belonged to her grandmother. He really was her grandfather! She couldn’t believe what she was seeing!

“How did you do that- I mean - Why can I see you now?” Mattie asked almost tripping over her tongue.

The Sentinel answered making the stick move,” He drew energy from you.”

“How?” Mattie asked in awe then casting her eyes back to the stick, waiting.

“Dancing.”

“Oh that’s right, while we were dancing!”

No wonder I’m so tuckered out Mattie thought, her eyes were darting back and forth having a good look at her grandfather for the first time ever. He was average height, rugged but tattered, a little on the thin side, definitely in need of a good scrubbing & shave. Mattie could only imagine the horrible ordeals these men had gone through.

“I have something for you grandpa, I hope it’s alright to call you that? I have a bundle of letters that were returned to my grandmother. When they didn’t reach you, they all come back in due time, they’ve been tied up with a ribbon, and stored away ever since. They were found among my grandmother’s belongings when she passed. They rightfully belong to you.”

Mattie took them from her bag and placed them on the stump, just the same as she had done with the photograph.

“Yes, she passed a very long time ago. I hope that someday soon, you can find your way. You should join her, I’m sure she’s been waiting for you for a very long time, a lifetime, and then some Sir. She’s almost certainly been waiting on a bench made of gold outside the Pearly Gates of Heaven!” Mattie started choking up, as she placed her fingers up to her lips to stop them from quivering, deciding she should be quiet for a moment & see what happens next.

Her great,great,great grandfather stirred, as if ready to speak.

"I have been here a long time my dear, a very long time. With all my
fallen comrades. I had no idea I had any family until you came here
tonight. I have read all the letters you brought in that bundle over there.
I read them when the sentinel first called me over, while you were making
coffee. I loved Mollie, your great,great,great grandmother, very much. It
seems fitting that our almighty God helped us to produce a child to carry
on our devotion to each other. I am now comfortable in my thoughts and
soon I will leave this sacred battlefield to finally join Mollie. And it is all
because of you my dear, all because of you."

Mattie cried quietly to herself, as he continued.

"Most people that want to see ghosts Mattie are up to no good. They want
"an expeience", something to stimulate their senses. You've shown all of
us here that your reasons are different. You have closed the circle of
family, our family, and this closure will set me free. Many will continue to
stay here , hoping that they too will find closure like I have. I wish them
nothing but good luck. But now, now it is my time, thanks to you."

Mattie stood up and went over to hug him. It was like hugging her dad.

The wind picked up, and he began to fade, slowly. She hollered "Don't go
yet, please ! Please!"

He blinked, then he was back with her, for the moment.

Mattie was both sad & happy at the same time, binking back tears of sorrow and joy she asked him, "Please hug my grandma's neck for me when you get where you're going. Tell her that I love her & I'll see her when I get there."

Mattie's grandfather faded away slowly never to be seen at Gettysburg again.

. . . . . . .There once was a woman named Mattie,
who with spirits and ghosts was quite chatty,
her kindest of hearts, played the pivotal part,
and never was she thought to be batty . . . . . . . . .

Very Nice!