Walking among the dead

On Sunday night Dean and I met up with fellow blogger Linda from" Are We There Yet?" and her daughter Amanda and Amanda's friend Darci  for a "ghost hunt'.

 We had booked it earlier in the week via the Farnsworth House Inn. I had been on a tour with this tour company before and enjoyed it so I was looking forward to the hunt. We had been told we would be using real equipment and taken out and shown how to use it to "Hunt" Ghost. The area we investigated was interesting but the guide we got was young, giggly, and more interested in sitting on a log smoking cigarettes than participating in the tour.  I have a review of the tour on my Ghost Hunting Blog so please stop over there to read about the tour. I did take a tour later in the week with a different company and both my husband and I got some photo's of "interest". I have them on that blog. . Even though the Farnsworth House Inn  tour could have been better, it was fun meeting the "girls" and putting face with the name.Linda and I are talking about meeting again at Gettysburg in the future.  I believe Linda is planning on doing a post about the tour on her blog  and she has some photos from that night that you have to check out..SPOOKY...so be sure and go by to visit her.

A Little Local Ghost Hunting

This is a recent show from "Ghost Hunters"
This episode was filmed locally at the beautiful Edgewood Plantation. Although I have not been inside I have driven by several times. After watching this show I may have to talk the hubby into a romantic get away weekend.

Mist in the Hall

One of my co-workers Who for the sake of her privacy we will call Betty is a huge fan of ghostly things like myself, and when I arrived at work today she called me aside to tell me what had happened to her sister this week. I forget her sisters name but for the sake of this blog we will call her Linda. Linda's mother in law (Whom she did not get along with) passed away four days ago. Last night Linda was laying in bed and suddenly got very cold. She looked out into the hallway where she saw a mist. Thinking it was smoke she sat up and took a second look. The mist was growing thicker, and the room colder. All at once the mist took on a human shape and started to come into the room. Linda Yelled out, NO I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU...And snapped on the light. As she did the last of the mist disappeared and the room grew warm. Linda said she knows it was the mother in law.
Both the girls (Linda and Betty) grew up in a haunted house and both have had these type of experiences before. Betty said she told Linda to set up a video camera tonight and see what happens. I told her to also make sure she has her regular camera close by...Freaky huh

A story from my Gettysburg Ghost Walk

I promised to tell you one of the ghost stories that I heard on the ghost walk in Gettysburg. The one that stood out in my mind that night happened here.

The area you see here may not look like much now, but on July 4, 1863 this area was known as WILLOUGHBY RUN. It was all dirt with a creek running through it. During the combat, the Confederates used the seven foot banks of Willoughby Run both as an entrenchment and a place to get some relief from the blazing sun and the heat of the battle.
It's said that on the last day of the battle as the troops were pulling out that a sudden thunderstorm hit the area and cause a flash flood of Willoughby Creek (there actually was a storm like that on July 4th.) It trapped several troopers and drowned them, and you're supposed to be able to hear their cries to this day. The stream crosses town, and it's been reported that if you get too near a storm grate that ghostly hands will grab at your trouser cuffs in an effort to pull themselves out of the surging waters. We were told that the little stream and a footbridge were still there a few years ago, and that when the city went to close it off (as shown in the photo above) that they found both fossil type claw marks and human finger nails embedded into the sides of the dirt. We were also told that Some of the wounded soldiers were down in the entrenchment and that for several days after the battle that the water ran red with blood.
Now I don't know how true any of this is, but it made for a good ghost story, and I don't mind admitting I hurried across that area and on down the sidewalk.

Ghost Walk

My copy of "The Ghost Hunter's Field Guide..Gettysburg and Beyond, by Mark Nesbitt" is well worn and has proven to be a valuble resource when I have visited Gettysburg. One of the statements he makes has stood out in my mind and gives you something to think about.
I am not quoting it exactly the way it reads in the book, but it is something to this effect.
"Five-One thousand men were killed or wounded in the three day battle. Out of this three days they actually fought about 24 hours. When broken down this means that for every hour that they fought 2,125 men were shot. Every minute of that 24 hours 36 men where hit, so every two seconds a man was hit. For twenty-four hours."


When most of us think of this three day battle we tend to think of those men, but what is sometimes forgotten is the people who lived in the town of Gettysburg.
On June 1st of 1863 the town of Gettysburg had a population of 2,400. I was told on a recent tour of one of the homes in the area that when the troops pulled out on July 4th, that approx. 23,000 men were left behind. Almost every home had to take in a wounded solider or help to bury the bodies. A lot of these men died within the weeks that followed. It's little wonder with these statistics that Gettysburg is haunted. And of course being haunted everyone has a story to tell.
Look on any corner and you will find some sort of "Ghost Walk"

Mark Nesbitt "Ghost of Gettysburg" tour has been nominated as the #1 tour in Gettysburg, but for my trip this time we choose a different company to take a walk with. We opted for Sleepy Hollow tours.
Sleepy Hollow of Gettysburg Candlelight Ghost Tours is owned and operated by Cindy Codori-Shultz. Cindy is the 6th generation granddaughter of Nicholas Codori, of the Codori Farm, site of Pickett's Charge. Although Cindy did not give the tour the night we went we did have the opportunity to meet her while there and enjoyed talking with her. She seems like a very nice lady and her tour guides were well informed and interesting.
The night we took our tour we went with Amanda


She was a delight and told us several very interesting stories. Unlike the worst ghost tour I ever took in Richmond VA where we were rushed up and down hills and told stories at such a fast pace that we got very little out of the story I was pleased not only with Amanda's story telling ability, but also with the pace at which she told her stories and the way she lead the tour. She made sure everyone was together before she started talking, gave us time for questions and photos and seemed generally interested in having us as her guest.
I will try and relate some of those stories in my next post

In search of spirits

The night was cold with rain and wind. Just perfect for a visit to a haunted house, and that was exactly where I was headed. My daughter  and I pulled up the Ferry Plantation house in Virginia Beach about a half hour before schedule. We arrived early due to the weather and the fact that even though I grew up in Virginia Beach and have lived in the Hampton Roads area most of my adult life I had never been to this house. Thankfully another person was arriving the same we were and showed us the way up to the house which was a short distance from the parking area. 

I loved the house from the minute I walked in and at no time felt uncomfortable.

As you can see it is full of warm cozy furnishings. 

We were given a short tour, told some stories then allowed to move about on our own. One of the local paranormal groups was there for this tour and had brought some equipment in which we were allowed to use. We grabbed a infra-red thermometer and a set of dowsing roads and set off to see if we would have any type of experience

We had heard the story of Sally Rebecca Walke who lived and died in this house, She seemed to respond when asked questions using the dowsing rods my daughter has in her hands. (young lady in the photo in the middle is Sally)

Some people believe that when a spirit is present that there energy will cause the rods to cross. We used them for simple yes and no questions. We would ask them to cross for yes and then ask the sprits to uncross them for us. It worked over and over.

 

We also heard the story of Henry a slave who died here. His room was at the top of these stairs. Its been turned into a storage room now.

We were told he had been chained to the wall at some point (not sure if this is a true story, We heard it from a teenage boy that was there with the paranormal group).

Rebecca seemed to be taken with this area and we spent some time there using the “ghost hunting equipment”

We never could get the meter to flash, but the dowsing rods did cross several times.

We moved on to other areas of the house. I was anxious to see if Eric the child that had died in the house would communicate with us. We made our way to the gift shop where I took out my voice recorder. We ask Eric if he was there, waited for a response. (It is believed that voices of the dead can be heard with a tape recorder. What we can not hear with our ears can be picked up electronically) We then asked him to make a noise for us. For several minutes we could hear what sounded like a tapping noise at the window. Both my daughter and I could hear it and of course realize that it can easily be de-bunked due to the rain outside, but it only seemed to tap when we asked it to. Was it our over active imagination? I am not sure, but it was enough to make us both nervous so we didn’t stay in there long. When I played back the recording. I can hear the knocks along with what sounds like a voice saying pretty girl, and also in response to me asking if Eric wants to come play…a YES, Before we took out the voice recorder we had used a pendulum in this room and ask simple yes and no question.  When ask if Eric was in the room it swung in the direction of yes, when asked if he wanted to play, it swung no, and when asked if he was frightened, yes, when asked if he would play later, it stood still and shook as if there was an undecided answer.

Our hostess had also used a pendulum in  another room and it seemed to be responding to “something”.

I really enjoyed roaming around this house and tried to spend time in the areas that were suppose to have the most activity.

On the third floor is  where the Nanny's room had been. She had died when she was descending these stairs

The way the story goes is she caught her heel on the third step from the top, and over the years others have either fallen up or down these stairs at the exact same spot.

Other than the tapping we did not have any personal experiences, but really enjoyed our evening and I plan on going back again.

Here is a slide show of random photos of the house.

As Promised

As promised I visited two of my favorite old homes today. The first is Endview Plantation. (Here is a brief history of the plantation)

Built in 1769 by William Harwood. By the outbreak of the Civil War, Endview had passed out of direct ownership of the Harwood family and was purchased by William’s great-grandson Dr. Humphrey Harwood Curtis. Dr. Curtis was one of two physicians in the county at this time. The 1860 census shows that Curtis owned $8,000 worth of real estate, $21,000 worth of personal property and 12 slaves. By 1861 Dr. Curtis was off fighting the Civil War, but returned home and retreated with his family to Danville VA. for the remainder of the war. Federal troops occupied the Endview property and remained in and around the area until the end of the war. In early 1864, the Federal government confiscated the plantation and relocated seven African-American families there to farm. The Curtis family returned after the war and within a few months regained possession of there things.


As you can see the farm and land has a rich history so it is no surprise that the home is also associated with hauntings.


Reports have said that a woman has been seen crossing the road from the cemetery towards the house during re-enactments that are held at the Plantation. This woman is known as the woman in white. Reports also show that the room, that was used as a nursery has curtains that open after they have been closed for the night. Civil War re-en actors who would stay in the cabins (built for them to stay in during re-enactments) have reported ghostly happenings. Doors open and close on their own, cold spots appear even in the summer, and many of them felt a presence when they were alone and heard disembodied voices.


With these stories in mind I arrived early and joined a tour. No photos were allowed in the home itself but I did get a lot of shots of the outside.






These last two photos are graves of the Curtis family. I may be mistaken but I believe the child's grave is their child (They had 11). It is documented that one child a girl age 8 died in the home. She was suffering from intestinal worms and the "cure" at that time was arsenic. Her father being a DR. administered the dosage and she was given to much and died.


After I walked around the grounds near the house, I went back a bit further to the natural spring.

It is a bit hard to see in this photo, but when I visited last summer it had quit a bit of water in it. We were told that this spring was one of the main reasons that soldiers stayed here on the property during the war as it was one of the only natural springs in the area.
I continued on and found the Hargrove Cemetery. Several children and adults are buried here, and it is believed that there are several more unmarked graves.





Beyond this area through a field is where the famous "haunted" cabins were. I had never been back there and must admit I was a bit nervous. After all I was the only one walking around the property and could not see the house from where I was at. It is the dead of winter and this place looked creepy...I wondered how long it would take anyone to find me if something happened ha ha..
I took a deep breath and moved forward.







What I found back there were a bunch of old run down cabins that were once used for the re-en actors. It made me wonder why there are no longer in use. I felt very uneasy in this area and didn't stay long.
I had been at Endview awhile and knew I needed to hurry if I was going to make the tour at Lee Hall





I was very disappointed in this tour and will not waste your time talking about it. The tour guide was very brisk and rushed us from one room to another.
If your interested in this home you can learn more from my post last summer I have the history and some photos there.
The only interesting part of this home was at the end. I met a lady and her daughter who had been on the tour with me at Endview. It seems that they were also interested in ghost and we started talking. It turned out this was the highlight of my day because the daughter (who is about 10) "see and feels" ghost. The mom "senses" things and together they were a lot of fun. The daughter said she felt a friendly presence there at Lee Hall. She mentioned this to the tour guide. Of course she phoo phoo the idea and within a minute of us talking to her the men's bathroom door swung open on it's own and hit me in the leg. We all started laughing and the daughter told the tour guide...well the ghost you don't have just went into the bathroom. I loved it.

Anyway and the mom, daughter and I started talking we of course turned the conversation back to Endview. I asked them if they had walked the grounds to the old cabins and they had said no, then the daughter told her mom she wanted to go and told her mom that she wanted me to come along..

Since the two homes are on the same road it took less than five minutes to return to Endview where we were told we only had a half hour before they closed, so we hurried to the back area where I once again took some photos. Both mom and daughter felt creepy and the mom said she felt as if someone was there. I am far from psychic but had to agree. I don't think it had anything to do with the cabins, but more with the land. Perhaps it was the spirits of the slaves or the soldiers of long ago. I suppose we will never know. While there the mom and daughter both turned on the recording area of there cell phone. Mom asked...Is someone here, Can you tell me your name, why are you here (with time between each question to hear an answer)
Then she played it back. If I hadn't been there I wouldn't have believed it, but clear as a bell when asked CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME..I heard a clear whisper..STEVEN
We had a name..Steven..


One my first trip to this plantation I did not especially feel like it was haunted. Now I am not so sure. I suppose it depends on what you believe. Do spirits linger? Can they interact with the living?
Here is one thing that did happen that I haven't mentioned...
Take a close look at these two photos






Do you see the difference?
Yes the door is open..
The first photo was taken at 1:23
The second one was taken at 3:36
Could someone have come down the path in those two hours and opened the door? Of course they could have. We can always debunk the photos. After all I wasn't the only person to take a tour that day...but maybe, just maybe it was STEVEN, going out for a walk...

White House Ghost

As we all know the White House has new residents tonight. Congratulations to President Obama and his family. May you have four years filled with peace,love and hope. May you bring the change this country needs, and may we all come together as one people united the way this country is meant to be....God Bless you as we travel this road together.

Now with that said Let's talk about some past residents. Residents who refuse to leave...Those who linger on and have been seen by countless people.

Yes I am talking about GHOST. Did you know that the White House is one of the most haunted houses in America? One of the most frequent sightings is that of former President Abraham Lincoln. He has been seen near his bedroom (which he never used as a bedroom but as an office)Grace Coolidge,Franklin Roosevelt’s staff members and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands are among those who claim to have seen him.
President Harry Truman claims Lincoln once knocked on his bedroom door and Winston Churchill flatly refused to sleep in the room that was once known as Lincoln’s sleeping chamber. After having sighted the ghost of Lincoln.
Even more modern day Presidents like Richard Nixon were Among the many witnesses to the various sightings of President Lincoln – aside from the ones previously noted – were Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson and Maureen Reagan.
Although the ghost of Abraham Lincoln is said to be the most active –other Ghost are said to reside in the house too.
Presidents Harrison,Andrew Jackson, and John Tyler have been seen.

Presidents are not the only ones who have been said to haunt the home. Reports show, that the wife of President John Adams has been seen." Dolly Madison has been seen in the rose garden on several occasions, and is said to have appeared when Edith Wilson – wife of Woodrow Wilson – made plans to have the rose garden replanted. As the gardeners prepared to go to work, Dolly appeared to them and told them to leave her garden alone and not bother her arrangement. The gardeners were so frightened that they fled in terror and refused to make any changes to the rose garden. To this day, it’s still arranged in the same way as it was when Dolly Madison was alive and well in the White House"
Willie Lincoln, one of the son’s of President Lincoln who died in his childhood at the White House, has been seen by a number of witnesses – including White House staff members
A British Solider has been seen along with The ghost of Major Henry Rathbone, who’d accompanied President Lincoln to the theater on the night of his assassination.
Humans are not the only ghost that have been seen...
a spectral black cat has also been viewed by a multitude of people. According to witnesses, the cat appears in the basement of the White House immediately preceding a national tragedy, such as in the case of the Stock Market crash and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Sighting are not the only thing that happens at the White House..Sometimes only sounds are heard..
Did you know that the screams of President Grover Cleveland wife have been heard. She is the first woman to give birth in the White House and it is said to be be her during the pains of childbirth.
Footsteps have been heard and even the smell of laundry soap are some of the oddities that go on.

Of all of the spirits that are reported to walk the floors of the White House, Abraham Lincoln seems to be the one whose sightings have a specific purpose. His ghost is said to become particularly active during times of war, when he’s seen and heard restlessly pacing the hallways and knocking on bedroom doors throughout the day and night. Also during such times, witnesses tend to see his gaunt figure standing at the window of his bedroom or the Oval Office, looking out over what were once the battlefields during the Civil War.


The fact that Lincoln is sighted so frequently is of particular interest, since both he and his wife – Mary Todd Lincoln – were known to have conducted séances in the White House, in an attempt to contact the spirits of their deceased sons. Both strong believers in the existence of the afterlife, the Lincolns devoted a great deal of time trying to establish contact with the youngsters, and were said to be quite open-minded about interaction between the two planes of existence.


Please note that all of this information was "borrowed" from the Internet and was not written by me personally I took what I read and presented it here...

and the winner is NOT ME

Well I received the list this morning of winners from the ghostly images contest and my name was not among them. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I really thought that it was a good photo, but I guess someone had a better one. Oh well, I can always visit next year and try again. On the bright side I got my newsletter today from About.Com paranormal and my photo was one of the featured articles for this week.
Winner or not the Jennie Wade house was an awesome place to visit. I didn't expect the image in the photo, I didn't see anything when I took it. What I did experience while there was the chains next to one of the beds moving. Of course I thought it was rigged so I went over and touched them I could feel a pressure on the chain as if someone was actually moving the chain. It's funny because at the time I really wasn't alarmed. I just shrugged it off and moved to the next room. I spent quit a bit of time in the house, and was there alone. Now I am kicking myself for not using the tape recorder and trying to capture some sounds. Oh well, there is always next year.




I included this photo, becaues it shows the mirror from a different angel..There is nothing strange in this shot.

One end of the chain, you can see there is no way it is rigged

Me holding the chain

The other end of the chain, again how could it have been rigged?

Revisting an old haunt

You may remember me posting last year about the young woman who haunts the Public Records Office in Colonial Williamsburg.
For some reason when I went then I did not photograph the family cemetery, so on Monday while we were there I stopped by to take some photos,
I am reposting the story again for anyone who missed it the first time.
I have never experienced any paranormal activity at this site, but do find the old graves interesting.


Public Records Office



Jones Family Graves



Jones Family Graves




Jones Family Graves

Public Records office

Is the oldest archival building in North America. It once housed important documents. In 1784 it was converted into a grammar school. From 1789-1824 was rental property. In 1824 it was the office for the clerk of Chancery Court. In 1855 was acquired by the neighboring female Academy, which was located on the grounds of the Capital building. And in 1862 southern troops took refuge inside.
Near the turn of the century David Roland Jones and family owned it. They had seven children, and none of the girls married or left home. One of the daughters Edna became restless and when she met a man named John Mince she fell in love. Her father forbids the relationship. They made plans to run away together and meet at the Governors Place, which had burned over a century earlier. . Edna waited until dark and hurried to the meeting. One the way she was struck and killed by a speeding couch. It is thought that her spirit rushed home so that her father would not discover her deception.
Since that night she has been seen roaming the property.. She has also been seen at the Jones family cemetery. Her ghost has been photographed indeed the graveyard where her body rest. Strangers have heard her calling out as they make there way through the property.

Ghost Photo

Remeber the photo I told everyone about of the "boy" on the bed in the mirror at the Jenny Wade house? I haven't realeased the photo publicly yet because I have it in a photo contest that ends on Dec. 1....

This is what the contest had to say about it.
Keep your fingers crosses that it will be good enough to win...
After the contest is over I will be submitting the photo to several paranormal sites to see what they think..




Thank you for the photo. After carefully reviewing we agree that there appears to be something in the mirror that doesn't belong there. I can't say with certainty that it is an image on the bed but it certainly is interesting

xxxxxxxxxx

Ghostly Images of Gettysburg

Haunted Gettysburg

My books arrived and I have already devoured the first one. Mark Nesbitt is an excellent author and the books are interesting and an easy read. I am making a list of "must see" places to visit. I know for sure that one of them will be the Farnsworth House. My friend Harry who is big into ghost hunting went there about two months ago and highly recommends visiting it. (He actually stayed there). They offer a ghost walk and tour, and I think unless something comes up to change my mind this is the one I will be taking.
Here is some information I found on the web about the place



Gettysburg - Farnsworth House Inn - Considered by many to be one of the MOST haunted houses in America! The first house in Gettysburg to be investigated by renowned psychic Carol Kirkpatrick, as well as Ghost Hunters International, a crew from Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Southern California. The crews from "Sightings" (Sci-fi Channel), "Unsolved Mysteries", and The History Channel have done filming here. Mary, a spirit from the Civil War era walks the corridors of the Inn at night. There is also a civilian man carrying a child wrapped in a quilt. You can hear him sobbing in an upstairs room. A midwife is seen watching over a young woman in labor. Three Confederate sharpshooters remain at their posts in the garret of the house. A soldier carries a wounded comrade into the cellar of the house. His voice is heard singing to comfort his dying friend, who dies in the catacombs of the cellar. Cold spots have been detected. "Balls of white energy" were photographed as white "auras" of energy throughout the house. Guests report many strange happenings on their stays here!

Getting the history

They say that the first step to any good investigation is getting the history of the place you are about to investigate. I thought this might be a really good way to learn the history and hear the ghost stories about Gettysburg ahead of time
The first THREE volumns in this series are in route to my house and should be arriving in a few days. Thank you amazon.com for used books! Once I get through these I will order the other two.

Ghost of Gettysburg

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WteXzuyBE5g&hl=en&fs=1]

Sneak Peek

Gettysburg Dreaming

My husband and I are totally psyched about our trip to Gettysburg. It is still ten weeks away, but we have our entire trip planned in our heads. Of course you know that 99% of it will include ghost hunting In anticipation of that I ordered this book today. In The Ghost Hunter’s Field Guide: Gettysburg & Beyond by Mark Nesbitt.

In The Ghost Hunter’s Field Guide: Gettysburg & Beyond, renowned ghost story author,
historian, and paranormal investigator, Mark Nesbitt, explores the world of the paranormal,
focusing on the town of Gettysburg and the infamous battlefields that surround it.
The first half of the book delves into the history and phenomena of “ghosts,” reviews generally
accepted paranormal theories, discusses best “ghost hunting” practices, and presents the reader
with plausible explanations as to why paranormal activity is so prevalent in Gettysburg.
The second half of the book addresses the actual paranormal investigation. Designed to be used in
the field, the town of Gettysburg and the battlefield are divided into six sections. The reader is
provided with historical information, photos, maps, driving directions, and paranormal
investigative tips and techniques unique to each geographic area. Experienced and amateur “ghost
hunters” alike will profit from the advice and guidance offered in this one-of-a-kind book.


We also plan on taking his ghost tour. It has been voted the best ghost tour in America

Recommending a book

You may or may not know that I love walking around a battlefield almost as much as I love walking through a cemetery, so when I saw this book on a recent trip to the book store I had to take a closer look.



Although I didn't get the book yesterday because I had already committed my money to others I had wanted for awhile, this book is now on my "Must Have" list.
I did however jot down her web page and if you get a chance drop in and view her photos. Also there are a couple of really good EVP's there.

* Update
I received a very nice letter from Ms. Brown letting me know she now has a blog, go check it out HERE
She has some really great articles on the paranormal there.

Review of my ghost hunt

Saturday evening my husband and I met up with a local paranormal group to go ghost hunting in a cemetery about 40 minutes from our house. This was my first time meeting them, so I wasn't sure what to expect. They all seem nice, but I didn't get a chance to talk to anyone other than the usual hello's because everyone went off on their own once we went inside. The cemetery itself was very interesting and had mostly old graves. Most of them were from the later 1800's to early 1900's with some from the civil war. We walked around about an hour and during this time I found a lot of family plots. Several of these were surrounded by the old iron fences. I love these kinds of graves and find it comforting somehow that the families are buried together. You don't find that often now days. When I was growing up my parents would take me to Georgia where my grandparents lived and we always went out in the countryside to an old rural cemetery where my great grandparents were buried. In those days the graves were still raised a bit above the ground with the dirt making a mound of sorts. I found a few here that reminded me of those except these were covered in ivy.



Also one thing I noticed about this cemetery was it seemed to have a "feel" about it. The only way I can describe it is it seemed to have high energy. At one point I was especially drawn to three graves surrounded by one of the fences I mentioned.
I was inside the fence looking at the grave in the middle when all at once I felt dizzy. I told my husband who was sitting outside the fence waiting on me that I felt "weird". At that point I came out and found the lady who was in charge of the hunt. Without telling her what had just happened I asked her to go inside and see if she "felt" anything. She took her EMF meter and did a reading around the area. Everything was normal until she scanned the center grave. At this point the meter reached a .4 reading. While this is in no way a high reading she said there was no reason for it to be past a 0-2 because there was no source of electricity to cause a spike. One of the other women on the hunt with us came over at this time and said that it smelled different to her. That there seemed to be a vacuum here with NO smell where the rest of the areas to her had an old smell to them.



I had my voice recorder with me but do not seem to have any type of EVP that I can detect and nothing shows up in my photos, but all the same it was an experience for me that I usually don't have.
Nothing usual happened the rest of the time I was there and I had an enjoyable time looking around and taking photos. When I got home I listened to my recorder and within the first seven minutes of entering the cemetery I got a very clear EVP. This was recorded BEFORE I stopped at the graves were I got dizzy.
I am posting it here and would like to know what everyone thinks it is saying. When you click on the link it will take you to a site where the recording is at. You will need to click on the download bar and it should load to your computer where you will be able to listen to it in what ever type of player you have.
Let me know if you have trouble listening to this and I will try and send it to you a different way
http://www.badongo.com/file/10153498

I won't tell you yet what I hear, because I really would like someone else to tell me what they think first.

Visiting Endview Plantation

The Hauntings
Endview Plantation
Used by both sides during the civil war as a hospital. Reports have said that a woman has been seen crossing the road from the cemetery towards the house during re-enactments that are held at the Plantation Reports also show that the room, that was used as a nursery has curtains that open after they have been closed for the night.



The History and Tour
Yesterday we took a trip to Endview Plantation. This plantation is one of the smaller ones that we have visited. It is located about 10 minutes from my house and I have passed by it several times without stopping. Although there is both Revolutionary War and Civil War history recorded here, the owners center more on the Civil War. During this time the home was owned by Dr. Humphrey Harwood Curtis. The young doctor established his medical practice at the plantation in 1856 and married Maria Whitaker in 1858. The 1860 census shows that Curtis owned $8,000 worth of real estate, $21,000 worth of personal property and 12 slaves. As disease and fighting took their toll, the Confederates used Endview briefly as a hospital.
The tour proved to be interesting due to the fact that we were the only ones there at the time. The guide was very friendly and took his time talking with us and answering questions.
We got a tour of all the rooms which included the Doctors office where we saw some of the original old medicine bottles. A few pieces of the Curtis family clothing and furniture are still in the home.
At this time the history of the home is still being researched and no one knows yet where the out buildings such as the kitchen and slave quarters were.
We did get to see the family cemetery and a natural spring on the property. Also they have day camp for kids there.
For girls ages 8-12. Includes tour of local historic sites, needlework instruction, etiquette, parlor games, dancing, campfire cooking.
For boys and girls ages 8-12. Includes camp life, drills, skirmishes and basic soldier’s equipment.
One thing I did notice while we were they is how hot the room the girls were in. They were sitting on the floor listening to a story and reading. I thought to myself.
BORING. According to the web page for the plantation the parents of these kids were paying about 100.00 to a 150.00 for the camp. Better them than me.


My Opinion...Is it haunted?
I would say no, not this one, although some stories have been told.
I think it is just a lovely old home, but no investigations have been done (I asked) on the property, so perhaps something may happen later to change my mind.

The Ghost at Westover Plantation

While visiting the beautiful Westover Plantation I took a short walk to the cemetary where the Byrd family is buried. I had read about the tragic love story of Evelyn Byrd and wanted to see her tomb. While standing there taking photos "something" brushed my arm. I thought it was a spider web and went to brush it away only to find nothing was there. I commented to my husband that Evelyn must have touched me. Is the place haunted. I would say YES to this one.


Story of Evelyn Byrd
(Taken from the Internet)

This stately plantation is said to be haunted by the lovely, Evelyn Byrd. Miss Byrd, was born in 1707. She was the daughter of William Byrd II.

Mr. Byrd was a very prominent statesmen during the colonial era. He was an advisor to the governor of Virginia and the founder of the city of Richmond, to name just a couple of his jobs during his lifetieme.

Evelyn when she was young, was considered an intelligent child, but on the other hand she was also considered to be spoiled. Although, Evelyn has been dead for over 250 years, many witnesses have reported seeing her at Westover.

When Evelyn turned 10 years old, her father sent her to England to be schooled. It was here that Evelyn fell in love with a man, many historians believe to be, Charles Morduant. But her father was adamantly against the relationship.

He ventured as far as telling Evelyn,
QUOTE
as to any expectation you may fondly entertain of a fortune from me, you are not to look for one brass farthing...Nay besides all that I will avoid the sight of you as of a creature detested.


So with heaviness of heart and reluctantly, Evelyn returned to Westover in 1726, forgetting the romance. But William Byrd would live to regret his decision. Because in 1737, Evelyn Byrd, many say died of a broken heart.

Evelyn has been spotted at Westover over the years. The first time was in about 1738, when Evelyn's dear friend, Anne Harrison, saw Evelyn walking towards her in the gardens of Westover.

Another relative of the Byrds, committed suicide here in 1777. William Byrd III was distressed over financial matters and committed suicide at Westover sitting in his favorite chair in his bedroom.

The first wife of William Byrd III, Elizabeth, was killed at Westover when a heavy cabinet fell on top of her, crushing her to death.

It is said that William Byrd III can still be seen at Midnight slumping over his favorite chair in his old bedroom. Elizabeth, it is said, you can hear her wailing still echoing through the halls of Westover, still awaiting for someone to help her.

Hollywood Cemetery-Richmond VA

I visited Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond VA today. Among the graves this was my very favorite. It is the statue of the cast iron dog. I had heard this story for a long time and was excited to have found the grave. Hollywood Cemetery has appox. 75 thousand people buried there. Here is the story of the Iron Dog

The cast iron dog used to sit out in front of a general store in Richmond. A little girl used to visit the store with her father weekly and always petted and talked to the cast iron dog while her father did business inside. The young girl later died of scarlet fever. During the civil war, which broke out soon after the young child died, the demand for iron was high. The cast iron dog was placed on the grave of the little girl. This was done to prevent it's being melted down and used to make weapons and to preserve it as a work of art.

This dog is said to guard her grave, and comes to life to chase people from her grave site. It has also been known to move on occasion. Many people have reported seeing it pointed in one direction and passing it later, it was pointed in another direction