On Saturday, May 24, we visited Shiloh National Military Park. This was not a “ghost hunting” trip; it was just a day trip we took one day while camping out at Pickwick Dam.
We walked around parts of the park and I took a few photographs. When I started snapping around the Bloody Pond, I found one photo with a few odd things. Although I took 24 photos around the pond, only this one photo contained something unexplainable.
This is the white whatever it is in the tree. I do not claim to know what it is but the following is what I found on another website:
On the battlefield, there is a pond known as “The Bloody Pond” where many injured and dying soldiers went to cool their thirst during the heat of the day, during the Battle of Shiloh. It is said that, on certain days, when the sun hits just right, the water looks blood red; Just as it did during that battle. There is also the ghost of a woman in a white dress, possibly the wife of one of the soldiers or officers that helped nurse the men. She appears to women and children who become lost and become saddened or frightened by the battlefield. She is a helpful spirit who tries to calm and soothe those who are in need of comfort or help, but quickly disappears when someone else comes upon her and the person she is trying to help.
This is the smaller white spot in the tree.
Can you see the figure in the woods?
If you would like to be emailed the original, full sized digital photo, email tnhauntings@writersbeacon.com.
I was at Shiloh on the 13th of November, 2008. While searching for CS Burial Trench #4 I heard footsteps in the woods. Thinking it was a deer I turned and was amazed to see a federal soldier in light blue pants, long dark blue coat and tall black hat, with a dark beard and mustache, looking at me. He was about 40 or 50 yards into the brush. He followed me as I walked back towards the Waterhouse Battery marker behind the Rhea Springs. I finally stoppe and tried to get a picture but of course, nothing shows on the film. I finally say “hey” in a loud voice, which made him turn and fade off into the woods.
very strange. Surprisingly, I was not the least bit shaken by this but instead, felt very enlightened.
Ronnie – Shreveport, La
I just went to Shiloh for the first time today and I never looked into it being haunted or anything before I went. I went to that same spot you are talking about and had a really weird experience as well! We saw a deer in the woods in front of us and got really close up to it, then it took off towards the burial ground. We watched it run away and then we heard a crazy sound come from behind us and in front of the deer and then the deer took off back towards us! Our border collie took off back towards the springs as soon as she heard the noise too and wouldn’t stop tugging us till we got back to the car. I don’t know what the noise was because the park was pretty much empty when we were there. It was also kind of strange that while it was really hot outside, when we reached the burial ground, the temperature dropped. I don’t know if I was just paranoid or what, but I thought I’d share my story!
Lived at Shiloh a long time. But during one of my many walks there I spotted a Confederate soldier. Scared me but I looked away and saw what looked like Federal re-enactors. Then thought why was this soiled Confederate lurking around by himself? Sometimes I think the present touches the past.
My family lives near Shiloh Park, and we have taken many day trips to the park. It seems as if each of us have an eerie story to tell…
Once when I was a kid we decided to visit the ‘Bloody Pond’ and ‘Peach Orchard’ one day. We drove around and decided to park and walk down to the primitive cabin since there was only one other car parked there. We were walking toward the cabin, (before they closed it to the public) and their were two people ahead of us going into the cabin. We walked further, looked out at the battlefield, and went on into the cabin just as the other couple left.
We had just entered when a young boy, (around ten years old) climbed down the attic ladder, looked at us, and ran out the front door. We thought nothing of it until we left the cabin and realized that the couple ahead of us had no children with them and that the boy had seemed to just vanish ! There were only two cars in that area, and the boy was way too young to be roaming around alone.
This is when we began to discuss how odd the boy was dressed. He was wearing gray pants, no shoes and a button-up white shirt with what looked to be suspenders. He had mid-length blond hair and blue eyes and was just as real as any of us!
Around fifteen years later, my Husband and I were talking about Shiloh Park when I began to tell my story …
He turned white as a ghost and proceeded to tell me how he too had seen the boy in the attic and described him just as I remember ! Again, there were two families, one entering after the cabin after another, and a ghost boy coming out of the attic and vanishing out of thin air.
The only variation in his story however was that they followed the boy down the path back to the cars a little way before he disappeared into the woods. They watched in disbelief as the other couple left and the boy was no where in sight! Again, there were no other people that the boy could have been with, and he just vanished…
My Husband and I didn’t even know each other at the time, but we had the same experience at around the same time ! I have always wondered if maybe the little boy lived there during civil war times. It is sad to think that he’s there all alone, playing in the attic and nearby woods.
Shiloh is one of my favorite places to visit. We camped at Pickwick dam over the Fourth of July weekend and we wanted to go back to Shiloh but it was just too hot. I think there are a lot of spirits there. Many of them seem to be “imprints from the past”. By this, I mean that the spirits don’t seem to know you are there and they continue to do what they have done during their time there. So many people have talked about seeing them fight the war all over again at night and they are unaffected by the presence of the living.
I wish the cabin was still open to the public. I would love to see the young boy.
I have been visiting Shiloh since I was a little girl. When I was 8 years old I was kneeling next to the bloody pond, tossing peebles in the water. I was singing you are my sunshine. I heard a man say” I like that song your singing, I saw a reflection of a wounded soldier in the water standing behind me, when I turned around he was gone. I am also a paranormal investigator, my experiences as a child at Shiloh had alot to do with my wanting to research the paranormal. In the summer of 2008 my bf and I were walking a trail in the woods behind Shiloh Church Cemetery up towards Shermans Hdqtr monument, I thought I saw a black shadow run past me in the woods, when we got home we played our recorder back and caught an EVP of a man yelling ” Get back, we’re under attack.” just moments before I saw the shadow running, It is being featured in a haunted civil war documentary coming out this next year. The Bloody pond is an awesome place and my favorite spot on the battlefield. There are certain times of the year when a red algea grows in the pond, giving it the eerie appearance of being blood stained, I was able to photograph this event last summer. I also have 3 distant uncles buried at Shiloh, One fought for the North 2 for the south. The Union Uncle is buried at Shiloh Church and The confederate Uncles are buried in mass graves on the battlefield, they fought against each other at the Peach Orchard. I definately believe the Battlefield is haunted with both residual and intelligent spirits. Thanks for your post, I had not heard the story of the woman in white, glad to know Im not the only one who has seen things at Shiloh. LOL
Wow. That’s pretty neat about the algae. I didn’t know that. I have seen the pond when it looked red but I drove by and didn’t stop. I assumed it was murky because of the rain. Now I know what it was.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I love Shiloh.
On my visit to Shiloh in May a couple years back I experienced something strange. I had just crossed the little bridge at Rhea Spring and was heading across the field toward the confederate burial trench when I just got the strangest feeling I was being watched or followed. I looked around and didn’t see anyone. It gave me goosebumps and creeped me out enough to where I was considering turning around and going back to the car. But by then I was about halfway across the field and I figured I had come this far I might as well go all the way to the burial trench. By the time I had gotten to the trail on the far side of the field that leads to the burial trench I was feeling so nervous it gave me the shakes. This feeling stayed with me all the way to the trench and until I got back to the car. After that I was fine and went on to tour the rest of the battlefield without being creeped out again. Never had a feeling like that again before or since and I hope I never do. I didn’t see any ghosts or anything but the feeling I had was bad enough. Ill be going back to Shiloh later this month but I think i’ll skip that little walk this trip.
That place was the scariest part of my whole trip their as well! It even freaked out my dog…
Brian, I have been to the Rhea Springs Bridge you mentioned and its funny you said that about feeling like you were being watched. My friends and I were walking thru the field past Rhea Springs last summer and I felt like I was being followed the whole time. I turned around several times to look but nothing was there, I took many pictures of the area but nothing showed up in them. My friend who was with us at the time kept smelling cinnamon buns, it was strong in some places then would disappear and pop up again in another place, we even got on our knees and smelled the grass LOL, we never could figure out where the smell was coming from. But I will agree with you that there was an eerie feeling to me near Rhea Springs and I cannot wait to go back on our summer trip this year. Thanks for sharing your experience.
We just returned from a visit to Shiloh. We didn’t have any prior knowledge of the Bloddy Pond, and while we were there, it was blood red. Very eirie to say the least. We stayed at the Inn in Picwick. One evening, we went into an old cemetary that is located within the grounds (ok, we are a bit kookie). My daughter and neice took lots of random photos. When we got back, there are orbs in lots of the pics. Way cool, but kind of scary! We will definately go back!
OMG! I am a sensitive/ intuitive and am have just really started “trying and pushing” my abilities over the past year. My husband and I went to Shiloh this past month. When we were at the pond I told my husband I felt a woman. That she was a nurse and was married or engaged to a soldier. That she stayed behind because the battle was so horrific that she wanted to help those who were scared. She was so peaceful and calming that I felt no alarm from her at all. Then i found this blog and my mouth dropped when I read the story and saw the pic. I believe her name started with an “A” and her lover’s name was that of a “W”. I could be grasping at straws and I am still trying to learn how to channel everything, but its still very interesting and this served as confirmation for me that i might be on the right path.
I’m certain you are.
Chrissy,
I found your perceptions to be very interesting and I was wondering if you would mind contacting me via email. I have something Id like to share with you privately if you dont mind. I think you might be surprised.
angelamsspi@hotmail.com
I don’t know what it is at that spot but there is definitely something weird going on there. Glad to know i’m not crazy
My husband and I are taking our children to Shiloh tomorrow. I am extremely intrigued by the paranormal. I am hoping to see; feel; hear something. My husband has had experiences in the past, not at Shiloh but elsewhere. I have always been sensitive, grew up in a funeral home, and have had some seriously intense moments after spending time in some “OLD” cemeteries. I am looking forward to witnessing something. I will post afterward if we run into anything or catch anything on camera.
I have pictures I snapped one after another of the old church there and in one there was nothing in the same pic just a second apart there was a white orb in the church door way I was not afraid being being there it was like they was just there to say hi.
would you mind sendin me some pics of the church with the orb and some of the other pics?my cell phone is 1731-439-7019 and my e-mail is rebel_unleashed28@yahoo.com and well im really in to paranormal activity such ass that,by the way my name is richard and me and my wife lives less then 30 minutes away from shiloh i live on hwy 57 about 5 minutes from michie
i went to shilo when i was about twelve i am 19 now but i remember the whole time i was on the parksite smelling gunpowder and hearing little pops that sounded like gun fire and another experience i had was at the peach orchard and the pond i kept getting the feeling i was being watched and i saw the lady in white at the pond my parents never heard or felt anything until we got back to the hotel room and the sound of what i thought was cannon fire woke us all up i also found to graves with my family’s last name on them
i have spent hours… no years. at Shiloh…..running…….in every part of the park from McDowell h.q. to Stuart h.q. .. Farley field to park visitors center fields,highway,roads,paved and unpaved. browns ferry , Indian mounds, Duncan field, review field , Jones field, Barnes field, Spain field, peach orchard,mulberry field. Jones field, Wallace ford, lovers lane, picnic area,been there at night very dark! no street lights,seen the park covered in snow,day and night, i have read every plaque, every monument, numerous times…. . i have seen nothing……and i want to believe…..