Andersonville Civil War Prison and Cemetery
First Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations would like to thank the National Park service for allowing us the honor to investigate such a historic, tragic, yet wonderful place!
Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations would like to extend special thanks to Park Ranger Alan Marsh for staying with us during the investigation and telling us extensive history of the prison and cemetery, he made you feel as if you were there during the war. He was extremely helpful in pointing out the various areas and their historic value, the museum (a must see), and the monuments.
Investigation report
Date, Time, Place, and Claims: December 5, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., no paranormal claims.
Investigators & people present at investigation: Investigators – Christine Riley, Corey McHargue, Ed Laughlin, Investigator Trainees Patrick Riley and Kari Kesley – Guest Investigators from PSI – Gretchen and Bonnie – Guest Forest Floyd and Park Ranger Alan Marsh.
Weather conditions:
8:55 24 Hour Max 24 Hour Min
Temperature 36.7° F 52.3 at 13:55 28.2 at 6:55
Dew Point 30.9° F 41.5 at 9:55 26.2 at 6:55
Relative Humidity 79% 93 at 1:55 50 at 14:55
Wind Speed 5 mph from N 20 at 11:55 3 at 21:55
Wind Gust – 24 at 14:55 22 at 9:55
Pressure 30.00 in 30.00 at 8:55 29.70 at 13:55
Sea level pressure 30.33 in 30.33 at 8:55 30.03 at 13:55
Altimeter 30.32 in 30.32 at 8:55 30.02 at 13:55
Weather conditions clear – –
Visibility 10.00 miles 10.00 at 9:55 10.00 at 9:55
Moon Phase- Waning Gibbous, 73% of full
Solar X-Rays- Normal
Geomagnetic Field- Quiet
Condition of the home: Outside investigation
Equipment used by Investigators:
Cameras: Canon Powershot S2IS, Canon Digital Rebel, Canon Powershot A720, and one additional SLR digital camera.
EMF Meters: Electro sensor, Cell sensor, K-II meters, and Lutron EMF meter.
Audio Recorders: Sony P210 digital voice recorder and an Olympus D-10 digital voice recorder and Olympus VN-4100PC.
Thermometers: Omega HH68K ambient thermometer, IR thermometers
Investigation began: We met with our guide, Alan Marsh at 5:00 at the Museum. After a quick tour of the museum, dividing into teams, and going over the plan for the investigation. At 6:00 p.m. each group departed for their assigned areas and started investigating at approximately 6:05.
First Sweep:
Team 1- Corey, Gretchen, and Alan
1. 6:05 Started their investigation at the prison grounds.
2. 7:05 Stopped investigating and proceeded to cemetery one.
3. 7:10 Started investigating cemetery one.
4. 8:10 Stopped Investigating and proceeded to cemetery two.
5. 8:15 Started investigating cemetery two.
6. 9:15 Ended first phase of investigation, met the other teams at the museum for
a break and to regroup for the second sweep.
Team 2- Christine, Patrick, and Bonnie
1. 6:05 Started their investigation in cemetery two.
2. 7:05 Stopped investigating and proceeded to prison grounds.
3. 7:10 Started investigating the prison grounds.
4. 8:10 Stopped Investigating and proceeded to cemetery one.
5. 8:15 Started investigating cemetery one.
6. 9:15 Ended first phase of investigation, met the other teams at the museum for
a break and to regroup for the second sweep.
Team 3- Ed, Kari, and Forest
1. 6:05 Started their investigation in cemetery one.
2. 7:05 Stopped investigating and proceeded to cemetery two.
3. 7:10 Started investigating cemetery two.
4. 8:10 Stopped Investigating and proceeded to prison grounds.
5. 8:15 Started investigating prison grounds.
6. 9:15 Ended first phase of investigation, met the other teams at the museum for
a break and to regroup for the second sweep.
Second Sweep:
Divided into two teams for Phase two.
Team 1- Corey, Gretchen, Bonnie, and Alan
1. 10:00 Started their investigation at the South end of the prison grounds at the
site where the Dead House use to be. They also investigated the Star Fort and the old hospital site.
2. 10:50 Met Team 2 at the campsite area, both teams investigated the gun
battery, the shackle area, and the gallows. After team 2 left Team 1 investigated the campsite area.
Team 2- Ed, Christine, Patrick, Kari, and Forest
1. 10:00 Started their investigation at the monuments, the North end of the prison
grounds.
2. 10:30 Investigated the campsite area.
3. 10:50 Met with Team 1 at the campsite area, both teams investigated the gun
battery, the shackle area, and gallows.
4. 11:20 Investigated the Dead House area and Star Fort.
11:55 Investigation ended.
Notation: During the investigation all teams held two to three EVP sessions in different areas of each section, along with taking EMF readings and pictures.
Personal Experiences: See attached below.
Findings:
Andersonville is a very awe inspiring place and will captivate you not only with its history but the shear size of the place.
During the investigation we did pick several EVP’s, some coinciding with personal experiences of hearing noises and disembodied voices. There was also a couple spikes on the K-II meter; we were unable to find any natural causes for it spiking. While Team 1 was at the Dead House area three of the four investigators saw a large area become lit with a light that last about ten seconds, source of light was not found. One picture that was taken looks like there is a human shape that appears to be standing at attention at the North Gate. Unfortunately it is very dark and hard to see and we are unable to say with certainty that is a ghost, but it is very intriguing to say the least. There were also a lot of personal experiences that we could not explain.
The findings don’t necessarily indicate the Andersonville Civil War Prison and Cemetery are haunted but it did raise question to what caused the anomalies that we experienced. It could very well have been the paranormal but we feel more proof is needed to say for sure. We feel a follow up investigation is warranted to try to explain the things that occurred.
We look forward to working with the Park Service and Mr. Marsh again in the near future!
Sincerely,
Ed Laughlin
Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations
Personal Experiences:
Corey’s Experiences:
I had two personal experiences of note on our visit to Andersonville.
1. The first experience occurred during our visit to the front part of the cemetery. We (myself, Alan, and Gretchen) were standing around the New York monument when we all heard a bang. We weren’t sure if it was the bronze expanding in the cold, but we all heard it!
2. The second experience occurred when myself, Alan, Bonnie, and Gretchen were walking down toward the Dead House area across from the prison. All of a sudden we all (except Bonnie) saw a large flood light that appeared to come from the middle of the prison site, through the gate, to the Dead House. It lasted about 10 seconds and we could not figure out where it was coming from.
Corey also included this note from Alan, this happened at another time after our investigation:
One note – just before we left the prison site and went over with some folks to the
Dead House (oops, I mean Death Hut) then up to Star Fort. As we walked back down from the fort a car drove (I guess from the museum) to the northeast corner of the prison (the corner with the monuments, across from the volunteer house). The lights of the vehicle shone down the hill and illuminated the Dead House area but did not shine any further. Soooooo, perhaps the light we saw earlier was a car way back up the hill. We were watching the light and wouldn’t have noticed the car.
Gretchen’s Experiences:
Gretchen Mann, Andersonville, GA – Civil War Union POW Camp – December 5, 2009
Ghosts of Georgia – PSI Guest Investigator – Paranormal Diary
Experience #1 (Corey Mc., Alan Marsh, Gretchen Mann)
Section 1 of the cemetery at the New York monument:
Setting: clear, cold night, starry cloudless sky. Moon high in the sky ¾ full, waning.
Recorder running as Alan was describing the New York Monument, as it is one of his favorites. (no EVP session). Hear recording (newyorkmonumentbangthenknockingx.mp3)…2 sounds caught on recorder, both of which I heard with my ear. The first sound heard by all three of us and the second one being heard only by me.
As Alan was explaining the bronze portion of the monument we heard a faint bang, like a cymbal, I interrupt to see if others heard it. Corey asked for it to make the noise again. As I walked around to the front of the monument, which honors a different state, I heard a faint knocking, which no one else heard. I did catch it on my recorder. Corey asked permission and when it was granted, she knocked on the bronze. It did not sound like the first sound, but was similar to the knocking sound I heard earlier. There was a small attempt to make contact and to get the sounds to repeat.
Experience #2: (Corey, Alan, Gretchen, Bonnie)
Setting: cold, semi clear sky, no clouds near moon, ¾ full waning. We were on the road from providence spring parking lot to the dead house, approaching the dead house field which is across the street from the South gate. No formal EVP session, but recorders were running.
Alan had stated when we first got out of the car before my recorder was running, how odd the mist over the dead house field was, as no other lower lined area had a mist. It looked like a low cloud or fog had settled over the area. Inside the camp…there was no mist/fog seen. As we walked towards the dead house, we chatted about the full moon and how crazy it made parents and kids in our lines of work. After I say crazy for the fourth time, EVP captured, which seems to copy me saying “crazy.” Just right after this conversation as we were arriving to the dead house, it seemed someone turned on a light switch it was daylight like. There were defined areas from between the south gate posts to the entire dead house field. It lasted a long time. 12-15- seconds. We all saw it except for Bonnie who had stopped to fix her camera. I thought the south gate markers were a car at first, but realized quickly that it was not a car. I then though there had to have been a nearby spotlight, but Alan assured us there were no such sources. I thought UFO even but there was nothing in the sky, and there were no clouds near the moon. The moon was very high in the sky. We tried to figure out WHAT could make that light, without success. The mist was gone. I took pictures after the fact.
Picture above was taken with a flash (Canon Powershot S2IS) digital camera.
Experience #3: (possible experience) The entire group was present.
It was cold/clear night Moon high in the sky. My Cube SL was parked along the side of the remodeled portion of the camp (NE). Alan was telling the groups about the spread eagle stockades. My car lights blinked and the internal lights were on and then went off. I call this a possible experience, because my keys were in my pocket and I could have pressed a button by accident. Experienced noted by Ed. I cannot say this is paranormal.
Other evidence caught on DVR:
Possible growling in Section 1 of the cemetery by the Raiders’ graves, after Alan reads each name from the grave markers. Hear recording (growlraidersx.mp3). No growling was heard by me at the time.
At Providence Spring (Gretchen, Corey, Bonnie, and Alan)…My long underwear was causing my pants to “Hang Low” I mention that I am pulling up my pants….I think it might be Corey who makes a noise but at the end of the recording Something whispers something…unable to decipher. Hear recording (providencespringpullupx.mp3). No whispering heard by me at the time.
_pic: the raiders EVP caught of growling not heard by me during the investigation.
Overall the experience was great for me. I kept my recorder running, so I have a whole history lesson from Alan, who was great to tell us so much. He is a true passionate person and he is properly placed at Andersonville. I felt it was not a “traditional” investigation as we did only do a few true EVP sessions and I wish I had my K2 and my thermometer, which are out on loan to a friend. Yet it was rewarding to me as I have learned a lot about a place my great great grandfather suffered and survived. The place is haunting in the daytime even, especially the camp. I felt the cemetery was quite peaceful, despite the growling I seemed to have captured. I would love to return in the Spring and investigate again. The light I experienced was the most unreal….absolutely amazing thing ever, and I have no doubts that this experience was above the normal. I really enjoyed the group. Corey and I seem to be a lot a like as far as our style goes. We are both a little skeptical, but believe at the same time. Neither one of us claim to have psychic abilities, and while I love to work with those who do, I loved being with Corey…I felt very welcomed by the Ghosts of Georgia, especially because of her. Thanks to the Ghosts of Georgia for an experience that will be tough to top. I have longed to go there on an investigation and I thank them for this opportunity. Now I will long to go back. I thoroughly enjoyed the night and appreciated the opportunity more than I can express in words. I hope I can join them again as the opportunities arise. They are a fabulous group of investigators.
The monument for IOWA, a weeping woman, my great great grandfather was in an IOWA regiment.
The first soldier to die and be buried was Adam Swarner ironically named Adam
He was not the
last……
This is section2 of the cemetery, and those buried here died during the worst few months at Andersonville.
Bonnie’s Experiences:
As far as experiences – I had ALOT –
I had major equipment trouble for one thing. – When first at the prison yard my camera was working fine until I took pictures over near the Ohio monument – after that my camera would not function at all at the prison yard.
My camera then went back to working fine over at the first half of the cemetery. When we went to the 2nd half of the cemetery though it still worked fine until I got close and tried to take a picture of the 2 HUGE trees that are basically next to each other. If you walk past the flagpole a ways and turn right they are about midway through that section of the cemetery. I can’t be sure because I didn’t get to go back to that section of the cemetery again but if I understood someone correctly when they were talking after the investigation was over – I believe those trees are where the raiders are buried. When I tried to take a picture – my camera suddenly drained and showed no power/battery after it had just shown a full battery over near the large monument to the left of the flagpole. Also once we left that area my camera went back to showing full power and worked fine.
Also towards the end of the investigation when we were back over towards the prison yard for the 2nd time my digital recorder started going haywire. It is an MP3 with digital recording up to 1GB – I have used it on every investigation and NEVER had a problem before. When we were in the prison yard the 2nd time – it started flashing jumbled letters and numbers and then froze with the regular display superimposed over itself 4 times. It stayed frozen and I had to have the guy that fixed my computer work to retrieve the file off of the recorder. Once the file was retrieved my recorder is back to working fine again.
Upon entering the prison yard for my first section of investigation I was immediately drawn towards two areas to start with –
I was drawn towards the large tree with the fence around it that has a well dug next to it. And I was drawn to what turned out to be the OHIO monument. That seemed to be the most active part of the prison yard for me. I’m not sure of that is actually the most active part or if they somehow picked up on my being from OHIO and decided to show themselves to me.
The first thing I saw was a shadow person walking along the opposite side of the road just across from the monument. I also saw numerous other figures I would say probably at least 5 or 6 more times all within the immediate vicinity of that monument. I also thought I heard a voice however it did not seem to show up on my recorder.
When we were over at the gallows area I sensed spirits there and also had the names Patrick and James come to me. Not sure if it is a first and last name or two first names.
I also sensed a lot of spirits and saw quite a few shadow people over near the trees outlying the pasture where the death house used to be.
I also thought I heard a couple of voices there but again did not find anything on the recorder.
For the 2nd part of the investigation – the first half of the cemetery. I sensed a lot of spirit activity driving in to the cemetery and immediately to the left of the entrance when looking into the cemetery. It is over near the brick wall that outlines the entrance of the cemetery. When pulling in to the cemetery on the immediate road driving in I sensed a lot of spirits over behind the trees and got the sense that some were confused by what we were riding in and how we were dressed. They wanted to know what we were doing there.
Upon actually entering the cemetery – immediately to the left I was drawn towards the tree off to the side. I sensed at least 2 spirits there.
When we were walking down the rows of tombstones near tombstone #4551 I sensed a spirit there with us – When we were walking the opposite direction down the next row. (The 2 investigators I was with were walking in front and I was walking behind.) I saw a green mist following between us – It was right behind them – when they turned around it dissipated. Oddly enough when I looked at the tombstone we were next to it was directly across from the one that I sensed the spirit by when we walked down the previous row. So I don’t know if it was 2 different spirits or if it was the same spirit since it was by the other tombstone both times.
I did not sense as much on the right side of the cemetery as I did on the left for the 1st half of the cemetery. The area on the left side was very active though. Also FYI – the tombstone where I sensed the spirit and saw the green mist following behind are not far from the tree and the brick wall area near the entrance.
As far as the 2nd half of the cemetery – there were 2 areas where I had experiences – one was the 2 trees where I had the equipment malfunction as I previously mentioned – which I believe is where the raiders are buried.
The 2nd spot was again on the left side of the cemetery – this time near the large monument to the left of the flagpole. I was sitting on the edge of the monument with one of the other investigators sitting further over to my left. I sensed someone sitting between us. Within a couple of seconds of mentioning it – I got a very strong pain and ache in my left shoulder (the same side that the spirit I sensed would have been sitting next to). The pain went from the base of my neck on the left side – across my left shoulder and down my left arm. There was no reason for that side to be hurting as I had been carrying my equipment bag the whole investigation on my right shoulder. I had the sense of pain of possibly having like a dislocated shoulder or something of that nature maybe from either having carried something very heavy on that shoulder for a prolonged period of time or maybe as a result of a fight or such. I’m not sure. The pain stayed with me until we left away from the area of the monument.
Oh, I almost forgot, also in the prison yard area I sensed ALOT of spirits over near the main gate area and saw what seemed to be shadows of people especially towards the top like they were looking down on us and trying to make we didn’t do something we weren’t supposed to there.
In addition, when we came back and were walking through the museum I sensed a spirit over near the prosthetic arm and especially over near the doll in the case of the last area that we were in.
Christine’s Experiences:
Saw twice a blue light floating about the prison yard near the north gate. Thought possibly may have been the flashlight of one of the other investigators’ on the other team, but size reference doesn’t make sense. After reviewing photos, I have a photo that shows a possible entity with a blue glow at chest level. Photo submitted to team for individual evaluations of the picture.
While standing alone I heard what sounded like a wagon ride pass me.
Ed’s Experiences:
While in the first cemetery, the section to the right of the drive, we were walking towards the entrance and I thought I saw a shadow to my left next to a tree. At the same time Kari asked if we had seen a shadow figure moving in front of us. I didn’t see what she saw as I was concentrating on what I saw.
The second cemetery I heard an unexplained clicking noise during one of our EVP session, all three members of the team heard it.
During the second investigation in the prison yard, by the replica camp that is set up, I heard two sounds coming from the corner area where the two walls meet. The first noise I couldn’t tell what it was. The second noise sounded like it came from the same area and was about five minutes after I heard the first noise. The second noise sounded like a couple loud knocks on the wood wall. I had picked up the sound on my audio recorder and to me it sounded like a canon or rifle being fired.