ANNUAL HAUNTED HOLIDAYS STORY!

Ten years ago, when we first started the newsletter, which was then sent out to about 300 people (some of which are still subscribed today) I searched for a holiday-themed story that would still offer some ghostly thrills. I had recently visited Stones River battlefield in Tennessee for the first time and, at the time (as I am now), I was fascinated with Civil War hauntings and was at work on my book “Spirits of the Civil War�? With that in mind, I sent out a story to the newsletter subscribers that, somehow, has become an annual tradition. The mailing list has grown a lot since 1997 and this year, many of our now 18,000 subscribers will read this story for the first time. But whether it’s your first time or your most recent, I hope you enjoy it! Happy Haunted Holidays!

 

CHRISTMAS AT STONES RIVER

 

The Civil War battle for the state of Tennessee began in the last days of 1862 with fierce and bloody fights at places like Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Nashville and Franklin. The Union and Confederate armies raged back and forth across the landscape, each hoping to claim this western state as their own. The spilled blood of thousands of northern and southern boys seeped into the frozen ground and left a permanent mark on the land. Neither army achieved a victory that season but then in the waning days of that same year -- over the holiday season -- another battle occurred near Murfreesboro. It is a place that has since become known as Stones River and it remains one of the most eerie & most haunted battlefields of the war. It was a Christmas season unlike any that the young soldiers on both sides of the battle had experienced before and probably because of this, an especially poignant moment took place here on Christmas Eve that has caused this battle to be remembered by history buffs and ghost enthusiasts alike.

 

The Battle of Stones River, which was fought near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, occurred in late December of 1862 and lasted through January 2, 1863. The prelude to the battle began a short time earlier, after General Braxton Bragg retreated from Perryville, Kentucky and started moving his troops into position near Murfreesboro. Because of a number of cavalry raids that occurred around this time, Union General William S. Rosecrans decided to move his troops out of Nashville and attack Bragg. The Confederate raids were designed to disrupt Federal communication lines but had little effect. Rosecrans, however, wanted to take advantage of the depleted Confederate cavalry forces and take the fight to Murfreesboro.

 

Rosecrans began moving his army to the southeast, spearheaded by Major General Thomas L. Crittenden. As they followed the line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, Bragg soon learned of their approach and he sent cavalry troops to slow them down while he concentrated his forces. By late December, the two armies faced each other just west of the Stones River.

Strangely, each was planning to attack the other's right.

 

The Confederate division under John C. Breckinridge was left across the river, northwest of Murfreesboro, while two other divisions moved into position on the Federal right. The center was held by two divisions under Leonidas Polk and planned to attack at dawn. Alexander McCook’s corps held the Federal right, where the initial Confederate attack was to fall. They had a strong center and extended their line to the river with a number of divisions to outnumber the Confederates. Rosecrans had ordered the attack to start at 7:00 a.m., after the troops had eaten breakfast.

     

As the battle opened at dawn, Federal brigades under Kirk and Willich were driven back. Although Kirk’s outposts saw the enemy advance, Willich’s brigade was taken by surprise. The Confederates kept up the momentum of the attack by moving up McCown’s right but a Federal Division under Phillip Sheridan managed to hold off three divisions on their own. Sheridan’s right flank was only exposed after a retreat by Davis and they suffered heavy losses. Around 9:30 a.m. though, Sheridan counterattacked and gained the time he needed to set up a new position behind the Nashville Pike. They routed a Confederate division under Johnson and Davis followed them to the rear while a rebel cavalry brigade harassed his western flank.

 

A renewed attack, all along the Federal front, finally forced Sheridan, whose ammunition was exhausted, to withdraw. This left a gap between Negley and Rousseau, which the Confederates quickly filled. Shepherd's brigade of regulars lost 20 officers and 518 killed and wounded in covering a general withdrawal of the Federal right half of the line to a new position. The right of Palmer's division also had to withdraw but his left flank held its strong position on a wooded ridge astride the railroad. This was a four-acre oak grove that reports of the battle call the Round Forest, but which the troops dubbed "Hell's Half Acre." By noon, the Federals had been forced back to what turned out to be their final defensive line.

     

The Federal divisions of Van Cleve and Wood, which were supposed to move north of the river and make Rosecrans�?main attack, had been called back to bolster the Federal defense. Van Cleve had crossed the river, and Wood was ready to follow, when the Confederate attack started. Wood was held back and put into position on the Federal left. Van Cleve was ordered back and arrived about 11:00 a.m., just in time to reinforce the final defensive line.

 

Bragg was rallied by the way the battle was going and in preparation for what he hoped would be a death blow to the Federal troops, he called on Breckinridge to send two of his five brigades to reinforce Hardee. Only one of them arrived in time to be of any use, though. To make matters worse, cavalry units had reported the arrival of a Federal division to face off against Breckinridge but had not seen its subsequent withdrawal. Because of this, Breckinridge believed that he was in danger of being overwhelmed and refused to spare the brigades that he was supposed to send to Hardee. It would not be until late afternoon before Breckinridge’s other brigades were brought south of the river and committed to action against “Hell’s Half Acre�? They were all beaten back with heavy losses.

 

The Confederate assaults were well-driven but were effectively repulsed by the now organized Federal defense. One brigade had been waiting for 48 hours in shallow trenches and without fires for the attack. When the Confederates charged across the open field toward them, they cut the them to pieces with rifle and artillery fire. After desperate fighting, in which some regiments lost six to eight color bearers, the Confederates were driven back. Donelson’s brigade made the next effort. After some initial confusion when they reached the field, and in the face of heavy fire, the brigade penetrated the Union line and took 1,000 prisoners and 11 guns. Before they could advance, though, a Federal position in the Round Forest forced them to retreat.

 

The counterattacks drove back the Confederate army but after some hesitation, Rosecrans decided to remain on the field during the night and to resume the offensive if Bragg did not attack. The battlefield was quiet the next morning but Confederate cavalry under Wheeler and Wharton were doing damage along Rosecrans�?line of communications and supply to Nashville. Wheeler attacked a wagon train near Lavergne, dispersed the guards and destroyed about 30 wagons.

 

For some reason, the Federals had abandoned the Round Forest position during the night, so the Confederates took possession of the position. Bragg then became determined to have Breckinridge cross the river again and take the high ground, from which they could force the Federal troops from their position. Breckinridge went on record to say that he felt the task was not only impossible, but pointless, but Bragg insisted, so he attacked with about 4,500 men.

 

The rebel forces stormed the hill and managed to drive the Federals from it. However, as the Confederates pursued them down the forward slope, they were slaughtered by the massed fire of 58 guns that had been posted across the river. Breckinridge was driven back to his line of departure. He had lost 1,700 men.

 

By January 3, Rosecrans was holding a defensive position west of the river and Bragg was withdrawing through Murfreesboro through Shelbyville. Rosecrans did not pursue them and it was not until June that Rosecrans renewed operations in the area, when his Tullahoma Campaign set the stage for the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns.

 

In the end, Stones River was declared a tactical victory for the Confederates, even though Bragg lacked the strength to destroy Rosecrans' larger army or drive it from the field. Casualties were so high during the fighting that there was little cause to celebrate any sort of victory. The battle was carried out over a 72-hour period and when the carnage ended, the opposing forces counted their losses. The Confederates suffered more than 10,000 casualties among just 38,000 men engaged. Meanwhile, the Union forces counted 13,249 dead, wounded, missing or captured among the 43,400 men they entered the battle with. The horrendous losses of men at Antietam and Gettysburg are more widely known today than the those in Tennessee, yet Stones River saw the highest percentage of casualties compared to numbers engaged of any Civil War battle.

 

Today, the battlefield stands as a monument to the bitter fighting that took place. Nearby the battlefield is the Stones River National Cemetery, one of the oldest national cemeteries in the country. Visitors to the modern battlefield can take a walking, or driving, tour of the area and various stops on the tour are marked with numbers. These designate the sites where major events took place during the battle.

 

The location known as Stop No. 4 is also known by the more colorful, and graphic, name of the "Slaughter Pen". It was at this point on the battlefield where Sheridan’s division was able to hold the Confederates back long enough for a proper defense to be organized. Sheridan fought a confusing battle in the heavy forest and the Federals soon found themselves in a tightening pocket that was collapsing on three sides. The Confederates, headed by troops from Alabama and South Carolina, rushed out of the woods towards Sheridan’s position, only to be met with artillery fire and small arms volleys from the Yankees. However, the defense did not hold and soon, the borders of Sheridan’s defense began to collapse. Only his brigade of men from Illinois and Missouri stood strong.

 

Sheridan’s three brigade commanders were killed in the "Slaughter Pen" and a third of his division was destroyed. Finally, the Federals ran out of ammunition and turned to fighting hand-to-hand with bayonets, scrambling through the forest and the underbrush. As the Rebels rushed their position, in devastating wave after wave, the Union soldiers cut, slashed, and continued to drive the enemy back. Sheridan lost 14 pieces of artillery, but not without a fight. The cannon crews defended their guns with everything they had, turning from guns to knives and even their bare knuckles. Captain Charles Houghtaling had been ordered to hold his artillery at all costs and it was a command he took literally. Only at the very last moment were his guns abandoned and even then, Houghtaling had to be carried from the field.

 

 There were a couple of odd events that occurred during the battle. Much was written in journals and letters about the strange behavior of the animals at Stone River. While the men were lying behind a crest waiting for the fighting to begin, a brace of frantic wild turkeys, so paralyzed with fright that they were incapable of flying, ran between the lines and endeavored to hide among the men. What was even stranger was the flight of other birds and rabbits. When the roar of battle rushed through the cedar thickets, flocks of little birds fluttered and circled above the field in a state of bewilderment and scores of rabbits fled for protection to the men lying down in line, nestling under their coats and creeping under their legs in a state of utter panic. They hopped over the field, as perfectly tamed by fright as household pets. Many officers witnessed it, remarking it as one of the most curious spectacles ever seen upon a battlefield.

 

Perhaps the most memorable event of the battle took place one night after fighting had ended for the day. It was the holiday season and on both sides of the line, soldiers wished for home and were saddened by the holidays without their families. In order to keep up morale, a military band played for the soldier’s entertainment. The battle lines were so close together that the sounds of the opposing army’s music carried through the forest. As the night wore on, the troops battled each other in another way --- as one side played a rousing rendition of "Dixie", the other band would try to drown it out with the equally loud strains of "Yankee Doodle". Finally, one of the bands struck up the chords to the song "Home, Sweet, Home" and the rival band joined in.

 

Soldiers on both sides began to sing the familiar words and for one brief moment, the war was forgotten and the soldiers shared their mutual longings for the comforts of home. The spirit of  Christmas drew them together and for just a brief few hours, the men were no longer “Rebels�?and “Yankees�?but comrades in arms who equally missed the warmth of hearth and home. Grown men wept and raised a toast across the battle lines to the men on the other side. Cheers resounded and northern and southern men greeted one another in good cheer, but it was not to last. When dawn came, the bloody fighting began once again.

 

Even so, this was not the only melancholy event to occur during the battle. As night fell on the second day of fighting, a group of men from the 74th Illinois heard a wounded Confederate begging for help. He was found near a battery that had been overrun by the Federals and since he was unable to walk, the Illinois men picked him up and carried him behind their lines. He was given a drink of water but his only request, as he lay dying, was that his mother be informed of his end.

 

Henry R. Freeman, one of the Illinois soldiers, took down the man’s address and promised to write her a letter. The Confederate died there on the cold ground that night but Freeman kept his promise. Sadly though, he was unable to carry it out in full. In late 1865, a letter that had been addressed to “Relatives of M.W. Wildy, Davis Creek Post Office, Fayette County, Alabama�?was returned to Freeman’s home and was never delivered because the address was inadequate to reach the dead man’s family.

 

Stones River Hauntings

 

There is no question that Stop No. 4, the Slaughter Pen, was the scene of the bloodiest fighting at Stones River. Today, the area is a wooded section with a number of rocks and sinkholes and it is regarded as a haunted place. Civil War re-enactors and living history groups often camp near the Slaughter Pen when they come to Stones River. There is something about the bravery displayed here by Sheridan’s men that seems to appeal to them and to draw them to the place. Visitors often report a strange stillness to the area that should not be found in a wooded area, where birds and wildlife should be active, but are not. Many of them also speak of eerie feelings here -- feelings that let them know they are not always among the living in this place.

 

The legends of the Slaughter Pen tell of a mysterious soldier who often appears here. Re- enactors claim they have seen him around the campfire, or on the edge of the darkened camp. He is also seen leaning against a tree, or lingering in the shadows, aware of, and yet separate from, the activity around him. His uniform allows him to often blend in with the re-enactors, yet he is known to simply disappear if anyone tries to speak to him.

 

Park rangers, and visitors that I have interviewed, often report the Slaughter Pen to be about 10 or 20 degrees colder than the park around it. They also claim that you can sometimes hear the sound of someone following you if you walk there after dark.

 

Aside from the Slaughter Pen, there are other haunted places on the battlefield as well, including Site No. 6. In 1978, according to an interview given to author Richard Winer, a park ranger named Jeffrey Leathers was involved in a Civil War re-enactment on the battlefield and was encamped near Tour Stop No. 6. He woke up in the middle of the night and needed a drink. Finding his canteen empty, he walked back to the administration building and along the way, noticed a man lurking in the bushes near the path. Thinking that it was one of his friends waiting to play a prank on him, he yelled for the man to come out of hiding.

 

The soldier, who like Leathers was dressed in a period uniform, raised a hand and walked out. He appeared to be very serious, but many re-enactors stay in their roles during the mock battles and apparently the mysterious man was pretending to be captured by the enemy. The soldier continued walking toward Leathers, who then ordered him to stop. Still playing his part in the "engagement", Leathers raised his rifle and just as he did, the man fell to the ground -- and vanished.

 

Still thinking this was all part of the re-enactment, Leathers looked around in the shadows, but quickly became convinced that the man had actually disappeared. The next morning, he returned to the spot in the company of several friends, but they found no footprints or any other trace of the soldier. In fact, there was nothing to say that he had ever existed at all!

 

I had the chance to visit Stones River for the first time in May 1997. When I arrived at the battlefield, it had turned into a gloomy and overcast day. That first visit was a short one, thanks to an approaching storm and as it turned out, a tornado that moved through shortly after I left the area. Even though I didn’t have much time, I did go to the Slaughter Pen that afternoon, interested in soaking up some of the atmosphere of this reported haunted place. When I reached the area, I stopped the car in a small parking area and got out to take a look around.

 

The woods beyond the field were dark and filled with shadows but then I did notice something odd. I saw a small light appear and start to bob along the edge of the trees. It traveled about 40 yards and then it vanished as quickly as it had come. I could see nothing behind it in the gloom and quickly walked to the edge of the woods for a closer look. There was no one there who was carrying a light or walking around, so what could this have been? Could it have been a car reflection or another natural explanation? The electricity was certainly in the air from the approaching storm and perhaps this caused the strange light?

 

Or could it have been something else? The light of a lost soldier still searching for a way to get a message home, a lone sentry from Sheridan’s brigade still patrolling the picket line, or even perhaps the mysterious man who has been seen in so many re-enactor’s camps over the years, still fighting a battle that ended more than 140 years before�?/P>