Ghosts of Gettysburg III: Spirits, Apparitions, and Haunted Places of the Battlefield

Having been to Gettysburg 5 times now this book just came alive to me. I bought 2 of the 6 books and had them read in 2 days. Very intersting. I have had a couple odd experiences when visiting the battlefield myself. Now I will have a better idea where to look when I go back again. A must read for any Civil War nut whether you believe in ghosts or not.

Mark Nesbitt, a former employee at the Gettysburg National Military Park used to hear his fellow Park employees talk about odd encounters out on the battlefield and after a while he had some experiences himself. With his degree in English Literature it just seems natural that he would begin to compile these ghostly stories and write a book. Actually, this is the third book in the series and he has since come out with three more. Obviously there are a lot of ghosts in Gettysburg. Once Nesbitt was himself convinced that there were indeed ghosts and spirits wandering around Gettysburg, and once he had collected several stories he began to write and his efforts have turned out several very good books, this one included. Each story is documented by eyewitness testimony and are sometimes also backed up by research done at Gettysburg College several years ago. It is also nice that the author has included a basic history of each haunted site. Those of us who have wandered the battlefield time and again tend to forget that there are those out there that might not be familiar with the Wheat Field or Spangler's Spring but this author has made sure that his work is accessible to all. The most interesting chapter of this entry in the series is the chapter that deals with the disturbances that occurred during the filming of the movie "Gettysburg." It seems that all of these men dressed in period dress may have awakened some long quiet spirits because there were a lot of odd happenings on the battlefield and in the reenactor's campground. More activity in fact than Nesbitt could squeeze into this book for I have heard many other tails from people who were there. Suffice it to say that the Production Company had to keep replacing their night watchmen because they kept walking off the job. In a review for the second book of this series I wrote, "Mr. Nesbitt tends to wander off all too often into the realm of philosophy, which is somewhat understandable in a book like this. Nesbitt however gets carried away on occasion and just about looses his focus. He also gets a little wordy at times and it seems as if he may be trying to impress academic types with his big words and flowery sentences. If this is the case he comes off as trying just a little too hard." Unfortunately the same criticism applies to this book although this problem is not quite as pronounced in this volume. Still, this is a very good book, superior to it's predecessor in many ways, especially in the stories chosen for inclusion. I might recommend that you start with this book but it refers back several times to the two previous books so that idea is not feasible. My best advice is to just read them all.

Former Park Ranger Mark Nesbitt has over the years gathered many ghost stories from other park rangers, visitors and people who live in the area. Nesbitt tries to gather factual data on the stories he receives so he can offer a background as to why these ghost stories may have evolved. His stories are usually quite interesting and do not just talk about battlefield soldiers, civilians alike are also involved in famous ghost stories in Gettysburg! Buy all 5 books, there worth it! Each has many short stories that are easy and fun to read.

I think that this was a great book, and the style that Nesbitt writes with is amazing. I have read the book cover to cover many times. His writing makes it feel like you are in Gettysburg, seeing the ghosts for yourself. An essential for any body who loves the Civil War! Deals with a lot of paranormal sightings during the filming of the movie Gettysburg.

This is a phenomenal work, for the third time nesbitt has done a great job. it is perfect for someone like me, who has a taste for history and also the paranormal.