December 2012

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Voices to Visions * This issue is about Battlefield Ghosts. Stating on your website you made a personal mission, tell us about that. Seeing how Gettysburg, Pa. gets so much attention from paranormal investigators and ghost hunters, I figured all the battlefields in Virginia would have something to offer as well. I had become disappointed with the lack of attention our battlefields get, both from paranormal enthusiasts and amateur history buffs. During the Civil War, Virginia was the most contested piece of real estate in the country. I strongly believe Virginia should get just as much attention as Gettysburg, so I began to visit and investigate the battlefields here. Statistics would show that our battlefields should be just as paranormally active, if not more. Indeed, two of our battlefields here, Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor, have been listed in the top ten of most haunted battlefields. I wanted to see why for myself. The rest of my team usually does not participate with me in my battlefield investigations. Only on two occasions so far has a team member accompanied me. I realize this means my own claims, should I have any, cannot be validated by another person. But I am okay with that, even if this affects the credibility of whatever evidence I collect. I enjoy road trips and travelling on my own. Visiting forts and battlefields has been a passion of mine for a very long time and now I am combining it with my other passion of paranormal investigating. http://www.facebook.com/VirginiaBattlefields * There are so many little battlefields that have been overlooked and shadowed by the most famous battles in the United States, have you and your team explored these battles in your area and if so what are your thoughts. I have investigated many of the lesser-known smaller battlefields and have more fun doing so as it brings me to new places I have never been before. I love driving across my state, learning its history and enjoying the scenery. Virginia is a beautiful state and yet it saw more death and

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December 2012 destruction during the Civil War than any other state. Gettysburg gets all the attention from paranormal investigators and ghost hunters, but that was only one battle. And that location tends to be overcrowded with visitors making it less enjoyable in my opinion. Virginia has so much more to offer paranormal enthusiasts and history buffs alike. I have discovered that our battlefields here don't get as many visitors and without their interference that makes investigating easier. Investigating can only be done, legally, during daylight hours and visitors' presence will always be a factor to consider. Also, Virginia was also involved in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. There are battle sites here related to those wars, too.

* What battlefield did you personally take more to heart when investigating, and how is that one different from the others? Having been raised in the Fredericksburg, Va. area, I was most interested in investigating the several battlefields surrounding that city. There are five Civil War battlefields within the National Park Service's Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park: Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Court House, The Wilderness, Old Salem Church, and Chancellorsville. And of those, I think Fredericksburg is closest to my heart because the Catholic school I once attended was located on that battlefield next to the National Cemetery and the


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