The Carlisle barracks started out as a temporary encampment for Colonel John Stanwix's British troops in 1757. It was fought over in the Civil War, lost out to West Point for the honor of becoming the nation's military academy, shared some facilities with the Carlisle Indian School, and now hosts the Army's War College.
It's got quite a few tales associated with it from the past, from military encounters to the children of the Indian school. Here's its haunted history:
Ashburn Guest House: The spooks reported here are Charlie, a young Confederate soldier, and a Native American girl. The basement is said to be especially filled with spirits. It served as a morgue in its' past.
Bandstand: It's said that you can still hear the Carlisle Indian School band performing there on some summer evenings.
Coren Apartments: Once the teacher's housing for the Carlisle Indian School and now officer apartments, two ghosts are reported from here. One is the spirit of Lucy Pretty Eagle, a young Indian girl who was the first child to die at the school. Some people dispute that, and believe the ghost is that of an unnamed Indian girl who was a live-in maid for the teachers. Whichever tale you accept, Lucy has been reportedly seen on the grounds and in the cemetery.
The other spook is of Civil War era Brigadier General Philip St. George Cooke. His daughter married reb raider Jeb Stuart while he was assigned to Carlisle before the war, while he was still a Union officer. Stuart flipped sides and actually helped torch Carlisle the day before the Gettysburg battle. It's said that Cooke's ghost keeps tearing Stuart's portrait off the wall and shattering it. He still holds a grudge after all these years.
Flower Road Houses: The spirit of a lady in a green gown walks in and out of the houses. She may be the same woman seen in the Letort View Community Center.
Hessian Powder Magazine: Built in 1777 by Hessian POWs, the building is now a museum of military artifacts. But in its day, it served as not only a powder magazine, but guardhouse and later as a detention cell for Native Americans that didn't toe the line at Carlisle Indian School. It's said to also be haunted by the spirits of the Hessian prisoners that built it.
Letort View Community Center: The ghosts alleged to be roaming the Center are those of Jim Thorpe, a lady in a ball gown - maybe she's the Flower Road spook - and a farmer, along with several Native American spirits from the Indian School. The basement is alleged to be filled with ghosts.
They call it Purgatory because of all the spirits it hosts that are trapped between the here and the hereafter. In fact, one visitor claimed to see a lady spook down there, wielding a bloody butcher's knife!
Old Gym: The spirits reported here are those of Jim Thorpe, a young Native American boy, and a basketball team (well, where else would they haunt?)
Washington Hall Guest House: It's said that people have been awakened in the middle of the night by babies crying while sleeping in the Guest House.
I was wondering if anyone knew what time the Carlisle barracks horns are supposed to go off? I heard dusk, but we hear them later....
ReplyDeleteI believe they go off around nine in the morning and then around six in the evening.
ReplyDeleteBugle Calls:
ReplyDeleteDaily:
1700 - Retreat "lowering of the flag"
2100 - Tattoo "quiet"
2300 - Taps "lights out"
M-F
0630 - Reveille
0800 - School Call
1300 - Work Call
1630 - Recall
Sunday
0900- Church Call
Saturday
1200 - Mess Call
well i have loved to learn about the other side and Lucy's story caught me i would recommend ghost shows of the haunting ,ghost hunters ,ghost adventurers i always dream of becoming a ghost hunter
ReplyDeleteMany years from the latest post, I read this article. I stayed at the lodging facility which used to be a Civil War hospital and morgue in the basement. I didn't know this of course when booking the room, but the staff told me when checking in. Charlie, the young boy seen in the basement. The desk staff had a Chirstmas stocking for him! That night my wife and I went to sleep in bed. I put our ipad on my bedside table. My wife was already asleep. The next morning, my ipad was on her bedside table. Perhaps...maybe..? I don't know, but during the day learned more about the history of the base and its curious stories. I did hear the staff mention the other building used for lodging was the old Indian School building. And, cleaning crews would hear babies crying while cleaning, but the building was empty. ??? We left the next day, but very interesting.
ReplyDeletehey, in young hall the apartment above me where no one lives i always hear babies crying and also really loud walking across. we've lived here almost the full year we're gonna be here, and i never realized noone lived there till recently because of how often and loud it is.
Delete