Home Is Where the Heart Is

Although Valentine's Day has been around for a long time, and has been celebrated in this country for centuries, (That's right, kids. It really wasn't invented by the candy and greeting card companies.) Valentines given to sweethearts as tokens of affection didn't become popular until the advent of the Civil War. In true Victorian style, cards were adorned with satin ribbons, lace, mother-of-pearl ornamentation, and spun glass.

Manufacturers of Valentines came into being during this time. Mass production before the Civil War was virtually unheard of, but because of demand, many products started being produced in mass quantities, including weaponry, clothing (primarily uniforms and shoes for the soldiers), and canned food items. Because mass production happened so rapidly, much of the merchandise was deemed as being "shoddy."

Not so with Valentines, however. These elaborate cards were given hand-painted accents in gold leaf, or had special ornaments glued on. Many Valentines depicted lovers parting (as in the soldier going off to war), or a tent with the flaps opened to reveal the lonely soldier inside. Another novelty included in Civil War Valentines was a place inside where the sender could place a lock of hair.

A New Year Brings New Promise

During the course of the Civil War, many soldiers had to endure harsh winters far from home. It was especially trying for southern soldiers who weren't accustomed to deep snow and frigid temperatures. Many were in tatters and had no shoes, so they wrapped rags around their feet to stay warm.

Four winters brought further hardships for soldiers on both sides, as well as civilians in the South, who increasingly suffered due to economic instability. By 1864, a barrel of flour in Mobile, Alabama soared to over $300, and coffee, a luxury to southerners by this time, cost between $30 and $70 a pound.

Nevertheless, soldiers on both sides held strong convictions about fighting for the causes they believed in. An example of this is expressed in the following letter, written by Sullivan Balou to his wife on July 14, 1861:

"... If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of their Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt ..."

Haunted Battlefields

It is said that spirits stay on this earth for two reasons: because they don't know they're dead, or because they died a sudden, tragic, unnatural death. So it only makes sense that the most haunted places are battlefields. The most significant one, of course, is Gettysburg. Sightings occur frequently in the form of marching soldiers. At one of the buildings on the Gettysburg College campus, a reoccurring impression has been seen by many spectators - that of a Civil War hospital, complete with bloody-aproned surgeons, moaning victims, and piles of hacked off limbs.

The most haunted place on the Gettysburg battlefield is said to be Devil's Den. Apparently, a huge Indian battle took place there, called "The Battle of the Crows." After intense fighting during the second day of the Civil War battle on July 2, 1863, many men were killed at this location, and their bodies were left for months afterward, because the rocky formations made it difficult to find and retrieve them. This is where photographer Alexander Gardner took some of his most stunning photographs, four days after the battle ended. Stories of ghosts started almost immediately. A hunter was lost in the area, and an apparition appeared, pointing the way for him to exit. A ghost in tattered Confederate garb appears mysteriously in photographs, or poses with tourists, but is missing from the developed photos! Gunshots, men shouting, and the appearance of a ghostly rider who vanishes also occur at the site.

Another haunted battlefield is Stones River Battlefield near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Near the battlefield is one of the oldest national cemeteries in the country, and the oldest monument of the Civil War stands within the cemetery. Most sightings have occurred around what is known as the Slaughter Pen, where the Federals had been surrounded on three sides. It is here that the air is always still: birds and wildlife avoid the area. Eerie feelings persist, like you are being followed, and the air is 10 to 20 degrees cooler than in other parts of the park. Just like at Devil's Den, a mysterious soldier appears. White lights have been seen bobbing along the edge of woods, even though no headlights or fires are present.

Other battlefields have specific places that are most haunted as well. At Antietam (Sharpsburg), it is Bloody Lane, which became a slaughter pen for Confederate troops. Phantom gunfire, along with the smell of gunpowder and smoke, and ghosts of Rebel soldiers still haunt the location. Burnside Bridge, St. Paul Episcopal Church, which was used as a field hospital, and the Piper House are also reportedly haunted.

The "Hell Hole" in Georgia, near New Hope, is said to have a haunted ravine, and Chickamauga (a Cherokee Indian word meaning "River of Death") Battlefield is reportedly haunted by many ghosts. After the battle, fallen soldiers were buried randomly, with two to three in each unmarked grave. Shouts, screams, moans, horses galloping, and gunfire are some of the phantom sounds that occur at night. A ghostly woman in white appears often, as does "Old Green Eyes," believed to be a Confederate soldier whose head was blown off, or a monster that was there before the battle. The glowing green eyes have been seen on numerous occasions, and was reportedly seen after the battle, wandering amongst the dead.

A man's best friend is his dog ... or his eagle?

Because I have always been an animal lover, I can't imagine my life without pets. At present, we own five dogs, three cats, two birds, and a tank full of fish. That number has downsized considerably over the past few years. I think we've had every kind of pet imaginable, both domesticated and wild. Whenever we take a road trip, our little dachshund, Dixie, travels with us.

Soldiers fighting in the War Between the States weren't any different. They brought along their dogs and cats, as well as domesticated livestock, and made squirrels, bears, and raccoons into pets, amongst just about any other kind of wildlife. Regiments sometimes chose animals to represent them as mascots. The 8th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers even had an eagle named Old Abe represent them.

General Lee had a pet hen, George Armstrong Custer had numerous dogs, and Sallie, unofficial mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania, is carved in bronze on the regimental monument at Gettysburg. There are many other famous canines that accompanied their masters to the battlefield ... and to their death. A few are even buried there.

Visiting Shiloh National Military Park

Last weekend, I convinced my family to take a road trip to Shiloh, which is about two hours from where we live. Once we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that admission was free due to Father's Day. Although the temperature threatened to reach 100, we still enjoyed the time we spent there. My son and I went through the small museum at the visitor's center, and watched the 1/2 hour long movie about the battle. (The movie is from the 50's. Time to do an update!)

We then proceeded to stop #4, where we were entertained by members of Selden's Alabama Battery and Tarrant's Alabama Battery. These guys are genuinely devoted historians. They'd have to be, to dress up in wool uniforms in order to perform living history demonstrations. They enlightened the crowd by displaying an authentic campsite, firing off two cannons, and explaining the procedure required to do so. (It takes six men to fire off a cannon.)

Following the demonstration, we took the driving tour of the park, and saw the National Cemetery, the Confederate mass grave sites, the enormous monuments, and Pittsburgh Landing on the Tennessee River. The peach orchard has been replanted to replicate the original, and Bloody Pond still emits a strange, reddish coloration, but supports wildlife. (We noticed several small fish swimming in the pond.) The day was hot and humid, but the experience was profound and inspirational. Our son, who has never seen the park before, really enjoyed it, and learned much about the battle.