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I took a roll of pictures of the various monuments and shots towards Culp’s Hill and areas where I thought I might obtain pictures of unearthly phenomena. I wouldn’t know until I got the roll developed. I tried taking pictures with the digital and had problems. I attempted to take some pictures of the statues and the cannon, and although I was within three feet of the objects, and the flash worked, the pictures were black or barely visible. Since it was approaching the 10:00 PM hour of departure, by park rules, I lugged all my equipment back to the hotel.
I took a picture of my car to test the digital, and lo and behold, there was my car displayed on the disk perfectly. Oh well, who knows.
Saturday, December 1, rolled bright and a little cool but we enjoyed the sights. I was allowed to take a couple of pictures in the basement of the Jennie Wade house, thanks to the cooperation of the gift shop worker, when I explained what I wanted to do.
We toured the town as we always have done and stopped and spoke with the re-enactors (46th PA Inf.) at the museum and gift shop. Took digital pictures of them and e-mailed them upon return home. We were given directions to Sachs Bridge, definitely wanted to check it out. All cameras were working fine.
We went to dinner that night at a restaurant I am happy to forget. After dinner, we returned to the hotel and I set out once again to ghost hunt. This time I went to the “High Water Mark” to try to locate ghosts. In addition to the above cameras, I also carried another Nikon camera, model N80, this evening. While attempting to take pictures, I placed a Panasonic Microcassette Recorder, Model RN-402, on the rocks, set it to Voice Activate and walked away.
Again, I had the same problem with the digital camera. It would flash, but the pictures were dark or blank. I tried to take several shots with the N80, the red-eye light would flash but the flash would not fire, nor the film advance. I figured I angered someone or something. Again the only camera that worked was the model N2000, an old manual camera.
I finished shooting what I could and went to retrieve the recorder. It was a beautiful night with the bright moon, little or no wind and cooler temperature than last evening. I picked up the recorder and again carried all my equipment off the field and departed for the hotel.
I explained to Nancy how the camera wouldn’t work and attempted to show her how only the red-eye light would flash, when once again, the flash worked and the film advanced. This was getting weird.
We listened to the recorder in complete awe. For there, captured on the recorder were the unmistakable sounds of a volley of musketry fire, the beating of drums, and what appears to be the hissing of shells. We listened a couple of times and couldn’t believe our ears. There was the sound of battle when no battle was being fought. (I played the tape at our next Round Table Meeting so that the re-enactors from the 3rd NJ Vols. could hear it and offer their insight. We even had the daughter of one of them that attended Gettysburg College listen to the tape. All were in disbelief and agreed that the sounds were unmistakable sounds of a battle.)
Sunday was spent touring. Except while waiting for Nancy to get ready, I walked over to the National Cemetery to take some more pictures. I took the N2000, with infrared film, and a small Vivitar 35mm camera, model 335PZDB, with slide film. I shot some pictures on the poem with the slide film for future showing at a meeting. As I was walking, I chanced to see the grave stone of Capt. William Miller, 3rd PA Cavalry, who was awarded the Medal of Honor. I took some pictures of the grave stone, why? I can’t say.
Sunday night I wanted to go to Sachs Bridge, but was talked out of it by Nancy who had heard enough from the re-enactors the day before, about the ghosts of the bridge. Oh well, there will be a next time.
Monday, we checked out of the hotel and drove bravely to Sachs Bridge. Nancy even posed tempting the ghosts to show themselves. They didn’t and she was glad. I changed the batteries in the digital camera and we drove to Devil’s Den. There I took four pictures with the digital, one of the sign, two of Nancy and one of the Den itself. We then drove up to Little Round Top.
Upon arriving at Little Top, we found one other vehicle in the parking area. Nancy was a little tired from walking and waited in the car for a while. I took the digital and slide camera and went to the top of Little Round Top. I was surprised to see a couple of horsemen on the rocks. They were from this period of time. I used the slide camera to take some pictures of the view of the valley and one picture with the digital. In the meantime, the horsemen and other couple left and I was alone, with my thoughts only.
Nancy then came up to look at the view, which was breathtaking. She stood near Warren’s statute and wanted me to take a picture of her. I took one or two with the slide film and attempted to take one with the digital, but the batteries were exhausted. At that, she went back to the car and I started walking towards the New York Monument at the left edge of Little Round Top, facing Devil’s Den.
I noticed the horsemen approaching the area of Devil’s Den and was still alone. As I was looking up at the Tower, I heard a “thud” and looked around quickly to see a “red ball in the final stage of bouncing”. I presumed that some child was on the tower and dropped the ball, so I looked for a way up to the top and there is none. I went around the tower, called out and heard no response to my calls. I picked up the ball, which proved to be a sponge type ball about the size of a tennis ball. Printed in bold letters on the ball were the words, “BLOOD DONOR CENTER”. How appropriate for Little Round Top, where blood lay in pools on the rocks.
I carried the ball with me to the car and showed Nancy. We then drove from Little Round Top and went back through town where I took one picture with my digital of the Jenny Wade statute and found that the batteries were now fully charged.
When we got home, I had the infrared film developed but the only pictures that came out were those taken in the basement of the Jennie Wade home. I saw no ghosts, but who can explain what happened to the cameras? I can’t. And oh, by the way, I bought the 5th book of “The Ghosts of Gettysburg” and reading it at lunch at work one day, I found out why I took the picture of Captain Miller’s grave. He was supposed to be the Cavalry Horseman Ghost of the National Cemetery.
The tape is being sent to California where my son will have it analyzed at the recording studio for one of the motion picture companies. Time will tell.
I will return and try again, maybe this time “they” will let me take pictures of “them”. And, oh yes, I have the ball included in my collection of Civil War artifacts.
Alexander S. Platt
Director
Thomas W. Middleton Civil War Round Table
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