Those Places Thursday: Ghosts of Manassas Battlefield

View of Stone House from Henry Hill
Photo by C.G.Lynn

Manassas National Battlefield Park is located at 6511 Sudley Road (Rte. 234) in Manassas, Virginia.  The Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As noted on the Battlefield's website, "On July 21, 1861, two armies clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run.  Heavy fighting swept away any notion of a quick war.  In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged for a second time on the plains of Manassas.  The Confederates won a solid victory bringing them to the height of their power."

Two original buildings, the Stone House and the Brawner Farm are open to the public.  Henry House, on the hill named for the family, is a reconstruction of the home where 85-year old Judith Henry was killed by gunfire.  The family cemetery still stands behind the house site.  It was on Henry Hill that Brig. Gen. Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. is quoted as saying "There is [Thomas Johnathan Stonewall] Jackson standing like a stone wall.  Let us determine to die here, and we ill conquer.  Rally behind the Virginians!"

The Battlefield, twice the scene of bloody turmoil, is now a pastoral setting in the midst of urban Manassas.

Is Manassas/Bull Run Battlefield haunted?

Seriously -- do you need to ask?  Search any popular internet book site and you will find dozens of books on ghosts of Civil War battlefields.  Like Gettysburg, Manassas appears in just about all of them.

One book in particular is devoted to a Manassas Battlefield ghost, "A Yankee Roams at Dusk," by Paula Ann Kirby [ISBN 978-1-61364-194-1].  In 1862, the 5th New York [Zouaves] lost 123 men, "the greatest loss of life in any single infantry regiment in any battle of the Civil War."  The book's author was first introduced to the story of a phantom Zouave soldier on New York Avenue Field in an October 1978 Journal Messenger Halloween article, which claimed, "An indistinct figure wearing a colorful Zouave uniform was claimed to have been seen about two years ago and has been reported by others in later times."  Kirby's book chronicles her search for eyewitnesses that ultimate leads her to a paranormal investigation in search of the spectral Zouave.

Not far from the New York Avenue Field, the old Stone House is also rumored to be haunted.  Originally a tavern on the old Warrenton Turnpike, the house served as a field hospital during both battles.  The October 31, 1990 Weekly Messenger notes that "folk have reported seeing house lights where there is no house and sometimes strange noises come from the Stone House that sits on the corner of Routes 28 and 29."  The October 2011 edition of Prince William Living notes, "There is one story about a seasonal worker who was sitting in Stone House, waiting for any visitors who might have questions.  The employee was reading, and soon fell asleep on what seemed like a quiet day.  Upon waking, the individual's glasses were lung across the room, landing at the opposite end of the hallway."

It should be noted that, sightings and visitor experiences aside, the Park Service does not officially endorse ghosts.  (Which doesn't seem to bother the ghosts.)

Those Places Thursday: Ghosts of Rippon Lodge

Rippon Lodge Historic Site is located at 15520 Blackburn Road in Woodbridge, Virginia.  Built circa 1747 by wealthy land owner, Richard Blackburn, it is one of the oldest homes in Prince William County and is open to the public from May until October.   Once a thriving plantation near the port of Dumfries, overlooking Neabsco Creek, the present day 43 acre site interprets the history of the house its owners from 1747 to 2000.  Visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds and gardens.

Thomas Blackburn, the son of Richard, was a Revolutionary War soldier and later a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.  (And yes, George Washington did sleep here.)  The house was also owned by Blackburn's descendant, Antarctic Explorer Richard Blackburn Black, before being sold to the County in 2000.

There are several tragic stories associated with Rippon Lodge, one of which involves an unfortunate slave child and Mrs. Blackburn.  In a fit of temper, the mistress struck or pushed the child, who fell against the stone jamb of the fireplace and died shortly there after.  There was an inquest but the court determined the death to be accidental.  The child's ashes are said to be buried in the family cemetery.

In 1765, John Baylis supposedly insulted the father of Cuthbert Bullitt, Reverend James Scott, and was challenged to a duel for the insult.  The newspapers report that Baylis's gun failed to go off and then, after having asked for mercy, instead shot at Bullitt when he hesitated -- and missed.  Baylis was shot in the groin and brought to Rippon Lodge where he died from his wound.   

Standing for over 250 years, is Rippon Lodge haunted?

The October 2011 edition of Prince William Living reports that "over the years, people have reportedly seen figures in the windows and heard footsteps where there is no one around to make them.  Carpenters working on the restoration of the buildings claimed to have seen a person in the upstairs windows on various occasions."

In Marguerite Dupont Lee's book "Virginia Ghosts," is an account of Miss Atkinson, former owner, who said "she never saw anything unusual but sometimes heard strange and disturbing noises."

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Spirits of Rippon Lodge
October 25 and 26, 2013

Rippon Lodge has a diverse history rich with ghostly tales.  A 1930 account of the Lodge says, "the house is said to be haunted in such a ghostly and sinister fashion that no one will occupy it."  Rumor has it that the course of Route 1 was altered to avoid its ghostly residents.  Come experience a unique opportunity to tour the house and grounds by candlelight.  You'll meet several historical characters along to way to hear their tales of sadness and triumph.  Cost is $10 per person and reservations are recommended.  Call 703-499-9812. 

Friend of Friends Friday: Gerard Mason, Slave Owner

In 1849, Gerard Mason, slave holder and owner of "Wood Bridge" plantation, was killed by Agnes, a slave woman.  The accounts of the day vary, from self defense (in Northern newspapers) to murder (Southern).  Agnes was tried, convicted, and hanged in 1850.  Her ghost is rumored to haunt the Brentsville Jail, where she was confined and later executed.

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Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD) - December 21, 1849 - Mr. Gerard Mason, living near Colchester, Prince William county, was killed on yesterday by one of his servant women.  It appears Mr. M. had been from home, and returned under the influence of liquor.  He became offended with something the woman had done, and threatened to kill her with an axe; she warded off the blow, and wresting the axe from him, struck the blow that killed him.  The poor negro made no effort to escape.

Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA) - January 10, 1850 - At the County Court of Prince William on Monday last, Agnes, a negro woman, the property of Gerard Mason, deceased, was tried for the murder of her master, found guilty, and sentenced to be hung.  In the absence of the attorney for the Commonwealth, the prosecution was conducted by Francis L. Smith and E. Hunton, and the defence by Daniel Jasper.  We learn from one who witnessed the trial that the evidence established, beyond a rational doubt, that Mr. Mason was killed in his bed, most probably whilst asleep, by blows inflicted with an axe by the accused.

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Alexandria Gazette - February 9, 1850 - NEGROES FOR SALE - I will offer for sale on the 14th inst., at Woodbridge, near Occoquan, Prince William Co. Va., seventeen likely young negroes.  Terms Cash.  - Richard Atkinson, Administrator of Gerard Mason, dec'd., Prince William County, feb. 9 - eots

Alexandria Gazette - January 19, 1850 - NEGROES FOR SALE - I will offer for sale, to the highest bidder, on the first Monday in February next, in Brentsville, before the front door of the Court House, for cash, two Negro Men belonging to the estate of Gerard Mason, dec'd. - Richard Atkinson, Adm'r of Gerard Mason, dec'd, Prince William Co., jan 7 - eots

Alexandria Gazette - September 20, 1823 - Twenty Dollars Reward. Ran Away from the subscriber, livingin Prince William County, Va. on the 15th instant, a negro man named BILL, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high, between 20 and 25 years of age, one of his hands has been much burnt when a child, which prevents him from opening it.  His clothing consisted of country cloth much worn.  i will give the above reward for apprehending and securing said fellow so that I get him again, and reasonable charges if brought home.  Masters of vessels and others, are cautioned against carrying him off.  Gerard Mason, Sept. 18.

Alexandria Gazette - January 4, 1823 - RANAWAY from the subscriber on Sunday, the 3d of November, a black man named WILL, about five feet 7 or 8 inches high, between 40 and 45 years of age, had on when he went away a white round-about and black trowsers of trilled country coth.  He has lost two of his front teeth, has a down look when spoken to, and a scar on his nose.  He lived a few years ago with mr. Wm. McCarty, in Loudoun county.  I will give the above Reward for securing said Negro in any jail and all reasonable charges paid if brought home.  Gerard Mason.  Prince William County, (Va) dec 21

Those Places Thursday: Ghosts of Brentsville Courthouse and Jail

Brentsville Courthouse
Photo: Carolyn G. Lynn

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is located at 1229 Bristow Road in Bristow, Virginia, approximately three miles from the Bristoe Station Battlefield.  The 28 acre site includes the fully restored Courthouse, one of the oldest in the United States.  It served as the county seat from 1822 until 1892 when the court was moved to Manassas.  Public auctions frequently occurred in front of the Courthouse doors, including the sale of real estate and slaves, and during the Civil War Confederate units were formed here (notably, Co. A., 4^th Virginia Cavalry and Co. A, 49^th Virginia infantry). 

In addition to the Courthouse, the site includes the Brentsville Jail which housed a wide variety of miscreants, from town drunks to murderers, both male and female.  The gallows, built behind the Courthouse, were well within sight of the prisoners in the jail awaiting their final reckoning.  Several inmates are known to have successfully escaped from the building’s confines, often by setting fire to the cells.  In 1872, the jail was the scene of a sensational  murder when commonwealth attorney James Clark, awaiting trial for abducting and then abandoning 15 year old Fannie Fewell, was shot in his cell by the young lady’s brother.  Clark died three days later of his wounds.  (The brother, Rhoda Fewell, was later acquitted of the murder.)

After Manassas became the county seat and there was no longer a need for a Brentsville jail, the building was repurposed and underwent a series of renovations, at various times serving as a women’s dormitory, private residence, and office building.  Now closed to the public, it is currently being restored to its 1822 heyday as a county jail.

With a rich history of crime, punishment, and murder, are the Brentsville Courthouse and Jail haunted?

In the Courthouse, there are tales of a phantom figure seen standing by the window of the Judge’s office on the second floor and the sound of phantom chairs sliding across wooden floors when no one is upstairs.

The June 14, 2004 issue of the Prince William News & Messenger relates the story of a time when the jail served as the County Clerk’s office.  A secretary who was alone in the building “saw a woman outside dressed in Civil War clothing.  The woman came up the sidewalk … and said ‘Where’s my soldier? … They said he’s back here.  I’ve come for my soldier.’  Then the woman vanished.”

Another legend tells of a different secretary who looked up from her desk on the second floor of the jail to find a young African American male standing in front of her.  The youth asked her for his shoe buckles.  In the moment that she glanced away, he vanished.  Could this have been the shade of a former inmate looking for the return of the property that had been confiscated during his imprisonment?

Still another eyewitness describes having turned to look at the jail and being startled to see the face of a female slave looking back.  Is this the spirit of Agnes, who was imprisoned there and later hanged behind the Courthouse for the murder of her master, Gerard Mason?

Whatever activity is (or isn’t) going on in the jail, it has enticed investigations by several paranormal groups, among them The Atlantic Paranormal Society (“TAPS”) which featured the building in an episode of Ghost Hunters.

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Spectral Stories at Historic Brentsville

October 18, 2013 – 7:00pm until 9:00pm

$5/person and free for children under six

Details:  703-365-7895

Do you love scary movies and hearing ghost stories?  Join site staff for a fun filled evening spent around a campfire as you hear spooky stories about Historic Brentsville and other haunts in and around Prince William County.  Apple cider and cookies will be provided.

Those Places Thursday: Ghosts of Ben Lomond

Photo by Carolyn G. Lynn

Ben Lomond Historic Site is located at 10321 Sudley Manor Drive, approximately two miles from the Manassas Battlefield.

Once owned by Robert "Councillor" Carter III, the plantation was inherited by Benjamin Tasker Chinn in 1830 who built the house that stands there today.  Before the Civil War, the farm was worked using slave labor, producing corn, wheat, and Merino sheep.

Before the Civil War, the farm was leased to the Pringle family.  In the days after the Battle of First Manassas, the Pringles and all of their possessions were crammed into a single bedroom while the house was commandeered and converted into a Confederate field hospital.  For approximately a month after the battle, the house and its grounds were crowded with wounded soldiers, many of whom did not survive.  In 1862, at the time of the Battle of Second Manassas, Union troops occupied the house, destroying furniture and scrawling graffiti on the interior walls. 

After the Civil War, the house passed through several hands, including those of a distant cousin of mine, Charles Craig Lynn, who operated a successful dairy farm in the late 1930's.

Now owned by Prince William County, the house and grounds were "restored" to replicate the appearance and conditions of a Confederate field hospital of 1861 and is open to the public May 1 through October 31. In addition to the main house, several outbuildings remain -- including a slave cabin -- and a rose garden that contains one of the largest collections of Old Garden Roses in the DC Metropolitan area.

With so much history and trauma, is Ben Lomond/Pringle House haunted?   

In the October 30, 1985 Manassas Journal Messenger, the gentleman leasing the house from the county "...says that the house is haunted by a ghost which he feels is a Civil War soldier."  He explained that there was a baby grand piano in the house at the time; several times he found the lid raised when there was no one else in the house.  "I'd put it back down and go back and find it up again," he said.

Volunteers working on the rose garden behind the house have described the sensation of being watched and one turned to see a figure standing by an upstairs window when no one was in the house.  Other claims include hearing the sound of footsteps walking on hardwood floors where no footsteps should have been.  I myself have heard those phantom footsteps and have no explanation for them!

Who walks the halls of Ben Lomond?  Is it a weary surgeon, making his rounds among the wounded and dying crowded into every room and up the stairway?  Or is it one of the farm's many owners?  

Are you brave enough to find out for yourself?

Mystery Monday: A Ghost - Or Something - in PWCo

It's October once more!   A time for pumpkins and a nipping chill in the air, shorter days and longer nights, and one of my very favorite celebrations -- Hallow'Een.   In honor of this spooky, wonderfully creepy time of year, I'll be posting stories about unusual events and haunted places in Prince William County.

Today I bring you one of my favorite newspaper articles.  Hoax or haint?  You decide.

Alexandria Gazette

December 15, 1868

A Ghost -- Or Something -- In Prince William County, Va.

Prince William County, Va., Dec. 12 -- It becomes my duty to chronicle a most singular and extraordinary series of nocturnal visitations on the part of some ghostly apparition, to the farm of one, who I shall call Silas Brown, esq., a peaceable and intelligent citizen of this county.  Mr. Brown lives in what is known as the forest of Prince William, near the village of Independent Hill, and his residence is completely surrounded with the growth indigenous to that section of the county.

For the past few weeks visions of an alarming character have been seen in the neighboring forest, but more particularly in the copse adjacent to Mr. Brown's barn and stable.  At numbers of times has an immense figure been seen passing to and fro near the barn, with large horns and terrible claws which it contracts to a sort of hoof, and has assaulted Mr. Brown when he attempted after dark to feed his horses and stock, in such a manner, and with such violence, that he has been compelled to flee to his house for safety.  The figure, to the best of Mr. Brown's recollection, seemed about three times as large as a man in its front, and having a back converging from its neck and shoulders, horizontally to the distance of some six or eight feet, and supplied on each side with huge and tremendous arms.  It is of a pale blueish color when first seen, but upon being irritated by the near approach of any person, becomes a deadly white, and issues from its surface a small volume of smoke, accompanied with a sickening smell.  This ghoul or unnatural and horrible animal or demon, has been seen as often as four times near Mr. Brown's stable, and when seen, it has lingered till its deadly effluvia has completely impregnated the surrounding atmosphere.  One evening Mr. Brown desiring to have another beside himself see this terrible visitant, induced a courageous gentlemen whom I shall call Siger, who happened with his wife to spend the evening at Mr. Brown's, to go to the stable to feed his horses.  Mr. Siger not believing the story, went without hesitation, when upon entering the stable, he was alarmed by the fall, at or  near his feet, with a deep rumbling sound, of a tremendous stone.  Mr. Siger, without looking up, looking to see whence the rock came, picked the stone up, and it was so hot that he was compelled to drop it;  upon looking up he beheld the unearthly monster not over fifty yards from him, and the air became quickly filled and inoculated with brimstone.  (!)  Not wishing to be thought a coward, he did not mention anything of this at the house, but upon walking home with his wife the same night, he told her of what happened at the stable, and instantly she became alarmed and was carried home in a state of apparent insensibility.

The neighborhood is in a terrible state of excitement, and steps have been taken to investigate this frightening matter.

By your next issue it may be possible that some clue can be gained to the identity of the character of this hideous monster.

K.

[The sensational story was picked up by other newspapers of the time, including the Memphis Daily Avalanche.]