Gettysburg was accidental - neither army planned to fight there. Confederate forces under Lee and Union forces under Meade converged on the town by chance. Three days of combat followed: Day One pushed Union forces onto Cemetery Ridge. Day Two saw brutal fighting at Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. Day Three culminated in Pickett's Charge - 12,000 Confederate soldiers crossing open ground against entrenched artillery, their ranks shredded, their assault failing. Lee retreated. The Confederacy never recovered. The battle cost roughly 50,000 casualties, making it the bloodiest engagement on American soil.

The carnage overwhelmed Gettysburg. Every building became a hospital. The dead couldn't be buried fast enough; shallow graves washed open in rain. The smell of decomposition filled the air for months. Body parts protruded from the ground until proper burial could occur. Residents lived with trauma that modern psychology would recognize as PTSD. The town never fully recovered from its three days at the center of American history. In November 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the national cemetery. The dead, at least, finally had proper graves.

Ghost stories at Gettysburg began almost immediately after the battle. Residents reported phantom soldiers, unexplained sounds, lights on the battlefield. As tourism developed, reports multiplied. Devil's Den - a rock formation where snipers fought - is allegedly one of America's most haunted locations. The Farnsworth House, which still has bullet holes, offers ghost tours. Visitors report seeing Confederate soldiers, hearing cannon fire, smelling gunpowder. Photos capture anomalies. Electronic equipment malfunctions. Skeptics attribute the experiences to suggestion, history, and the power of a landscape saturated with violent death.

Ghost tourism has become big business at Gettysburg. Multiple companies offer nighttime tours emphasizing supernatural encounters. The Ghost Hunt ghost-hunting franchise operates programs with electronic equipment. Hotels advertise haunted rooms. The historical interpretation coexists uneasily with paranormal entertainment; the National Park Service focuses on documented history while private businesses profit from ghost narratives. Whether the hauntings are real, psychological, or commercial, they draw visitors who might not otherwise engage with Civil War history. The ghosts, real or imagined, keep the battle relevant.

Gettysburg National Military Park is located in south-central Pennsylvania, roughly 80 miles north of Washington, D.C. The battlefield covers over 6,000 acres; the Museum and Visitor Center offers orientation, exhibits, and the famous Cyclorama painting. Driving tours, guided tours, and ranger programs interpret the battle. The town of Gettysburg has extensive lodging, dining, and private attractions including ghost tours. Peak visitation occurs during summer and the early July anniversary weekend. The battlefield is open sunrise to sunset; the town's ghost tours run nightly. Allow at least a full day for the battlefield; many visitors spend multiple days. Bring walking shoes; some sites require hiking.