Devil’s Den at Gettysburg

Devil’s Den is a boulder-strewn hill on the Gettysburg battlefield where savage fighting occurred on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Hundreds of soldiers died among these rocks, and the site has been a center of reported paranormal activity ever since. Visitors consistently report apparitions, strange photographs, and encounters with figures who vanish when approached.

The Battle

On July 2, 1863, Confederate forces under General John Bell Hood attacked the Union left flank, with some of the heaviest fighting centered on Devil’s Den and the adjacent area called the Slaughter Pen. Texas and Georgia regiments assaulted the position while Union sharpshooters fired from among the boulders.

The fighting was brutal and close-quarters. Men fought with bayonets, rifle butts, and rocks. Bodies piled among the boulders. When the battle ended, hundreds of dead soldiers lay among the rocks, and the wounded crawled through crevices seeking water or shelter.

After the battle, photographers Alexander Gardner and Timothy O’Sullivan documented the carnage. Their photographs of dead soldiers among the boulders became some of the most famous images of the war.

The Haunting

Reports of ghostly activity at Devil’s Den began almost immediately after the battle and have continued for over 160 years. The phenomena include visual apparitions, photographic anomalies, strange sounds, and physical experiences.

Visitors consistently report seeing soldiers among the rocks who vanish when approached. The figures are described wearing Civil War uniforms, often appearing wounded or disheveled. Some witnesses have attempted to photograph these figures only to find no one visible in the resulting image.

Conversely, photographs taken at Devil’s Den frequently show anomalies not visible to the naked eye: figures standing among the rocks, faces appearing in shadows, and misty forms that seem to take human shape.

The Ragged Soldier

The most commonly reported apparition at Devil’s Den is a barefoot, disheveled man sometimes called the “Ragged Soldier” or the “Hippie.” He appears among the rocks, often approaching visitors to offer directions or information about the battlefield. He is described as wearing torn clothing and having long, unkempt hair.

Multiple visitors have reported conversing with this figure, only to watch him vanish when they turn away. Some have photographed him speaking with members of their group, only to find no one in the photograph. His identity, if he was ever a real soldier, has never been established.

Electronic Phenomena

Modern investigators have reported persistent electronic anomalies at Devil’s Den. Cameras malfunction, batteries drain rapidly, and audio recorders capture voices and sounds not heard at the time of recording. Whether these phenomena are genuine, the result of environmental factors, or expectation bias remains debated.

Assessment

Devil’s Den combines documented historical tragedy with consistent reports of paranormal activity spanning over a century and a half. The site saw genuine horror—men killing each other among ancient rocks in July heat—and something of that horror seems to linger.

Whether the apparitions are spirits of the dead, psychic impressions burned into the landscape, or the product of expectation and imagination, visitors continue to report encounters among the boulders where so many died.