Monday, June 27, 2016

The Jesus in the Woods






I had heard of this place from a friend of mine. He said it used to be a kind of right of passage for teenagers in able to be in a popular clique, if you were brave enough to go there in the dark, that is. I did not go there in the dark, but it was very spooky none the less.
The place is out in the back country near Ooltewah and Collegedale on Pattentown Road. If you didn't know the exact address and spot you were looking for, it would be very easy to pass it, and in fact I did a couple of times. There is so much overgrowth of trees and weeds there, it isn't a cemetery anymore, the forest has conquered over the plots and there is almost no trace left of them!
The local news have in recent years wrote a few articles about this place. The family members of those buried there are furious with the cemetery's lack of upkeep. The problem is, nobody knows who owns the place. No one can get in any contact with anybody about it. So it continues to be a 'lost' graveyard.
When I did finally park my car into a space on the side of the road, I got out to walk on a path that looked more like a dear trail. For a long time I didn't see anything, until I nearly tripped on what I thought was a tree stump. I looked back from where I was, and I saw shining from the sun, white marble in the ground with a name in black inscribed upon it. As I walked further on this trail, I noticed more and more of these stones in the ground, under tall grass and flowers growing out of them.
I kept walking, not sure if I was at the right place to see the statue, but then turned a corner of tall thicket, and before my eyes, was the giant statue of Jesus, in the woods. It scared me half to death! I didn't realize it was so large, and in the middle of the woods like that, it gave off the most eerie vibe! I no longer felt comfortable there, and walked back to my car in a very fast pace. I did stay long enough to click some pictures, but I left right after. I think the spirits of the cemetery are very angry with the way their resting place has been forgotten and abandoned. If you do go there in search of, please be respectful.

THE LEGEND OF THE DARK SPIRIT at WHITE OAK CEMETERY



My husband had a very frightening experience at this arch. He told me he had felt an evil possession come over him. Super natural and very dark. He even refuses to visit it again, and did not come with me on my quest. I had to check it out for myself.
When I arrived at White Oak Cemetery, in Chattanooga TN I was surprised at how large the actually burial grounds are. After driving  my car up large hills and through many winding passages, I came to Garden F. This is where the legend was born. Across from this arch is the oldest burial ground on the property. I glanced over at what I assumed were gravestones of Civil War soldiers. The stones decaying and mossy and thunder was rolling over head, as a Summer time storm was passing through the valley. The cemetery has its own historical significance, as this is where Shermans Hideout was during the Civil War. General William T. Sherman along with 4 Federal Divisions hid out here before the attack against Missionary Ridge. I walked on a path toward the arch, behind me a beautiful view of the ridge where the Union and Confederate soldiers fought their bloody battle.
What I first noticed unusual about this arch, was that it has inscribed upon on it, F and A.M . I have learned that this stands for Free and Accepted Mason. Masons have a very long standing history for the secrecy of their part in society. Cemetery grounds keepers and the owner are baffled at the mystery of who had placed the arch here. There are no records of it whatsoever.
This arch is haunted by a very dark shadow spirit. There have been so many accounts and witnesses that there is hardly any speculation. A team of paranormal investigators visited the area to gain any evidence, but so far, the most odd evidence has been a white mist crossing the arch as the camera recorded it one night.
One of the most bizarre stories, was from a grounds security guard of more than twenty years. He was doing his rounds one night, when he heard something scratching and moving around in the crisp leaves on the ground. He went into the darkness and shown his light toward it. His eyes were as big as saucers when he spotted the source of the noise. Standing there with a savage look blood thirsty look was as he claims a humonoid which stood at three feet tall. It was rolling in the branches staring at the guard. The guards heart was pumping hard as a jack hammer, he ran as fast as he could to the information building, slamming the door behind him, not to come out until the sun had risen in the morning.
There have been dark shadows that have reportedly followed groundskeepers and visitors from time to time or strange noises heard over in that particular garden where the arch is the gateway.
Although I didn't witness anything eerie about the arch itself, I have respect for the power it seems to have a hold of over the area. I will visit it again sometime soon, and report back if I do happen to have my own paranormal experience.
Readers should check it out themselves, and let me know in a comment if you felt or saw anything strange.