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.

Freemasons Lodge

I happened to stumble upon this place while out exploring one of the beautiful coves in North Georgia. According to a marker in front of this old decrepit run down house, it was once the meeting place of the Freemasons back in the early 1900's. I know that there is a lot of secrecy involved with the Masons and those in the circle never speak of what goes about in their meetings. So the mysterious air revolved even more so around this old wooden lodge. My imagination runs wild when I try to picture what once could have taken place in the building. I doubt we will ever know.

Mass Burial - SIlverdale Confederate Cemetery

Among the hustle and bustle of modern day life, along side the main Interstate 75, there is a small cemetery. There holds a sacred ground and buried beneath is about 155 unknown Confederate soldiers. Even through the buzz of loud engines on the freeway, a peaceful air emulates in this place, a secret hidden from those who do not embrace what our past can teach us.

Gordon Lee Mansion & Slave Quarters

Earlier in the summer of 2014 I sought after a few historic treasures in Chickamauga, Georgia. I had always heard of Gordon Lee being somewhat of a legendary figure in our local Civil War history, so I thought the Gordon Lee mansion was a good place to start. I parked my car along the street of the quint town of Chickamauga and across a vast yard and long walkway stood in front of me a grand mansion with characteristics of old southern charm. As I approached the mansion, the chill of haunted southern history crept into my bones. My eyes widened at what had taken place at this mansion, and I will share it with you.
During the Civil War, this mansion was used as a Union Headquarters before the Battle of Chickamauga. During the battle the mansion became a hospital. Many soldiers had carved their names and messages to their loved ones on the walls of this mansion, and many of them later died here from battle wounds. The floors were badly blood stained from countless soldiers treated there that they later had to be covered by rugs. Sadness and despair echo in the mansions walls and there have been several EVP's captured there, as well as disembodied voices heard by many.
A troubling history of slavery is traced throughout the homestead. It is recorded that in 1860, there were about 47 slaves living and working on the property. There were five quarter houses that the slaves lived in, but only one stands today. The other four have been torn down. The one remaining is a cold reminder of our nations dark past.
As far as ghost sightings go, the Lee's had a German Shepherd dog, and many claim to have seen the ghost dog in and around the grounds. Many have also claimed to have seen Cherokee Indian looking mist figures in and around the property of Craw Fish Springs in front of the Gordon Lee Mansion, which was home of the Cherokee before the Trail of Tears.
I urge you to visit this place yourself

Southern Gothica

Old abandoned farm house I found in Ooltewah, TN. I could not get any closer because of an old fence surrounding it, but this place is particularly creepy looking!

So from the world of spirits there descends A bridge of light, connecting it with this, O'er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends, Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

The spirit world, around this world of sense

Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere 

  Wafts through these earthly mists and vapors dense 

A vital breath of more ethereal air

Near Red Clay (TN)   

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpu

The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more ethereal air. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19993#sthash.HGJ7vdqu.dpuf

OLD WOOL MILL

 When I lived in Cleveland, TN for a short time, I used to pass by this worn down phantom of the early Industrial Revolution era. I found out it is most often referred to by locals as the Old Wool Mill. Founded in 1880 by C.L. Hardwicke, this mill was the creators of such fashion known then as the dollar pants, of wool and jean cloth. Barely surviving the Depression era of the 1930's, and emerging from the financial strains to produce fabric for military uniforms during WWII. This industrial mill also survived through several fires in the turn of the century. It is a building that has now been vandalized beyond recognition from its golden era as American Industry pioneers. Walking passed it always gives me a sad feeling, and I cannot help but to imagine a ghost from the past looking through the shattered windows into a new world. 

The Bleeding Mausoleum ~

In the church yard of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Cleveland, TN there holds a sad tale and the mausoleum with a peculiar legend. On October 21, 1871 a late night carriage ride went horribly wrong, resulting in a tragic death. On this fateful night, a Grandfather took his granddaughter, Nina, out for a carriage ride as a sweet surprise. Crossing the rail road tracks running through the town, the carriage got stuck, and would not budge. Just as this happened, a train was running through, and without warning could not stop in time to save little Nina's
life. The Grandfather lived, but Nina died an untimely death, and her final resting place is forever there in the church yard. Guilt stricken, her Grandfather wanted nothing but the best for Nina, and imported Italian white marble to build her vault. The legend behind this tragic tale, can be seen by onlookers even today. At the arch way of the mausoleum, there are patches and streaks of red with unknown origins. They cannot be scrubbed away, nor are caused by any chemical component. It is said to be haunted, and the redness, is reported to be blood. See for yourself.

WILDER TOWER <> Chickamauga Battlefield

This is Wilder Tower, an 85 foot high monument in Chickamauga Battlefield in Chickamauga, GA, the oldest military park in U.S. History. Chickamauga was one of the most bloodiest battles in the Civil War, and there have been numerous unexplained happenings in this battlefield, especially around Wilder Tower, including suicide and near death. Chickamauga in the Cherokee language means 'River of Death', and I venture to say, the occurrences here precedes its name. I happened to visit Wilder Tower in the evening, at dusk, as the sun was rapidly setting. I was the only one around, all except for about five deer grazing in the field, and a deep chill was in the air. They close the park around sundown, and I was lucky to capture the photographs, before the park ranger had closed the door to Wilder Tower for the night. After you read these reports, it'll come very clear why they close the rod iron door to Wilder Tower at sundown. These reports have been varified from various news sources, but it isn't for the faint of heart, so a small warning: the details are DISTURBING!
 One strange incident to occur at Wilder Tower, was in 1976, the year that marked the bicentennial of the battle. Sixty seven years prior to that in 1903, relics and souvenirs of the Civil War had been placed inside the cornerstone structure of the tower, sealed off to all until it was to be reopened for the bicentennial. When they ventured inside to open the stone, oddly enough, all of the contents had vanished! The stone showed no sign of disturbance, but the items had completely disappeared!
One man had a life altering terrifying experience in 1970.The young man decided to climb the tower after dark. As I had said, they close the tower at dark, but this didn’t stop the man, as he instead climbed the lightning rod which was fixed the back of the tower. He then slipped into a gun slot which was placed about 14 feet off the ground. He went inside and ran up the steps to the top, where he called to his friends, who were about 50 feet away drinking beer. Suddenly, the young people outside heard a scream from inside of the tower. Panicked the boy ran down the winding staircase and quickly jumped out of the small window from which he had entered the tower.... or so he thought. Instead, he fell about 25 feet onto solid concrete and although he survived, was paralyzed for the rest of his life. Who, or what do you think made that scream?
A tragic suicide happened more recently back in 2004. I have included the news paper article. Please click to enlarge, and read.
There have been other eerie and haunting occurrences in Chickamauga, and I plan to update this blog with more soon, so check back from time to time.