Campfire or Bonfire stories

[Murfreesboro]

The fuse failed. Throughout the war, Confederate fuses performed poorly compared to Union fuses (25% success vs 75% success). The South was agricultural, the North industrial, and it showed in the ordnance available to the two sides. But the gunner on Wayne's Hill was as good as any man in eirher army, and his estimation of the range was dead on. Garesche was riding approximately 10 feet to the left of Gen Rosecrans as the shell left the howitzer's muzzle on Wayne's Hill. The shell hurtled through the air, failed to burst, and struck Lt Gen Garesche dead in the face. Instantaneously, his skull disintegrated in a cloud of blood . . . and the shell, continuing on, went through a horse's neck, took off another man's leg at the knee, and dudded to the ground.

There was so much blood that Gen Rosecrans was covered with it--so much so, in fact, that his other officers originally feared that the general was the one who had been hit. Many dismounted and rushed to his side, pulling him from his horse with the intention of rendering him aid until a surgeon could be summoned. All this time, Rosecrans was insisting, "I'm fine; I'm fine; it's not me, it's poor Garesche who has been hit!" And where was poor Garesche?

[Murfreesboro]

Julius Garesche's skull-less body (his lower jaw and neck were still intact) was still galloping across the field, in the direction Garesche had been heading when the fatal blow was struck. His horse perhaps thought it strange that his master did not bridle him to a halt when the other horses stopped--but his master was still astride him, and the horse would do as his master wanted. So he galloped on for 200 more yards or so until he came to the Nashville & Chattanooga railroad embankment, west of and within a short distance of the Round Forest. Here the horse centered to a stop, for he did not know what to do next. Did his master wish him to go over the embankment, or to turn either to left or to right? What was desired? But no command was forthcoming. The horse perhaps stamped its foot impatiently. . .what to do? At that spot, Garesche's skull-less body slid from the saddle to the ground, there to lie until the issue of the battle was decided.

[Murfreesboro]

The Round Forest. . the battle position of none other than Col William B Hazen's Illinoisans, Indianans, Kentuckians, and Ohioans--men of the 19th Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Hazen. Col Hazen, you may recall, was Garesche's best friend in the Army of the Cumberland, the man to whom Garesche had entrusted the package of personal effects to be sent to his wife in the event of his death. Hazen receives word of his friend's demise, but he is unable to go immediately to see him. Hazen had been under constant attack since approximately 11:00 that morning by the troops of Confederate Maj Gen John C Breckinridge's division, his "Kentucky Orphans." Gen Breckinridge, himself a Kentuckian, had been Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan, the man whom Abraham Lincoln had succeeded as President of the US.

I'm taking a break here because I have to do some other stuff, but there is more to this story. I'll return ASAP.

[Murfreesboro]

Conclusion of Col Garesche story, the Headless Horseman of Stones River

Gen Rosecrans has organized a new defensive line along the Nashville Pike & Chattanooga Railroad line, anchored by Col Hazen's brigade in the Round Forest, still in its original position at the beginning of the battle. The defensive line stretches approximately one mile NW along the Pike, containing infantry and over 60 pieces of artillery. Four times Gen Breckinridge will assault Hazen's position across the costly wasteland that lies east of the Round Forest, filling the field with bristling bayonettes. But Col Hazen has crammed his position with troops and artillery, and he repulses every attack thrown at him. The sound of the cannonade is so great that it will be heard as a violent thunderstorm thirty miles away in McMinnville and Tullahoma. Rabbits and other field animals will crawl inside the field jackets of the fallen, trying to escape the tremendous din. Confederate attackers pull unpicked cotton from plants to stuff into their ears--to keep their eardrums from bursting from the concussion and blast overpressure. They try to advance within rifle range, literally leaning forward against the overpressure like men leaning into a high wind; but they will never come close enough to return fire. Valor alone moves the Confederate soldiers onward against the Union cannonade, but just as they are close Hazen's infantry discharges a sheet of rifle fire that sweeps them back, and the Confederates must retire from the field for the last time. Hazen's brigade will prove to be the only unit in the original Union line that does not retreat from its position under hostile fire. The Union line along the Nashville Pike holds, and night falls, as a blanket, to cover the wounded and the dying of both sides.

[Murfreesboro]

Col Hazen is finally able to go to his fallen comrade's side. He approaches the body of his friend; and he is struck by how natural his friend looks, his right hand resting on his chest. He kneels beside him, and--at that precise moment--Garesche's headless body REACHES UP and clasps Hazen's hand, holds there for a few seconds, and then relaxes and falls back to its repose. This incident is recorded in a letter written by Hazen after the battle. The letter is included in the book The Annals of the Army of the Cumberland.

I have never seen, but have heard accounts of those who claim they have, an apparition that appears on New Year's Eve night at midnight in the vicinity of the Nashville Pike, the Louisville & Nashville railroad embankment, and the Round Forest. They claim the apparition appears to be a skull-less man riding on a horse, moving here and there across the battlefield--they claim he seems to be looking for something. . . .

(The Hazen Brigade Monument at Stones River was erected in Jan 1863 to honor those members of the unit which did not retreat who fell in the battle; it is surrounded by a small walled cemetery which is their final resting place. As such, it is the oldest official American Civil War memorial extant, predating those at Gettysburg, PA, by some 9 months.)

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

The story is both interesting and haunting. I can't imagine the emotions that Col. Garesche was feeling before the battle, knowing that he might not survive and entrusting his personal items to his best friend. It gives us insight into the bravery and uncertainty of soldiers during the American Civil War. The description of the battlefield and the valor of Hazen's brigade is vivid, and the image of Garesche's headless body continuing to ride on his horse after being killed is truly eerie. The account of Garesche's headless body reaching up to Hazen's hand is both chilling and touching, and the fact that his body continued to move after his death creates a sense of unease, and the legend of the headless man on a horse only adds to the mysteriousness of the tale.

As you could imagine, I'm interested in any story with a headless horseman in it, but I haven't heard this story before, probably because it's a local legend in your area, but this is a strong, evocative story that I won't soon forget. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Murfreesboro]

HH, I'm so gratified you took the time to read this story. I know it was a long one for this format. I copied it verbatim from my husband's rendition. He was a captain in the field artillery, so he included lots of detail about that. He also worked as a re-enactor during his four years as a summer employee at Stones River Battlefield, so he has actually fired these cannons. In addition, because he teaches locally, he was able to include references to local landmarks his students would recognize.

Murfreesboro is definitely on the radar for Civil War buffs. The Battle of Stones River was massive. My husband tells me that, in terms of casualties of percentage engaged, it was the bloodiest battle of the war for the Union. For the Confederates it was second only to Gettysburg. Dec 31, 1862, was the single bloodiest day of fighting west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was significant because there was a secessionist legislature meeting in Illinois, and if Bragg had succeeded in defeating the Union Army at Stones River, there would have been nothing significant between him and Chicago. Instead of Sherman marching to the sea in GA in 1864, it would have been Bragg marching to Chicago in 1863. The battle of Stones River was what made Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation sound strong instead of the whimper of a dying nation. Remember, Burnside had just suffered a terrible defeat at Fredericksburg, and Sherman was stalled at Chickasaw Bluffs in MS.

Fortress Rosecrans, built after the battle, was the largest earthen fortification (5 square miles) ever constructed in the Western Hemisphere. Pres Lincoln was hot for Rosecrans to move, but he took a while. When he did move, he conducted the Tullahoma campaign, which is still studied at West Point, Sandhurst, and other military academies as the classic example of driving your enemy out of positions by maneuver alone. As an historical note, Gen Rosecrans was a bitter personal rival of Grant's at West Point. So the site of Gen Rosecrans' great victory was preserved for approximately 10% of the battlefield. The site of his great defeat, Chickamauga, is preserved 100% of the battlefield, because Pres Grant was in charge of the battlefields that were bought up after the war.

As you might imagine, almost every word of this post was dictated by my husband, who adores military history. He has asked me to post his email here for anyone who has questions about this battle or this story:

jrklaus2 -AT- gmail.com

[Murfreesboro]

I should add to the above that my husband's main area of expertise is the European theater of WW2, so if you have a hankering to discuss that with him (or almost any other aspect of military history), I'm sure he'd be open to that.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I had no idea that Stones River was such a pivotal moment in Lincoln's presidency, and it's interesting to learn about the personal rivalries between Rosecrans and Grant, and how that shaped the preservation of the battlefields. Your husband's experience as a field artillery captain and re-enactor certainly adds a interesting perspective to the story, and I appreciate his dedication to military history. Please convey my thanks to him as well for sharing this story.

By the way, it's great that your husband will discuss this subject with anyone that is interested, but for safety reasons, I suggest that you edit his email in that post, it should be typed out like this...

name

AT gmail com

There are a few reasons for this, one is because the Google bots and web crawlers collect information across the internet, and depending on where that information is stored and who has access to it, they could use that information to spam him. Being spammed would actually be simple compared to the other bad things that people out there could do to someone just by having their email, so it's just better to be safe.

I know that Chris made a similar post about it recently here...

https://www.halloween.biz/forums/viewto ... 55#p162350

[Murfreesboro]

That's great advice, though I have no idea how to get into that post now. I guess I should contact Chris? How do I do that?

My husband says he is not concerned because he has so many security features/services already, and his email is already "out there." But I asked him about it three times last night, because I thought it was not such a great idea (I'd wanted to send it to you via pm).

Anyway, I've never been able to edit my posts after I've logged out of the forum. On other forums I can do that, but not here. Are you able to get back in to something you posted yesterday? If I could correct typos etc, I'd have corrected "centered" to "cantered" in one of those posts above.

ETA: well, I sent a message via that little exclamation mark. Maybe I'll get a response that way.

Re Stones River, I don't think many people recognize the extraordinary significance of this battle. Even Ken Burns, in his brilliant Civil War documentary, omits it. Rosecrans is not one of the names most students recall from that era. I guess Grant did an excellent job of burying the significance of his rival's victory.

Ok, I see Chris's email now on that link you provided. I'll try to reach him tomorrow, when I should have computer access. Getting to email from my phone is problematic for me.

[NeverMore]

I just checked. My previous posts I can not edit. As it should be after a set amount of time.

I agree with your husband Murf. With our data being sold left and right, email is at the bottom of our worries. Most people these days know not to click on links in an email or phone message that seems suspect. I have over 10 email addresses and 3 phones, I get bombarded a lot. Though most of those addresses I never gave out to anyone. I have 2 emails I use for web and store accounts. Those get soooooo much spam.

That being said, I still can't believe I get spam on my main phone! Robodialers? I literally only gave that number to 8 people! I've long believed that the day will come when your phone number will be as important to your identity as your social security number. Which is why I also have 2 burner phones. Google voice ported to my main phone, which I give to various websites and store accounts, and another physical phone i Just use for 2FA and other web logins that don't do 2FA or authentication.

AS to you guys' original discussion, I have a documentary on my Plex, Can't remember where I got it of how long it's been there...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2853760/

I don't even remember watcihng it!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I went to edit a previous post and it won't let me.

While your husband is right that his email is already out there, it's still better to play it safe, so your instincts were right about that, and if you ever want to send any sensitive information like email it should always be done by PM.

I have linked the specific post that needs to be edited for you below, just copy the link and send it to Chris when you contact him so he knows where it is. If you are unable to edit the post yourself, then you can ask him to do it for you.

https://www.halloween.biz/forums/viewto ... 67#p162700

NeverMore - as I said previously, spam is nothing compared to the chaos that someone can cause just by knowing your email, and regardless of how many accounts you have, or what you use them for, your email is usually the first step in identity theft. I'm not going to give step by step instructions on how to commit a crime, but trust me when I tell you that there are some incredibly devious people out there that can ruin you with something as simple as your email.

I know that some people might think that I'm overreacting about something like this, but I ran into a similar issue years ago, and I know how bad the situation can get, so I'm just looking out for you and your husband.

Rosecrans is not one of the names most students recall from that era. I guess Grant did an excellent job of burying the significance of his rival's victory.

Well, you're right about that, I don't think that we learned much about Rosecrans when we were in school.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

It looks like Chris changed it for you.

[Murfreesboro]

Many, many thanks to Chris and to you, HH!

We were at a party tonight, and we spoke with a younger couple who had recently moved to Murfreesboro. They had toured Stones River Battlefield and were dissatisfied with the Ranger's presentation. My husband asked if she had told them about Col Garesche. They said no, so he told them the story. They were mesmerized.

Thanks for that link, Nevermore!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

You're welcome Murf. I hope you both enjoyed the party, with how much your husband knows about the Stones River Battlefield, it sounds like he should be giving the tours.

Well, here is the ghost train story, I haven't done any creative writing since I was in high school, but I have thick skin, so for anyone that actually reads this, feel free to give your criticisms.


The Ghost Train

In the long abandoned town of Ravenwood, a ancient station lay in eerie silence. The shattered remains of rusted train tracks and a decaying platform lay buried in overgrown vines, as the only remnants of the forgotten past. A ominous shadow hung over the station like a evil spirit, casting a darkened pallor across the frayed outlines of the townsfolk's nightmares.

Rumors floated in whispers on the lascivious night air, tales of a ghost train that haunted the station, roaring to life at the stroke of midnight, en route to the cemetery at the edge of town. The ominous whistling and flickering lights announced its approach, as the train snaked its way past the creaking, rusted heaps of metal towards its horrid destination.

One ill-fated day, a solitary traveler appeared in Ravenwood, his curiosity piqued by the abandoned station. The eerie sound of his footsteps echoed through the emptiness as he drawled along the twisted, rusted tracks. Suddenly he saw the smoke-stained apparition of the ghost train, slowly making its way towards him through the mist.

Driven by insatiable curiosity, he boarded the train's hollowed out carriage and was thrust into the company of what appeared to be a ravaged and ghostly band of phantom passengers. But as he peered more closely towards the passengers, he saw that their faces were ghostly white, empty and hollow, and even more eerily, their reflections failed to materialize in the windows of the carriage.

Panic coursed through his veins as he slowly comprehended the horrifying reality that he had unknowingly boarded the demonic train. Suddenly the traveler realized that this was no ordinary train, and he had unwittingly boarded it as a passenger. But as he tried to escape from the train, he experienced a withering sensation that left him trapped in the hellish vacuum of the train's eternity.

Slowly, the train began to pull out of the station, as it started gaining speed, the demonic driver sneered with monstrous delight as the traveler's soul was captured on the train, where he was forced to join the phantom passengers, relegated to journey through the tracks for eternity in a condemned limbo. As the ghost train roared through its bleak, endless journey, swept away by the night's infinite darkness, it continued to pick up travelers and enticing them aboard, their souls forever trapped on the train.

To this day, the ghost train is still out there, riding the rails in search of souls, but it always returns to Ravenwood to rest, and no one that knows this story would dare to approach the haunted station for fear of ending up as a ghastly passenger in its eternally damned domain.