ELKMONT GHOST STORIES - BATTLE OF SULPHUR CREEK

These have been sent in from Elkmont residents or from published sources. Do you have one from the Elkmont area to share? Hill Spirit has not experienced any of these but one never knows...

The bloodiest battle in Alabama happened here at Elkmont, the Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle.  There are stories of ghostly soldiers and horses fading in and out of the trees, mysterious cannon fire and voices in the area of the remaining fort earthworks and surrounding hillsides. 

The Alabama Paranormal Association started a series of investigations of Civil War sites within the state a number of years ago.  The Sulphur Creek Trestle battlefield was one of those on list.  As the group began investigating, they found results. In some of their recordings, there are whispering voices with one voice pleading for help on the Sulphur Creek Trestle.

Around the anniversary of the battle, strange fogs and things that aren't easily explained fuel stories from Elkmont folk about the area.  Besides the tales of images of soldiers and horses moving among the trees and in the valleys, there are other stories that make you wonder.

One fall afternoon, one of the sweet older couples that walk the trail stopped to read the marker at the fort site.  As they looked up at the remaining earth walls, they saw a flash of light and felt a surge of electricity that raised the hair on the back of their necks.  No storms were in the area that might have explained the event.

One of our local walkers was enjoying the trail in the early evening hours. When he drew near the battlefield, he heard a whisper but not a soul could be found.  A feeling that he was being watched swept over him.  The uncomfortable and eerie stillness in the woods triggered his good sense and he decided leaving was a wonderful idea.  As he turned he felt a hard tug on his pant's leg.  He then felt a sharp pain as if shot. Looking down, he saw nothing as he checked his leg.  Needless to say a leisurely walk became a fast run.

The best stories often come from our young

people.  Often they will tell you of a strange green fog, or a sharp drop in temperature.  One of our young ladies says that she and some friends were walking along the trail in the dusk of the evening  when they heard whispers, muffled voices coming from the trees. It sounded like someone was giving an order to shoot. They then experienced a similar electrical surge as our earlier couple.  At that moment, a soldier dressed in an union uniform stepped out of the shadows and disappeared. 

If you dare, take a walk down the Elkmont trail as twilight falls and perhaps you will experience something unexpected.... something that may or may not be there at all.