As the leaves turn and the days grow dark sooner, the October winds cause the trees to creak and groan. Along the trail near the battle site, you never know who or what may be among the shadows. The Jordans found something they did not count on....do the ghosts of soldiers long dead still patrol the grounds?
Can you see what the Jordans saw in the V of the tree? Is that a soldier in the green? Look right above the yellow leaf. What do you think? Is it a trick of the fall light or is it something from beyond this mortal plane? Take a walk down the trail if you dare.....
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.
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 Hannah Ward Bridge is another spot in the Elkmont area where the strange and unexplained can be heard. It is an old bridge, a steel and wood structure that stretches across the Elk River. It is believed to be one of the oldest of its type in the country. Many of our Elkmont folk remember walking on the bridge before it was closed due to safety issues (teenagers would build fires on the wood floor). Several will tell you about the strange screams that could be heard during the dark of night. Was it just their imaginations or do the spirits of a mother and baby still haunt the area?
Years before the bridge was built across the Elk River, the story of Hannah Ward was already told around the fires at night. Hannah and her husband moved into the area back in the early 1800s. They settled on a piece of land that overlooked the Elk river, and built a home. Life was good for the young couple as they worked to build their future together. A baby soon came to bless their lives but little did they know that darkness was creeping ever closer.
In these early days, Indians still traveled through this area. Settlers were watchful of the potential threat and there were the stories... Hannah was at home with her little one when she became aware that she wasn't alone. She grabbed her baby and ran toward the river to try to escape the Indian band heading her way. In her efforts to avoid capture, she and her baby went over the river bluffs into the watery depths below. From that time on, late at night, as the owls called to each other through the darkness.. her screams and the cries of a baby could be heard floating up from the silent waters below. Perhaps they still can .....
WEEK THREE - GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS LINK
We are now into week three of this series about keeping your holidays stress free and things are now starting to heat up a bit for getting ready for Halloween.
The other holidays we are preparing for, Thanksgiving and Christmas,
still seem pretty far away thought don't they? Well they are, but that
doesn't mean you can forget about them completely. Follow the simple steps laid out for this week to make sure you get everything done
without rushing around, so you can truly have a stress free holiday.
Again this week we are focusing on both Halloween and Christmas. We'll start planning for Thanksgiving after Halloween is over.
Therefore, this week we're tackling several more tasks, focusing both
on the closest holiday, Halloween, and also getting ready for
Christmas. Plus, we'll get ready for any traveling you may have planned
for either Thanksgiving or Christmas with family or friends.
With just a few weeks before Halloween it is time to get out your Halloween decorations,
and begin putting them up. Nothing helps you experience holiday stress
relief more than putting up the decorations when you want to, instead of
in a mad rush before the trick or treaters arrive.
A woman came into the beauty shoppe one day to get her hair fixed. Her
beautician was noted to always be complaining about most everything. The
customer stated that she was planning on leaving for Rome in a few
days.
Beautician: Rome…Rome…Why that is one of the dirtiest cities you could ever go. How are you going to get there?
Customer: We are flying Continental Airlines.
Beautician: Continental…They are the worst airline! And they have the ugliest hostesses. Where are you staying?
Customer: We are staying in the Villa.
Beautician: Villa…Villa! Why that is so overrated and way too
expensive. I wouldn’t stay there if I were you. What are you going to
see?
Customer: We are planning on seeing the Pope.
Beautician:
Why girl, you would be lucky to even see him from long distance. Don’t
you know everyone wants to be around him. You won’t be able to get
within a mile of him.
A month went by and the customer went back to
the beautician, hoping to break her of her bad habits. The beautician
asked her what she has been doing and the customer replied that she had
just got back from Rome.
Beautician: Rome…I bet your flight was bad.
Customer: No, the flight was great. They had actually overbooked the
flights and gave us first class seating and fed us steaks all the way to
Rome. And our hostess was the most handsome man I had ever seen!
Beautician: Well. What about the Villa?
Customer: Funny you should ask. The Villa had just completed a $5
million restoration. They were also overbooked and we were forced to
stay in the owner’s personal villa. Wow! The accommodations, the
service, we had everything, we lived like kings!
Beautician: Well…what about the Pope?
Customer: We took the tour to the Vatican. One of the guards taped us
on the shoulder and stated, “The Pope often entertains a few people now
and then, would like to have a personal visit with the Pope?”
Beautician: I can’t believe that. What did the Pope say?
Customer: He took one look at me and asked, “That’s the worst hair-do I had ever seen! Who fixed your hair?”
Part of being prepared is planning ahead. The holiday season is upon us, from Halloween, Thanksgiving and on to Christmas. It can be such a whirlwind that we are stressed out, overwhelmed and get lost in the preparations. We are distracted from the joy of family and friends. Hill Spirit tries to remember the Mary and Martha story in the gospels. If you aren't familiar with the story, it is well worth your time to look it up and ponder how it applies to your life (Luke, 10:38-42).
Hill Spirit ran across a weekly holiday stress relief plan on Facebook today. It makes a lot of sense and might help you enjoy the season, be prepared and remember to chose "that good part".
CLICK ON LINK
There are many healing plants all around us if you know what to look for. One is plantain and can be found everywhere in Elkmont. The link below will take you a great post about what you might think is just a weed.
"I treasure the healing properties of plantain so much I’m actually
growing it in a pot in my garden. That may sound strange because most
people can find it along roadsides, in meadows, and unfortunately to the
dismay of some gardeners – their lawn."
LINK: WHAT IS PLANTAIN
Hill Spirit has been sharing different aspects of being prepared for the trials of life throughout National Preparedness Month. As this month is drawing to an end, talking about your emotional and spiritual well-being must be addressed. If you fall apart when tough times come, all the physical things you have done won't matter.
Strengthening yourself spiritually is as important as the physical preparations. The scriptures and prayer are how you get the spiritual instruction manual. Talking to those who possess the spirit of peace and quiet confidence will help you learn as well.
Don't neglect this aspect of being able to help yourself and others by concentrating only on physical things.
Years before the bridge was built across the Elk River, the story of Hannah Ward was already told around the fires at night. Hannah and her husband moved into the area back in the early 1800s. They settled on a piece of land that overlooked the Elk river, and built a home. Life was good for the young couple as they worked to build their future together. A baby soon came to bless their lives but little did they know that darkness was creeping ever closer.
In these early days, Indians still traveled through this area. Settlers were watchful of the potential threat and there were the stories... Hannah was at home with her little one when she became aware that she wasn't alone. She grabbed her baby and ran toward the river to try to escape the Indian band heading her way. In her efforts to avoid capture, she and her baby went over the river bluffs into the watery depths below. From that time on, late at night, as the owls called to each other through the darkness.. her screams and the cries of a baby could be heard floating up from the silent waters below. Perhaps they still can .....
A woman came into the beauty shoppe one day to get her hair fixed. Her
beautician was noted to always be complaining about most everything. The
customer stated that she was planning on leaving for Rome in a few
days.
Part of being prepared is planning ahead. The holiday season is upon us, from Halloween, Thanksgiving and on to Christmas. It can be such a whirlwind that we are stressed out, overwhelmed and get lost in the preparations. We are distracted from the joy of family and friends. Hill Spirit tries to remember the Mary and Martha story in the gospels. If you aren't familiar with the story, it is well worth your time to look it up and ponder how it applies to your life (Luke, 10:38-42).
