The Slaughter Pen — the ghost girl in white at Gettysburg

The Slaughter Pen at Gettysburg Battlefield is a boulder-strewn area between Devil's Den and Little Round Top where some of the most vicious fighting of the battle took place on July 2, 1863. The name itself reflects the carnage that occurred among the rocks, where Confederate and Union soldiers fought and died at close quarters. The area is said to be haunted by a little girl in a white dress who appears among the boulders, an apparition that has puzzled investigators since no child is known to have died at the location during the battle. The girl is described as appearing to be approximately 8-10 years old, with long hair and a solemn expression, who stands among the rocks watching visitors before slowly fading from view. Some witnesses have described her reaching out her hand, as if asking for help. Other reported phenomena at the Slaughter Pen include the sound of musket fire and screaming, the smell of gunpowder on still days, and cold spots that appear among the rocks regardless of weather. The identity of the ghost girl remains one of Gettysburg's most enduring mysteries — was she a local child killed during the battle's aftermath, or something else entirely?