Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location. This section could also contain research notes as well.

Ghost at Sachs Bridge
by Laurelai

I was at Sachs Bridge in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the summer of 2003. This is a covered bridge that apparently was famous for the hanging of three soldiers for treason during the Battle of Gettysburg. The field to the right of the bridge was formerly used as a Civil War hospital. I was here with a bunch of my friends who liked to go "ghost hunting" with their digital cameras and take pictures of the usual orb sightings.

I was very new to the idea, but definitely not a nonbeliever due to my strong religious beliefs. Moving on, the night was mild, no wind and not too hot or cold outside. Everyone was just socializing, taking pictures and not really paying much attention to our ghostly environment. I needed a cigarette! I went and sat on a stone ledge that leads up and connects with the bridge. I began to feel a chill - although still no wind. My friend Chyna told me to "smile" and snapped a picture of me. She walked over and showed me the picture that had just been taken just seconds beforehand. Omigod! Was my response to the odd picture. There were two white orbs, one perched upon each of my shoulders! So, THAT'S what the cold chill was, just before getting my nightly dose of nicotine! I thought this was the coolest thing in the world!

Anyway, I went back to socializing with my friends. Again, we were distracted for a while. Everyone suddenly got quiet. We heard a loud BOOM! It had come from the inside of the bridge! NOBODY was on the bridge or around it, nor was anyone missing from our group. They say it's not the safest thing to go across the bridge alone at night. Continuing, we were a little freaked, but decided to stay and cautiously continued to socialize about what that noise was. About five minutes later, we heard it again. This time there was a soldier hanging in the corner of the bridge! All busted up and hanging by a thick rope! Still, we stayed and continued to watch (even though we all wanted to run!) We knew if we didn't stay, we would miss out on what we came to see -- GHOSTS!

Well, we had turned off our flashlights for a second and turned it back on -- the ghost was gone! Again, we turned off the flashlight. Everyone was seriously freaking out! We asked each other what we should do. We decided to stay... again. Then we hear another boom! We looked at each other scared to death, but turned on our flashlights one last time. There was a second ghost hanging directly in front of the second, spaced a few feet apart from one another!

Ok, this time we ran for the three cars that provided us transportation to the bridge that night, only to find that nobody's vehicle would start. Luckily, they finally did after about three minutes of trying. Then nobody's cell phones would work! The ghosts had probably drained a lot of the power from our cars and phones to be able to appear to us. In the end, we all raced home only to think about what would've happened if we would have stayed even longer. The third ghost probably would have appeared to us, but I'm glad we left when we did, someone could have seriously gotten hurt!

Added by: sdonley on 07/18/2013 DB#: 1104
Source(s): http://paranormal.about.com/library/blstory_may05_...

Sachs Bridge

A True Pennsylvania Ghost Story

retold by S.E. Schlosser

I don't know what exactly draws me back to Sachs Bridge each time I visit Gettysburg. I just know that I feel compelled to drive there and take pictures. Of course, it is a beautiful spot - a covered bridge that was used by the Confederate Army to cross the creek when they withdrew from Gettysburg . But after all, how many pictures can you take of the same place? Well, okay, if you're a photographer, that's a silly question! Hundreds in all weather, season, lighting But really, I'm only an amateur, so why I personally felt compelled to record the bridge over and over was a mystery my boyfriend was obsessing about as he drove through the darkening countryside one evening in the late fall.

Of course, the bridge was supposed to be haunted, so that was definitely part of the draw it had for me. According to the legend, three Confederate soldiers convicted of being spies were hanged from beams in the covered bridge, and their bodies were discovered by Union soldiers patrolling the area. Their spirits were said to haunt the bridge, though other folks claimed they sometimes smelled General Lee smoking his pipe when they were standing on the bridge. I'd actually smelled pipe smoke there once myself, and that was one of the reasons I kept coming back to the haunted bridge.

As we came to the bridge, a chill blasted over my skin in spite of the warmth flowing into the car from the heater. The bridge, usually a friendly-spot, seemed sinister and dark. I felt uneasy, as if a foul presence was on the bridge that did not want us to intrude there.

"I changed my mind," I said quickly as my boyfriend stopped the car. "I don't want to take pictures here after all."

"What?!" my boyfriend practically screeched, staring at me in amazement. "After you made such a big fuss about it? After you forced me to look at every single solitary picture you ever took of this bridge before we came to Gettysburg? No way, honey! I could be back at the hotel drinking beer right now, but no! We had to come to the bridge! Out you get and take your photos!"

He was right, I guess. Silly to come all this way and not take the pictures. But I was utterly terrified to step out onto the bridge! My hand shook as I reached for the door handle, and shook again as I secured my camera. Praying with all my might that whatever dark power was out there would leave me alone, I leapt out the door and aimed my camera practically at random down the length of the bridge. It was completely empty of everything but me and the car as I took several snapshots. But I could feel someone - a very nasty someone - standing right behind me, willing me to leave or die. Their presence throbbed at me in an almost physical way, and my skin crawled desperately. I didn't dare turn around. I couldn't. I just whirled my camera around, aimed it over my shoulder and snapped a picture - fast! Then I leapt back into the car before whoever - or whatever - decided to grab me, and gasped: "Get me out of here now!"

My boyfriend took one look at my white face filled with eye-popping terror and got me out of there now. I didn't stop shaking until we were safely back in our hotel room for the night.

When I loaded up the digital pictures on my laptop computer the next morning, I went immediately to the pictures of the Sachs Bridge, unsure of what I would see. In the first photo, a little boy in period costume stood an arm's length away from the camera. He was glaring at me with a twisted little face and an evil grin. He certainly hadn't been there when I took the picture, yet he looked solid enough to be real. The second photo was filled with misty figures that looked like phantoms. Creepy! I shuddered as I looked at them and quickly went to the next photo - the one I took over my shoulder without turning around. I gave a shriek of fear which brought my boyfriend crashing into the room. "What is it?" he shouted, and I pointed a shaking finger at the screen of the laptop. Pictured on it was a filmy dark figure - half-human, half-beast - with blazing orange eyes filled with such menace and hatred that it made my stomach roil. He appeared so close to the camera that he must have been directly behind me. He looked like the Devil.

My boyfriend's eyes popped and he gasped: "Delete it. Delete it now!"

Yet how could I delete it? I had captured pictures of ghosts on my camera. Was it worth the fright I'd had? I wasn't sure about that. Still, I couldn't delete them.

My boyfriend refused blankly to look at the photos more than once, and he swore never to take me to Sachs Bridge again. But I may go back there someday.

Added by: sdonley on 07/18/2013 DB#: 1105
Source(s): http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2008/08/sachs...

This is the bridge that part of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia used to begin their retreat to Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.
In 1938, the Pennsylvania Highway Department determined the Sachs bridge to be the most historic covered bridge in the state. It was closed to traffic
in 1968 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. On June 19, 1996, floodwaters swept the bridge from its abutments and carried it
approximatey 100 yards downstream. Adams County rehabilitated the bridge, supported its trusses with steel beams, and raised the elevation 3 feet.
The bridge is a favorite spot of photographers and ghost hunters.

Directions: Heading south out of town through the Gettysburg National Military Park on the Emmitsburg Road, take a Right onto Millerstown Road
which becomes Pumping Station Road. Go a short distance and turn Left onto Roberta Way, then turn Right onto Waterworks Road.

Added by: sdonley on 07/18/2013 DB#: 1106
Source(s): http://www.nycivilwar.us/sachs.html

Paranormal Claims

Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.

Claim #	Added	Added By	Claim
1599	07/18/2013	sdonley	Several photographs of orbs have been captured on and around the bridge.
1600	07/18/2013	sdonley	Photos of ecoplasm has been capture on and around the bridge.
1601	07/18/2013	sdonley	Strange noises have been heard on the bridge when nobody has been on it.
1602	07/18/2013	sdonley	Aparitions of 3 hanging soldiers has been captured by photographs.
1603	07/18/2013	sdonley	Car batteries have been drained.
1604	07/18/2013	sdonley	Cell phones and camera batteries have been drained.

Paranormal Evidence

Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.

To add evidence for a claim, you must submit it to PANICd.com for approval to be entered into the database.

CLAIM #: 1599 - Several photographs of orbs have been captured on and around the bridge.
	Evidence Type: Photograph Encounter Type: Orb Hauting Type: Unknown Investigation Status: More Investigation Needed	Photos of Orbs Submitted By: sdonley On: 07/18/2013 DBA Approved: Y

Additional Resources

This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.

BridgeHunter.com Added: 07/18/2013 By: sdonley	Information listed on BridgeHunter.com
Trip Advisor Added: 07/18/2013 By: sdonley	Listing on TripAdvisor.com
The Spooks of Sachs Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Note/disclaimer: I consider myself a historian and folklorist who collects Pennsylvaniaâ€™s legends and lore. However, every now and then while out getting pictures I have had an experience that I cannot explain and this is one of those stories. Everyone knows that Gettysburg is haunted. Right?
Sachs Covered Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	â€ƒâ€ƒâ€ƒCrowned Pennsylvania's most historic bridge in 1938 by the highway department, the Sachs Covered Bridge may also be the state's most visited bridge. Just a few miles from Gettysburg Military Park, the Sachs (Sauck's) Covered Bridge was built in 1852 under the direction of David Stoner.
Haunted Sachs Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Â I donâ€™t know what exactly draws me back to Sachs Bridge each time I visit Gettysburg.Â Â I just know that I feel compelled to drive there and take pictures.
Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Having lost at least 28,000 of his 80,000 men, Lee realized that his army was crippled, low on ammunition and food, and in enemy territory. Thus, explained the general, the army must retreat to Virginia.
Sachs Covered Bridge: The Most Haunted Bridge in America Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Happy October!Â ?Â ?Â ? I decided to kick off the spookiest month of the year with a visit to Sachs Covered Bridge in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Whether or not you are a believer in ghosts and spirits, the story behind this bride is really interesting.
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Sachs Covered Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.
Exploring Sachs Covered Bridge near Gettysburg Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Sachs Covered Bridge, also known as Sauckâ€™s Covered Bridge, Sauches Covered Bridge, or Waterworks Covered Bridge, was built around 1854 and spans Marsh Creek just south of Gettysburg.
The Haunted Covered Bridge In Pennsylvania That Will Give You Chills Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	Ghosts of the past linger throughout Gettysburg. Many who have visited the historic town, famous for the Battle of Gettysburg, tell tales of apparitions and strange occurrences on the battlefield, of sudden rushes of cold air, and footsteps in empty hallways.
Sachs Covered Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	As are most things associated with the American Civil War, the haunted Sachs Covered Bridge is yet another on the long list of haunted structures found in Pennsylvania.
Sachs Covered Bridge Added: 06/19/2022 By: sdonley	The Sachs Covered Bridge /ËˆsÉ’ks/, also known as Sauck's Covered Bridge and Waterworks Covered Bridge,[4] is a 100-foot (30Â m), Town truss covered bridge over Marsh Creek between Cumberland and Freedom Townships, Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.