Happy Fourth of July! I hope you’re enjoying a fun-filled day with family and friends, while also taking the time to remember how blessed we are to live in this country.
I thought it would be very appropriate to make mention of some of the founding fathers who are still hanging around to celebrate with us.
Let’s start with the “father of our country,” George Washington.
According to the Mount Vernon website, George’s ghost has been around for a long time. “The following account was reported in the New York World newspaper ca. 1890.
In the early years of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, when the Ladies were at Mount Vernon, they would sleep in the Mansion.
“Of course, the most interesting of all the bedrooms is the one belonging to the immortal George and in which he died. In it is the original four-poster bed whereon Washington passed his last moments.”
“This historic chamber is haunted; of that there would seem to be little doubt. Many people within recent years have slept in it, and they declare that they were awed by the viewless presence of the nation’s first President. They deny earnestly that the notion is based on imagination. Few of these temporary occupants have been able to get any sleep. Obviously, it is one thing to see a ghost, and quite another thing to feel one—to be aware of the nearness of a strange and brooding spectre. They all agree that Washington visits his chamber in the still watches of the night.”
“Mrs. William Beale and a friend of hers spent a night at Mount Vernon. At their own request, they were permitted to occupy Washington’s bedroom. In the middle of the night, they were awakened by the sputtering of their candle. They had lighted one surreptitiously and were burning it in the middle of a basin of water.”
“Fancied they saw a spook. It went out with a noise, and they began to feel alarmed. Mrs. Beale said to her friend: ‘You are on the side of the bed where Washington died!’ The other replied: ‘No, I’m not; he died on your side!’ Finally, they decided that the question was doubtful, and there was no more sleep for them that night. They got up, dressed themselves, and sat around until morning, scared by every squeak of the windows and at one moment were sure they heard Washington’s sword clank distinctly in a corner.”
There is also a story at Ghosts of New York about George Washington’s ghost leading another battle, about a hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “During the desperate days of early July 1863, during the Civil War, George Washington’s Ghost came to the rescue of the Union.
The ghost of American president and Founding Father George Washington came to the rescue of a group of Union soldiers waging a battle against 1863 draft rioters during the Civil War on Broadway and Duane Street. Dressed in the uniform of the American Revolution, the man was Washington, who then issued the command, “Fix bayonets! Charge!” The Union soldiers charged down the hill, forcing the rioters into a full retreat…
Remembrance.
When an officer was interviewed years later about the story of the ghost of George Washington, the old soldier replied cautiously: “Yes, that report circulated through our lines, and I have no doubt that it inspired the men. Doubtless, it was a superstition.” Then he paused and added, “Who among us can say that such a thing was impossible? We have not yet sounded or explained the immortal life that lies out beyond our earthly plane. We do not know what mystic power may be possessed by those who are now bivouacking with the dead. I only know the effect, but I dare not explain or deny the cause. I do believe that we were enveloped by the powers of the other world that day, and who shall say Washington was not among the number of those who aided the country he founded?”
Perhaps a day apart, George Washington appeared before the 20th Maine Division as they approached Gettysburg. As they approached a fork in the road, they were unsure which direction to take. Suddenly, a very tall, imposing figure wearing a tri-cornered hat on horseback waved them in the right direction and commanded them to follow him.”
The Association of Paranormal Study has an article about “Ghost Stories of the Founding Fathers.” This is what they had to say about Thomas Jefferson, “Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. He was one of the core founding fathers. However, Jefferson always longed to be home at Monticello. Even in retirement, he was always called upon. He had to install special shutters for his first-floor office so that onlookers couldn’t spy on him.
Unsurprisingly, he haunts his homestead of Monticello (which means “Little Mountain). He has been seen among tourists as they walk through his home. He has been heard whistling tunes of his time, which was something he did while he was alive. Jefferson is also reported to haunt the most important place for a US president…the White House. Legend has it that Thomas Jefferson can be heard playing his violin in the Yellow Oval Room.”
A lesser-known founding father, John Dickinson, hailed from Delaware and earned the distinction of being called “The Penman of the Revolution” for writing the first draft of the Articles of Confederation.
According to Ghostland Media, John still enjoys scribbling with his quill pen.
“In 1781, his home of Poplar Hall was damaged significantly by loyalists. Later, it would nearly be destroyed by a fire in 1804. Despite these tragedies, the home was rebuilt and still stands today as a National Historic Landmark. It is owned by the State of Delaware and is now run as a museum by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. It stands today much the way it was when Judge Samuel Dickinson, John’s father, built it in 1739.
While the building itself is a magnificent mansion that tells so much history simply by standing after all these years, there is a haunting presence still attached to Poplar Hall, much like how he treasured the home in life. John Dickinson is said to still occupy the mansion, occasionally showing himself to employees and guests alike and seemingly continuing his lifelong love of writing. The most common paranormal activity is the unmistakable sound of a quill scratching on parchment, apt for the penman of the revolution. Full-bodied apparitions of Dickinson, identified by his distinctive 1700s clothing and confident manner of carrying himself, have been seen all over the plantation grounds, most often nearby Poplar Hall.
Strange inconsistencies appear in photos taken at the National Historic Monument, such as orbs of light or white mist with no earthly explanation. Often, the day bed in his study will be left in pristine condition and when employees come back to the room, the bed will be in disarray as if the founding father had taken a daytime nap. Strange sounds are reported within the mansion, knocking sounds reported throughout, and the sounds of furniture being moved slightly. One employee says that once they placed the furniture as close to the way it was arranged during Dickinson’s life, the furniture began to stay in its location without ghostly hands moving it.”
There are more stories of ghostly hauntings by other founding fathers, as well as tales about their illustrious wives who are said to still haunt the places they loved. But I’m going to leave you with just these three because I don’t want to miss the picnic or the fireworks!
Happy Fourth of July!
Happy Friday!!!