Ghost Story Time

We've been to Nashville quite a few times, usually around the first week in November for the CMA awards.  It was 2005, we arrived in Nashville the day before we had to work, so we could run around and see things.  We went to Franklin which is connected to Nashville like Nampa is connected to Boise.

The Battle of Franklin, during the Civil War was a huge one.  Thousands on each side would lose their lives.

To learn about the Battle of Franklin, click here.

The Carnton Plantation was where the Confederate Troops made their hospital.  By nightfall over 300 wounded Confederate soldiers were brought to the mansion to have surgery.  The Carnton Mansion is what's called a "Mirror Mansion," it had two sides with a huge hallway down the middle.  Each side was just like the other, giving it the mirror effect.

We arrived in time to take the last tour of the day.  It started in the dining hall, a huge room to the left as you came into the mansion.  The kitchen was attached at the far end and right in the middle of the room were two huge doors that could be slid back into the walls, that would open the dining room to the sitting room right next to it.  Both rooms had sets of windows allowing plenty of light in.

We (Brenda and I) were standing with our backs to the sitting room while the tour guide stood against the far wall in the dining room.  Next to him was an ornate mirror, it was old and the frame was gold in color.  Come to find out it was one of the few original pieces left in the house. The mirror was situated in such a way that we could see the windows that were behind us in it.

As the tour guide was talking we started seeing shadowy figures appear in the windows in the mirror.  Here is the ghostly part, when we turned around to see who they were, there wasn't anybody.  They were in the mirror but not in the windows.  The shadows went from window to window and stopped like they were looking in. This went on the whole time the guide was talking. It was one of the wildest things! Brenda poked me, I poked her, we both nodded acknowledging what we had seen, but we didn't let others know in case it stopped.

We finished the tour which ended on the second floor at the opposite end of where the tour started. It was the kid's bedroom, which during the battle had become the surgery room. It still had blood stains on the wood floor.

As people filed out after the tour, we were there along with one other guy talking to the tour guide. So I asked the guide if he had experienced anything ghostly.  He told us no, but others had.  Then I said, "do you ever watch the mirrors?" That's when the guy who was standing there with us went pale and said, "did you see them too?" We went on to describe our experience, each one just like the other.

I explained that ghosts usually are attracted to items that are original to a place, and for some reason, especially mirrors. Since the mirror was original to the house, it would be the perfect place for activity. I was relieved someone besides Brenda saw the shadowy figures too.

If you ever get the chance to go through the Carnton Plantation and the Carter House, do. They are full of history and may even have a spirit or two hanging around.  I would be willing to bet the tour guide watches every mirror in the place now.