How do I start a true crime/paranormal blog? I’m not 100% sure, but decided why not start with a bit of both?
How many of you learned about or at least heard about the Civil War? North versus South, Abraham Lincoln and his famous Gettysburg Address, "Four score and seven years ago..." I'm sure lots of you have heard about the Battle of Gettysburg, fought in 1863 between July 1 through July 3. It was a tragic battle that resulted in between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties, some being civilian victims. Have you heard of Jenny Wade? That’s a story for another day. Not to mention a separate blog post about the ghosts of Gettysburg. That will be a good one!
How many of you heard about the Gettysburg orphanage that was started shortly after the battle due to a multitude of children losing a parent or parents from the Battle of Gettysburg? I had never heard of it until an episode of Ghost Adventures (season 4, episode 1). I was intrigued about this place and delved into the history a bit more. This orphanage, sadly, is both a true crime story as well as paranormal.
The orphanage idea came about via Dr. John F. Bourns for the children left behind, and he chose the Gettysburg battlefield as the location to build the National Homestead, as it was called. No one knows why he chose that location, but it definitely makes me wonder what he was thinking. Anyone else see the irony in these children living in a home that was built on top of the area where their family member(s) may have died?
The orphanage started out as a great idea and a happy place in the beginning. Ulysses S. Grant even visited the orphanage in his campaign to build up donations for support of the orphanage.
According to sources, an unidentified body was found on the Gettysburg field holding an ambrotype of his three children. The body was later identified as Sgt. Amous Humiston of the 154th NY Infantry. His widow was Philinda Betsy Ensworth Humiston Barnes, the three children were Frank, Alice, and Fred. In 1866, Philinda moved herself and her children to the orphanage at Gettysburg, PA. She was hired as a housekeeper and became the first headmistress. In 1869, Philinda married Asa Barnes and moved to Massachusetts.
This is where the horror begins. After Philinda left, Rosa Carmichael was hired as the new headmistress. I could not find much about Rosa Carmichael before the orphanage, so no idea of her background. What the sources say happened at the orphanage makes me personally think her background was not so great, due to what she was like as an adult and what she did to the many children at the orphanage. In some sources, Rosa is mentioned as a “wickedly evil disciplinarian”, if that gives you any idea where this story is going.
Around 1873, rumors swirled that Rosa was mistreating and abusing the children. On Christmas Eve, 1875, a four-year-old boy was discovered in a small outhouse on the orphanage site wearing only a thin nightshirt. The boy was obviously very frightened and cold, and the two men heard the young child screaming. Rosa had locked the boy in the outhouse as punishment due to an infarction. The Gettysburg chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic started an investigation into the orphanage. Rosa Carmichael somehow was able to find people to lie for her and any children with marks or bruises were hidden until the investigation was over. After the investigation, the abuse continued.
In 1876, an orphan names George Lunden brought forth charges of assault and battery against Rosa. Rosa tried to say the charges were "slanderous", but there were many, many witnesses. Rosa was arrested and charged with cruelty to an orphan. She was convicted of aggravated assault and…this is the part that blows my mind...given a fine of $20 plus court costs. Yes, you read that correctly...she was given a fine! And...it gets even better!!! [heavy sarcasm] Rosa Carmichael was allowed to return to the orphanage as headmistress. That's right, people! She was allowed to return! I...have...no...words!!!
Did she come back a changed woman? No! Did she learn from her previous mistakes? No! Unless you want to say, yes, as in she learned to put the children through worse treatment than they had been through before.
There was a previous tradition that the children participated in the Memorial Day Parade, marching in the parade to the National Cemetery and placing flowers on the soldiers’ graves. In May 1877, the children did not participate in that year’s Memorial Day activities and it was a big cause for concern. This time around the investigation discovered Rosa had created a “dungeon” where the worst behaved children (according to Rosa) would be chained to the walls and she continued overall cruelty and abuse to many of the children.
Some sources site that Rosa had boys between the ages of 14-19 helping her out with the “punishment” of the other children. These boys were called the “stick boys”.
Children were found dirty, in rags, overall in dire straits from the lady who was supposed to be taking care of them.
Not to mention the number of children that were reported as “missing”. I have not found any information that any of the “missing” children were ever found.
So, for years Rosa spent her time abusing physically, mentally, emotionally many of the children (if not all) at the Gettysburg orphanage. I personally believe she would’ve gone on with this for as long as she could. Thank whatever-you-believe-in that people became suspicious and concerned (once again) and started looking into things (once again). Second times the charm, right?
Rosa’s treatment of the children was published in a Philadelphia newspaper and also in the Gettysburg Star and Sentinel. By December 1877, the orphanage was closed down, the children remaining were removed, and Rosa was “forced out of town”. That’s right folks...forced out of town. She never went through a trial...just got pushed out of town. With all the research I did, I could not find any mention of Rosa Carmichael again. Where did she go? Did she change her name? Did she do this to other children elsewhere? No idea…and I don’t think we will ever find out.
In 1903, the building became a duplex, a bed and breakfast in 1915, and in 2013 was converted into a museum named Civil War Tails.
Now, in the beginning I mentioned this being both true crime and paranormal. I have covered the true crime part as best I can and now on to the paranormal.
Tours have been made to the public, taking in the history of the Gettysburg orphanage. Many guests and tour guides have reported paranormal sightings over the years. A lot of people have reported hearing chains clinking against the walls in the basement, in the “dungeon” area. Others have reported a ghostly apparition of a small boy who appears from the basement’s corners and then quickly vanishes when the witness attempts to take a photograph. Some people have claimed to capture a small child in some of their photographs when there clearly was not a child visible to the group during the tour. One gentleman claims to have captured orbs in a bunch of his pictures in the basement. Within the basement, there are also claims of an unexplained mist that has been seen by many.
There have been reports of some seeing toys moving on their own, voices have been heard and recorded of children playing. Some claim to have gotten pictures of a mean looking woman. Other photos supposedly show faces of children. There are many claims of cold spots throughout the basement. Some tourists have complained of an uneasy feeling in the basement.
I personally believe anything is possible. Do I also believe that some things can have a very logical explanation? Absolutely! But...with the overall Battle of Gettysburg, the orphanage being built on that site, the horrific things Rosa Carmichael did to many innocent children (possibly even murder?), I believe that place has a high chance of being haunted. I have never visited the orphanage, but hopefully others get a chance to do so and check it out for themselves. The museum is full of history from the Battle of Gettysburg…possibly as well as a few ghosts that might follow you on your tour!
--Audre
Sources:
Blog: Civil War Ghosts, www.civilwarghosts.com
http://www.pennsylvania-mountains-of-attractions.com
Soldiers National Orphanage Homestead
Adams County Historical Society, Gettysburg, PA (July 8, 2020)
Findagrave.com
http://www.panicd.com > soldiers-national-orphanage
Photo by: http://www.midnightwatchmen