Location: Antietam Battlefield Ghost Name(s): General Israel B. Richardson Description: Located overlooking the Antietam battlefield is the Phillip Pry House, which is a brick farmhouse. The farmhouse was commandeered by Union General George McClellan. He used it as his headquarters during the battle. General Israel B. Richardson received wounds in this battle, which he would die from 6 months later. The house is now owned by the National Park Service and closed to visitors. Strange stories have been told about the place. The Pry House caught fire in 1976 and one-third of it was gutted. During the restoration of the house many strange events were recorded. During a meeting of park personnel, the wife of one of the men attending the meeting met a woman in old-fashioned clothing coming down the staircase. She asked her husband about the lady in the long dress, but he had no idea who she was taking about. When workers arrived a short time later they observed a woman standing in an upper window, in the same room where General Richardson had died. The worker searched the house and realized that the room where the woman had been standing had no floor! People believe that it was the ghost of Richardson's wife, Frances, who cared for him on his deathbed. On another occasion when a new contracting crew had to be hired because the previous workers caught a glimpse of the ghostly figure and abandoned the project. Phantom footsteps have been heard going up and down the staircase. People believe they belonged to worried generals, pacing up and down in anticipation of battle. Others believe the steps belong to Fannie Richardson as she climbs the stairs to check on her dying husband. People who have heard them are convinced they are not the sounds of the old house settling.

General Israel B. Richardson did indeed die in the farmhouse ( Pryer home about 6 weeks after he was wounded. Someone in our family has records and documents. from hi birth on the Eastern States and military life through to Fla. and in Texas where he married first, and her death less than a year later. He returned to MI. to become a farmer. Remarried and left an infant son and young widow when he died of wounds on the bloody Road. There is also a Cannon turned upside down in his honor. My family videoed the (125 th, I think ) reinactment and have other information. I'm not sure how our R's fit in. Would you like to trade information with me ? Beverley ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 8:42 AM Subject: [RICHARDSON] Maryland Hauntings, Washington County, Maryland > Location: Antietam Battlefield > Ghost Name(s): General Israel B. Richardson > Description: Located overlooking the Antietam battlefield is the Phillip Pry > House, which is a brick farmhouse. The farmhouse was commandeered by Union > General George McClellan. He used it as his headquarters during the battle. > General Israel B. Richardson received wounds in this battle, which he would > die from 6 months later. The house is now owned by the National Park Service > and closed to visitors. Strange stories have been told about the place. The > Pry House caught fire in 1976 and one-third of it was gutted. During the > restoration of the house many strange events were recorded. During a meeting > of park personnel, the wife of one of the men attending the meeting met a > woman in old-fashioned clothing coming down the staircase. She asked her > husband about the lady in the long dress, but he had no idea who she was > taking about. When workers arrived a short time later they observed a woman > standing in an upper window, in the same room where General Richardson had > died. The worker searched the house and realized that the room where the > woman had been standing had no floor! People believe that it was the ghost of > Richardson's wife, Frances, who cared for him on his deathbed. On another > occasion when a new contracting crew had to be hired because the previous > workers caught a glimpse of the ghostly figure and abandoned the project. > Phantom footsteps have been heard going up and down the staircase. People > believe they belonged to worried generals, pacing up and down in anticipation > of battle. Others believe the steps belong to Fannie Richardson as she climbs > the stairs to check on her dying husband. People who have heard them are > convinced they are not the sounds of the old house settling. > > > > > ==== RICHARDSON Mailing List ==== > To use the Richardson Query Board: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/surnames/ric/Richardson > To review Archived messages: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/RICHARDSON-L >

Although I do not know if my Richardsons are connected to General Israel (probably are at a distance), some of my Richardson family were Spiritualists. :) :) At 08:42 AM 9/7/01 EDT, you wrote: >Location: Antietam Battlefield >Ghost Name(s): General Israel B. Richardson >Description: Located overlooking the Antietam battlefield is the Phillip Pry >House, which is a brick farmhouse. The farmhouse was commandeered by Union >General George McClellan. He used it as his headquarters during the battle. >General Israel B. Richardson received wounds in this battle, which he would >die from 6 months later. The house is now owned by the National Park Service >and closed to visitors. Strange stories have been told about the place. The >Pry House caught fire in 1976 and one-third of it was gutted. During the >restoration of the house many strange events were recorded. During a meeting >of park personnel, the wife of one of the men attending the meeting met a >woman in old-fashioned clothing coming down the staircase. She asked her >husband about the lady in the long dress, but he had no idea who she was >taking about. When workers arrived a short time later they observed a woman >standing in an upper window, in the same room where General Richardson had >died. The worker searched the house and realized that the room where the >woman had been standing had no floor! People believe that it was the ghost of >Richardson's wife, Frances, who cared for him on his deathbed. On another >occasion when a new contracting crew had to be hired because the previous >workers caught a glimpse of the ghostly figure and abandoned the project. >Phantom footsteps have been heard going up and down the staircase. People >believe they belonged to worried generals, pacing up and down in anticipation >of battle. Others believe the steps belong to Fannie Richardson as she climbs >the stairs to check on her dying husband. People who have heard them are >convinced they are not the sounds of the old house settling. > > > > >==== RICHARDSON Mailing List ==== >To use the Richardson Query Board: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/surnames/ric/Richardson >To review Archived messages: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/RICHARDSON-L > > > >