Gettysburg Pennsylvania, 1863. It is the site of General Lee's second invasion of the North. Battles raged. Men died. Nearly fifty-one thousand of them.

Eight thousand killed from July 1st - July 3rd, a bloody three-day span. They died young. They died quickly. And their spirits are trapped on this battlefield to this day.

As the one of the founding members of the Northampton County Paranormal Research & Investigation Team, I have participated in over 100 investigations. During those five years, I have found that the number one hot spot for a ghost hunt is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is a sobering place and on Saturday September 27th, 2003, I packed my bags and headed out to Gettysburg. Alone.

It was about a 3-hour trip east through Harrisburg. I arrived around noon-time carrying a Nikon Coolpix 775 digital camera, a Minolta Maxxum 4 Professional film camera, and my Panasonic tape recorder. The battlefield wasn't too crowded and I headed to Reynolds woods where General John F. Reynolds was killed during the battle. The highest-ranking Union officer killed during the engagement; Reynolds was shot in the neck by a Confederate sharpshooter. Several other Union Soldiers died along with him.

When I entered the site, I was bombarded with a creepy vibe. Still I pressed on. The trees were marred with bullet holes and I could almost imagine the Union soldiers fighting back in those wooded hills. I took about 30 photos but couldn't shake that uneasy feeling. It was like I wasn't alone on the trail. I walked about 500 yards into the woods, but I could tell I really wasn't welcome so I made my way back to the car.

About 1 PM, I arrived at Big Round Top. It was a harsh hike up to the summit, but the view was worth it. At the top, I noticed some peopled dressed as Union officers. For posterity's sake, I snapped some pictures, then left.

The next stop on my self-made tour was a battleground known as "The Wheatfield". The fighting here was so intense that when it was over a thousand plus men where killed. The abundant stalks of wheat that gave this patch of land its name lay beneath the dead.

I walked alone through The Wheatfield. My tape recorder was turned on. I stopped at a monument dedicated to the Irish Brigade, a Union regiment of about 700 men consisting of Irish immigrants. Five hundred and fifty of these men never made it off the battlefield. They were annihilated by Confederate soldiers during the battle. When it was over, I then thanked the spirits for their assistance and headed back into my car. It was there where my tale really begins.

Back at the car, I began listening to the 15 minutes or so of recordings I took during my walk. Clear on the tape was my voice. "Is there anyone here? Can I get a name or rank?" I asked.

Just as clear was the reply "Grossy".

I was intrigued and ecstatic! I got another EVP.

I heard myself ask a second question. "What state are you from?"

"Virginia." The voice sounded like a Southern gentleman.

My excitement rose. Over 75,000 Southern troops at Gettysburg were from the Army of Northern Virginia. Was one of them named Grossy?

I went home and logged onto a Federal Website called the "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System" and did some research. It took me some time but I typed in the name "Grossy" and I got a match. Michael B. Grossy, Union Calvary, fought for the 1st Regiment of the Maryland and was the only Grossy to fight in the Civil War.

I continued my search and what I found left me speechless. I contacted the owners of the site and was referred to a man who had records on this regiment. Michael Grossy had fought in the Wheatfield Battle. Shot in the head on July 2nd, 1863 and he died shortly thereafter. I played back the tape again just to make sure. The soldier gave his name "Grossy" and I knew that this Grossy and Michael B Grossy who had died on that battlefield were one in the same.

My emotions still run hot and cold over the experience. I am ecstatic that Michael B. Grossy had answered my question, but it is a somber feeling to know that this man's spirit still lingers in "The Wheatfield", some 140 years after his demise. He is just one of 8,000 who died during the battle and although I didn't get any photographic evidence of ghosts that day, this recording ranks as one of the most interesting contacts I have ever received from the "other side".

For all you fellow ghost hunters out there, no matter where you're from, take the time to travel out to Gettysburg, it is something you will never regret!