Antietam National Battlefield
Sorry in advance for the length, but it's worth it, at least I think it is:

Sharpsburg, Maryland. September 17,1862

Federal and Confederate forces clash at a sleep town in western Maryland as Robert E Lee takes the fight to the North.

So, four years ago, I am working on a PBS project (television docudrama on) on the French and Indian War. WAY WAY out in Western Pennsylvania. I am driving home after a weekend out there and my air conditioning in my truck fails. It is something like 96 degrees outside with near 70% humidity. MISERABLE day. AND I have a 165 lb English Mastiff in the truck with panting like Gary Glitter at a pre-school graduation ceremony.

Goose the dog is probably THE easiest going animal on the planet. On the set we were coming from a black bear strode into the clearing where we were building a full-sized French and Indian war fort and Goose just sat there staring at it. It was about 50 yds away and he never barked or growled, he just checked it out. When it turned and trotted back into the woods, he layed back down and went to sleep. THE easy goingest dog alive.

So he was terrifically hot so I decided to stop at the next stop/exit and get him some water.

The next stop: Sharpsburg. Site of the single bloodiest day in American history. Over 23,000 casualties in one single day of battle.

There is a creek that runs through the battlefield and it is called Antietam Creek...so, being the frugal git that I am I figure: Hey, the dog doesnt need bottled water, the water from that Creek will do!

So we drive through the abandoned park (it was too hot, even for historian types) to the site of some of the nastiest fighting of the day, Burnside Bridge. We walk from the Confederate side to the Yankee or Union side and Goose (the dogs name) goes down to the water to drink. He takes a couple laps of water and then his head snaps up looking over at the Confederate side of the bridge and starts going absolutely BALLISTIC! Hair on his neck standing up, head ducked in the Mastiff attack stance and growling, hissing and straining at the leash...looking intensely at the far side of the creek...the Confederate side. There is not one single solitary soul there. NOONE. The park is as empty as the condom dispenser in Elton John's guest bedroom.

Goose is literally going nuts. I am thinking: "Great, my air conditioning not working has just baked my dogs brain and he is losing it right in front of me!"

He stops just as suddenly as he started (about 30 seconds of that behaviour) and then drops his snout into the water and starts lapping away again as if nothing happened.

About 10 laps of water later, it all starts up again. And he is looking at the EXACT same spot he was looking at before. Only breaking that staring contest with NOTHING long enough to glance down at the river/creek bank where it was as if something were hitting the ground near him. Then he would return to the hideous 'hound of hell' growl/screech/whatever the hell it was.

I was TERRIFIED!

He's 165 lbs...only about 25 lbs lighter than me!

So I pull on his leash and get him back up the river bank and the whole time, he is walking towards me but looking over his shoulder, growling at whatever he was seeing.

I get him into the truck and guess what? The air conditioning starts working. We drive to the visitors center and I approach the desk where the Park Ranger is sat. I relate the story to him and all the while, he has this knowing smile on his face.

His comment after I was done?

"Um, yeah...well Mr. Citadel, your Dog and you were at the spot at the precise time of day the fiercest piece of the attack on Burnside Bridge happened. Your dog was, in my opinion, seeing the Georgian troops of Toomb's command firing on the opposing Union forces. This happens about once a week when someone will walk their dog down there. For some reason, ocasionally little children will see it too, but I've only talked to pet owners. Your dog was seeing ghosts."

I have been back twice since. Once about 2 hours before the battle began at that spot and Goose was a spry, happy dog. The second time, we went back about 20 minutes before the attack began and Goose was acting very odd. About 20 minutes AFTER the battle was supposed to have started, he started the entire sequence up again but with less anger..see, he was already getting used to seeing those Confederate shooting at him.

The above story is 100% true.

Cheers,

Citadel
( Citadel Because the world needs less morons, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 20:26, 6 replies)

Why was the dog called Goose?
Silly question I know.
( girlinthehole, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 20:33, closed)

Because
if he'd named him Duck then every time he called his dog people would be dropping to the ground.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 3 Jul 2008, 20:39, closed)

Because
When I lived in NYC I bought him from a breeder in Charleston, SC...where I went to college (hence the screename "Citadel").

I was in NY, so I wanted a good Southern name for him, so I named him after Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, the Confederate Commander who ordered Citadel cadets to fire the first shots of the Civil War. Frankly, that name was too much to yell when he was peeing on the floor, so he became "Goose" or "Gus" as my Dad refers to him. :)
( Citadel Because the world needs less morons, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 20:39, closed)

@ Resident Loon
badum tish!

:)

Nice one!
( Citadel Because the world needs less morons, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 20:40, closed)

This
sounds like the story about Edgehill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_Hill%2C_Warwickshire).

Its just down the road from where my parents lived. I remember going to a friends house near there around halloween and getting drunk and trying to see something. Didn't see anything. Either because it doesn't happen, or because being 14 and drinking lots of cider and vodka tends to put an end to functioning senses.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 21:40, closed)

I would swear I've heard you tell this one before
is it a pearoast?
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Thu 3 Jul 2008, 21:47, closed)