Screams on the Conewago

In early autumn 1988 I was attending an exhibition at the Timonium Fairgrounds where the subject was youth organizations and the everyday problems faced by volunteers. I was involved with Big Brothers in Baltimore at the time, so I decided to attend. The local Boy Scouts councils were also represented and I was interested in having some of the boys I was helping become active in scouting. Later in the day I bumped into Andy, a high school friend who was representing the York-Adams Council (Pa.). Both of us had been Boy Scouts together and I was happy to see that he continued as a troop leader. We decided to grab a bite to eat and catch up…it had been 12 years since we had graduated from high school. After awhile, the subject of my paranormal investigations came into the conversation. He had always been fascinated with ghost sightings at Gettysburg and the surrounding area and had camped near the battlefield on several occasions.

Andy stated that a few of the local troops had recently been camping at the old Camp Conewago and some of the boys had reported hearing “crying” sounds and were spooked bad enough that a few left their campsites early. They had setup their campsites deeper than usual in the woods near the Conewago Creek fork (where the Little Conewago and main Conewago Creek meet). He stated that he and another scout leader were going to check out the area the following weekend and he wanted to know if I’d at least go up for the day and investigate with them. I accepted the invitation.

Camp Conewago is located north of New Oxford, Pa. along the main Conewago Creek upstream from Dick’s Dam. It was established in 1919 for exclusive use by the local Boy Scouts of America. The area is rich in early colonial history since it was located on a major hunting route used by the Susquehannock Indians. Several attempts to establish settlements in this area failed because of Indian raids. As well, the Susquehannocks constantly warred with neighboring tribes. The Susquehannocks were eventually forced back into northeast Maryland and Delaware and the colonists were able expand westward into the Allegheny Mountains. The area became an important trading stop for settlers to stock up on supplies and to get updates before heading into the wilderness.

I met with Andy and John the following Friday at the campground. I was shocked at how little the place had changed. A flood of boyhood memories came over me while I walked around the cabins and the administration building. Andy wanted to know how long I planned to stay and that they were going to setup camp in the same area of the reports. I was game….so I told him I’d stay for the weekend, grabbed my gear and followed them into the woods. I suppose we hiked about 500 yards or so before we came to the bank of the creek, then we followed the creek for another 300 yards until we came to the fork. We setup 3 tents and had a nice fire going in short order. It was around 7:00 pm by this time, so we decided stay close to camp for the remainder of the evening.

The first night was fairly uneventful, though I sensed that something was watching us. I didn’t say anything but kept my eyes open and head clear. These woods are somewhat thick with ground cover and are inhabited by a fair amount of wildlife, especially white-tailed deer and raccoons. I remember when I was a Boy Scout, the older kids would send out the new members of the scout troop on an initiation “snipe” hunt. They’d give the prospective “hunter” a burlap bag and a flashlight and set them out into the woods at night telling them they could return only after they caught a “snipe”. They were usually running back to the campsite within an hour scared to the point of tears. It was a bit cruel, but we all had to go through the indignity…it was a tradition.

The next morning was sunny and cool…a perfect day to explore the woods. We sat down to breakfast when John asked if we heard footsteps and movement during the night. Andy said he slept straight through the night. I said I heard some movement but assumed it was one of my companions. Nothing seemed to be disturbed in the campsite, so we dismissed it…though I still had this lingering sense that we were being watched. We spent the day walking for several miles through the woods and examining points of interest. I wasn’t picking up any spirit connections and started to think that this was going to be a quiet weekend. About 6:00 pm we got back to camp and sat down to talk about any little thing that came into our heads.

Later that evening, we were sitting around the fire engaged in a conversation about football when suddenly a scream rang out west and upstream from our location. I thought it sounded like an owl at first, but a few minutes later it happened again and it distinctively sounded like a child. I couldn’t tell how far away it was but it lasted for several seconds and seemed to fade in and out. We got up and walked a few yards into the woods expecting to hear the sound again. It was quiet for about an hour and we were discussing what could have naturally caused that sound. I have heard bobcats, owls and rabbits scream and none sounded close to this. We agreed that it was definitely the cries of a child.

We decided to stay up for the entire night. There was a full moon and much of the woods and creek were visible. We had cameras, a gauss meter, EMF detector and temperature sensor ready, though I rarely use these tools when I sense spirit activity initially. At approximately 1:00 am, I was walking the perimeter of our camp with the EMF detector when I received a spike on the gauge for a few seconds. I stood still and tried to figure out this feeling of being watched the entire weekend. I told Andy and John what I felt and we started to walk deeper into the woods towards the fork. We walked about 50 feet when, without warning, we recognized to our right a large dark figure with bright red eyes standing in the creek….and suddenly it shot straight up into the air with an audible “whoosh”. A few seconds later, we heard another scream that seemed to fade as if was moving away from us.

We hurried back to the campsite and compared thoughts about this phantom. Andy was shook up and didn’t talk for several minutes until I prodded him for his recollection. John was surprising calm and estimated that it was 6 foot or so, dark in color and seemed to have something extending from its back. I also noticed the structures on the back and commented that it reminded me of wings but I was unsure. We all agreed that it had bright red eyes. This creature or phantom jettisoned so fast that we didn’t even have time to get a flashlight on it. Andy wanted to spend the night in the administration building and come back and collect our gear in the morning. He and John walked back, but I decided to stay in the campsite for the remainder of the night. Nothing significant occurred though that feeling of being watched remained.

After the investigation and further research, I concluded that this creature or phantom was more than a simple spirit or residual energy. I was aware of the numerous sightings of a “Mothman” in West Virginia and it seemed that this being was somewhat similar in description….but I have significant doubt that it is a cryptid. Also, I cannot explain the EMF spike other than that separate spirit energy was also present, though I did not sense anything specific. I and other researchers have investigated this area since our sighting and have come up with minimal further evidence, though a report of a dark creature was made by a resident who lived near Dick’s Dam a few years later. The investigation remains open….hopefully I or someone else will be able to offer a plausible answer in the future.

Paranormal

The Woman of Gray's Mill

Some of Maryland’s most interesting history occurred along the Pataspco River. From Parr’s Spring to Elkridge, the river valley’s geography goes from a cold piedmont stream to a rugged, rocky gorge into a coastal plain. Many of my investigations have been in locations closely related to the river. Many paranormal investigators have concentrated on locales around Ellicott City. I like to dive deeper into the Pataspco River’s haunted history.

This investigation took place in August 1984 in a location ½ mile downstream from the Frederick Rd. bridge at Ellicott City on River Rd. River Rd. veers right from Frederick Rd. and descends to the river bank. As soon as the road levels, about 400 ft. from the turn, you will see the back wall of an old building against the hillside. Above this wall is a BG&E sub-station (on Frederick Rd.). This property is also owned by BG&E, though at the time of this investigation there was more building structure and the area was accessible to most anyone.

This area is known as Gray’s Mill. It was originally a Methodist Church later enlarged and fitted as a paper mill. In fact, it was advertised in 1807 as the “largest paper mill in the U.S.”. Edward Gray and other investors soon purchased the mill and transformed it into a major cotton duck plant. After a major fire, Gray rebuilt the plant into the largest cotton cloth mills in the U.S. and named it the Patapsco Manufacturing Company.

Gray built a large mansion adjacent to the mill where he and his wife and daughters lived happily for many years. In 1829, Gray’s daughter Elizabeth married John Pendleton Kennedy and the couple lived together in the mansion. Kennedy was a well known writer and lawyer in Baltimore who had reached the pinnacle of social status at a fairly young age. He entered politics and was elected to Congress and later was appointed Secretary of the Navy under President Millard Fillmore. The list of guests and friends who visited and stayed at his home was astounding. Edgar Allen Poe, James Fennimore Cooper, Washington Irving, Charles Dickens, Andrew Jackson, Commodore Perry, James Madison, Francis Scott Key and many more important writers and statesmen spent time at this mansion.

Kennedy’s library was said to be the most impressive private library in the country containing many European first editions and works of famous friends that were never published. As well, Kennedy had a spectacular garden and grove. Washington Irving was known to spend many evenings sitting among the trees gazing onto the river. Elizabeth Kennedy would stand on the river bank and wave an American flag as the Union soldiers would hoot and holler from the train on the west bank of the river heading for Baltimore. All this would change in 1868 when the flood of the century swept through the valley and washed most of the mansion and contents away. The Kennedy’s were devastated and forced to move from their beloved valley.

For several years, I had been told about strange lights and mists that eminated from the mansion area onto River Rd. at night. For many years previous, the river bank was a hangout spot for local kids until the state built mounds and barriers on the riverbank that blocked cars from parking. The sightings began after the parking areas were removed and the area was quiet in the evening hours. I had personally noticed fog in this area because it is swampy and there is a small drainage stream that flows through the location. I decided to investigate on a night when there would be minimal traffic on River Rd. (namely when the mill down river was shutdown).

I received permission to park my car on a small private lot on Frederick Rd. and walked down River Rd. to the Gray’s Mill location. A friend who had worked with me previously accompanied me to the site. We decided to walk around the grounds as best we could and see if we could observe any activity. We started at 7:30 pm and used the remaining light to get our bearings to which areas of the site we would concentrate. The weather was very warm and humid in the mid 80’s and clear.

I decided we would stick together because of the swampy terrain. We setup along the mansion remnants that included large pieces of granite strewn randomly. There is a small part of the back wall remaining, so we sat there and waited. As dusk came, the area comes alive with “peepers”, small frogs singing in the moonlight. Behind the wall is a high bank that extends up towards “9 Mile Hill” onto Frederick Rd. We could barely hear the traffic on the main road above and behind us. It was very peaceful as the river riffled through the valley and the moonlight bounced off the water provided dancing lights against the opposite bank.

Around 10:30 pm, we heard sounds on the hill directly behind us. I figured it was a raccoon or a possum looking for a meal. After a couple of minutes, I heard a rustling in the high weeds to our left and could see movement. I pointed the flashlight towards the area and noticed nothing. As soon as I turned the flashlight off, I sensed a presence of something. My friend suddenly commented that he felt a chill sweep by his right ear. The being I sensed was definitely that of a woman. She seemed to be playing and happy and was definitely enjoying herself. I sensed that she was possibly a visiting spirit. I asked her to give us a sign of her presence. My spirit guide was with me and indicated that this woman’s name was Katherine. I sensed a vortex or portal was somewhere near the wall though an exact location eluded me. There were several cold spots along the wall but none had the energy normally associated with a vortex. Her presence continued for another half hour. I tried to get an indication from this spirit if she was aware we were present. I walked around to see if I could get a better gauge of the presence. The best sign we could get was an occasional sweeping sound in the high grass.

This activity continued past midnight until we noticed a scent of honeysuckle. There were no honeysuckle bushes in the area and the scent was getting very strong, almost to the point of being sickening. Then we saw her! Directly in front of us at a distance of about 20 yards we noticed the misty shape of a woman with blonde or gray hair in a light blue dress moving left to right then proceeding towards the road. Then she would move back towards us. It was a very strange sight because it seemed she would “light up” occasionally revealing her facial features and hair. We watched this for a few minutes when I decided to try to communicate. I slowly got to my feet and walked towards her. I stopped and watched her move around me when suddenly she started moving towards me. Instantly, I was hit in the face with that sickly honeysuckle scent, this time it made my eyes and nose burn. I tried to look around me but could not see nor sense her. My eyesight was blurry and I was very uncomfortable. My partner said she moved off towards the road and he lost sight of her. I then realized that I should have restrained from making physical contact. This could have easily been a serious situation if this spirit was malevolent and, frankly, I know better. All indications are that this was a visiting spectre and that there was no residual haunting, at least by this spirit. We waited for another ½ hour but noticed nothing further. Frankly, that odor of honeysuckles was still on me and I was ready to get home wash it off. One interesting side note, when I did get home my wife thought I was crazy because she did not notice any scent of honeysuckles.

I have checked the name “Katherine” for many years and the best I can speculate is that Katherine was either a guest or friend of the Gray or Kennedy family who is drawn to this location. I never received any indications of sorrow or evil from her while she visited us that August evening. It’s too bad that this is not the case with most of the phantoms I have contact with.

Paranormal