A self-proclaimed skeptic participated in a ghost hunt at McRaven House in Vicksburg, Mississippi, a historic home with deep Civil War connections, and experienced several unexplained events that challenged his disbelief. During the overnight investigation, he and other guests used paranormal detection equipment and reported hearing footsteps, seeing gadgets react, and sensing presences in rooms associated with past tragedies.
McRaven House, built in 1797, played a role in the 1863 siege of Vicksburg, serving as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers, with a mass grave believed to be located just 50 feet away. This history of death and suffering has fueled its reputation as a haunted location, drawing ghost hunters and tourists alike. The house hosts monthly late-night ghost hunts in addition to regular historical tours, allowing visitors to explore its eerie legends firsthand.
On a September evening, the skeptic joined 13 other guests for one of these hunts. Early on, he heard muted thumps from an unoccupied second floor, which another guest confirmed sounded like footsteps. This initial encounter sparked curiosity and set the stage for further paranormal investigations throughout the night, using devices such as EMF meters and spirit boxes designed to detect spiritual activity.
Tour guides Grace Bailey and Brian Riley, who lead the hunts, shared their own conversion stories from skepticism to belief. Bailey recalled a Fourth of July incident where she saw a man dressed in period attire who matched the description of John H. Bobb, a former owner murdered in 1864, and vanished without a trace. Riley described witnessing shadowy figures, being knocked down, and seeing objects like a baton move on their own in Mary Elizabeth Howard’s bedroom, where a teenage bride died in childbirth in 1836.
In the bedroom of Andrew Glass, a highwayman and thief who built the earliest part of the house, guests reported peculiar experiences. Cassie Williams, a repeat visitor, felt something touching her hair while holding her son, and the spirit box emitted obscenities. Bailey believes Glass’s ghost favors women and recounted an earlier encounter where she felt a gentle grab on her ankle and a brush against her cheek, reinforcing the room’s active reputation.
Later, in the parlor, activity peaked with the spirit box repeating words like ‘party’ and ‘mask,’ and gadgets flashing in response to questions about a masquerade ball. Guests speculated that the spirits were enjoying a celebration and that their investigation had interrupted the event. Jon Williams, another guest, noted that the spirit box on his phone flashed the name ‘Ida,’ coinciding with a woman who died in the house in 1946, adding to the eerie coincidences.
By 1:30 a.m., as fatigue set in, the hunt concluded with guests gradually departing. The skeptic, while not fully convinced, left with a heightened awareness of the unknown, reflecting on the compelling stories and the possibility that the ghosts were merely resuming their revelry. The experience at McRaven House underscores the enduring fascination with paranormal phenomena and the blurred lines between history and folklore in such storied locations.