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INVESTIGATION #012
Sailors Creek Battlefield
Amelia County, Va.
Date Of Investigation: April 19, 2008
Time: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Investigators on Scene: Marty Seibel, Laura Eggleston, Josh Spradlin, Julie Wilfong and
Kelley Davis
Ranger Lee Wilcox and wife Kathleen, Chief Ranger Chris Joyner
Weather: (4/19/2008) Scattered Clouds-Overcast, 80.6 degrees, 28% humidity, Winds South 8.1 MPH,
Moon-- waxing gibbous with 99% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated
Background History
The battle of Sailors Creek was on April 6th, 1865 during the end of the civil war. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's
army was retreating from the Richmond to Petersburg line. Here, on April 6, 1865, Union General Philip Sheridan cut
off and beat back about a quarter of Lee's army. Eight Confederate generals surrendered, and 7,700 men were lost.
This was the last major engagement of the war; Lee's surrender at Appomattox occurred three days later.
We were extremely excited and eager to investigate this historic battlefield. A few years ago I had read of some possible
haunted activity on the battlefield in one of L. B. Taylor's Ghosts of Virginia books. We had contacted the staff at Sailors
Creek and they were kind enough to give us the opportunity to investigate the battlefield. The staff was very helpful, kind
and informative during our investigation and SVPS thanks them very much for all of their help. We decided to focus on three
main areas of the battlefield during our investigation, the Hillsman House (served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union
troops. Bloodstains still remain on the floor from when it served as a hospital), area along the creek and an area called
Confederate Overlook where we believe we found confederate graves from the battle.
Investigation Data
We divided our group into three smaller groups and covered three basic areas of the battlefield. Group A consisted of Julie
Wilfong and Kelley Davis and covered the areas of the Hillmans House and the family cemetery a few hundred yards away.
Group B consisted of Laura Eggleston and Josh Spradlin and covered areas around the creek. Group C consisted of Marty
Seibel, Lee and Kathy Wilcox and covered an area near confederate overlook where we had stumbled upon some
confederate graves previously.
Audio Results:
Marty -- (Time used on digital audio recorder--15 mins. – Confederate Overlook area with no results.
Julie/Kelley -- (Time used on digital audio recorders--20 minutes -- Hillsman House with no results.
Josh/Laura -- (Time used on digital audio recorders--20 minutes -- Along the Creek with three evps.
Recorded by the creek by Laura and Josh using a digital audio recorder – Sony ICD-P520.
Area around creek where Laura and Josh captured several evps.
Photograph Results:
Marty--24 photographs taken using a Cannon Sureshot 105u 35 mm camera with kodak 400 speed film--(no photographs
of interest) 60 photographs taken using a hp Photosmart R607 (4.1 Mp) digital camera--(5 photographs of interest)
Final evaluation determined photographs not of paranormal nature.
Julie/Kelley--109 photographs taken using a Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 digital camera--(2 photographs of interest)
Final evaluation determined photographs not of paranormal nature.
Josh/Laura--153 photographs taken using a Digital camera – Kodak Easy Share Z710
--(2 photographs of interest) / 35mm camera – Minolta Zoom 160C – 1 roll of black & white film – No abnormalities
Final evaluation determined photographs not of paranormal nature.
Photographs around the Hillsman House
Hillsman House
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Hillsman House
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Family Cemetery
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Family Cemetery
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Temperature and Relative Humidity (Creek Area)
This was monitored for two hours around the creek by Laura and Josh. We believed this area to be active through our
research and study and wanted to monitor this closely. Laura's research had revealed that many soldiers had died
in and around the creek, waters had risen due to much rain after the battle.
6:15p.m. – Temperature 78.4 °F with 30% Relative Humidity
6:45p.m. – Temperature 77.4 °F with 32% Relative Humidity
6:55p.m. – Temperature 76.6 °F with 34% Relative Humidity
7:10p.m. – Temperature 76.4 °F with 34% Relative Humidity
7:15p.m. – Temperature 71.8 °F with 44% Relative Humidity
7:30p.m. – Temperature 70.4 °F with 48% Relative Humidity
7:58p.m. – Temperature 67.7 °F with 58% Relative Humidity
8:08p.m. – Temperature 67.6 °F with 51% Relative Humidity
8:17p.m. – Temperature 68.9 °F with 48% Relative Humidity
Personal Experiences
Down by the creek, Laura heard the sound of metal clanging against metal. It was initially believed to be a car passing
over a nearby bridge however this was ruled out. At the beginning of Digital EVP 11 - Laura mentions hearing noises,
(footsteps) less than 10ft away on the opposite side of the creek by the waters edge, (after calling out to Emmanuel
LaCosta, a civil war musician).
In the area known as Confederate Overlook, Marty senses a smell of something burning, could have been anything. Marty
notices that mosquitoes and gnats are bad in the overlook area as well as the creek area too. Photographs and video must
be monitored closely.
Julie and Kelli search for an area just above the Hillsman House and by the family cemetery that is believed to be a slave
graveyard. Later in the evening, Marty, Lee and Kathy would search as well with no luck in finding it. No personal
experiences to mention.
Final Conclusion : Paranormally Active
Sailors Creek Battlefield is a great place to investigate, lots of area to cover with so much history and energy from our past.
It is very hard to imagine that some things are not left behind. Chief Ranger Chris Joyner and his staff were very kind,
helpful and knowledgeable. They helped make the investigation a great success. Lee Wilcox and his wife Kathy were
quite helpful in many ways. This being our group's second investigation to the battlefield, we have been able to collect
numerous evps from the creek area as well as the overlook area. While most of those were classified as class C evps,
there are a few that above that and deserve mentioning. We would like to continue to investigate this area and add
to our data. Based on the data we captured we believe there is paranormal activity on this battlefield. Activity
that is above what is normal and can't be explained.
Copyright © Marty Seibel
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