Confederate General William Barksdale lost his life at Gettysburg. He was buried in a shallow grave but was not claimed until later by his wife. Mrs. Barksdale traveled north and was accompanied by the general’s favorite hunting dog. When exhuming the General’s grave, the dog whimpered which progressively grew into a full wail. Once the general had been recovered, the dog refused to leave the gravesite and no coaching would work. Finally, the animal had to be left behind. Residents recalled seeing the dog, as he remained steadfast by the site.
Some say the dog guarded the grave and became vicious when anyone approached. The dog would accept neither food nor water. Each night, the poor animal could be heard howling and whimpering. Finally, there was silence. The dog had either starved to death or had died of a broken heart.
To this day near the site, you can sometimes hear a dog howling in the night. Sounds like Mrs. Barksdale took the wrong body back to Mississippi.
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