The McNutt House Vicksburg MS

The McNutt House- Vicksburg, MS

compiled by Angela L - MSSPI

The McNutt House was built in 1826 and is among the oldest antebellum homes in Vicksburg's Historic Downtown District. It was acquired by Governor Alexander Gallatin McNutt (Mississippi's 12th Governor) in 1830 , purchased for $900.00, the rear wing was added in 1832.

McNutt is best remembered for his staunch, but unsuccessful battles to regulate banking as well as for having signed into legislation the right of women to own property in Mississippi. Over the centuries the house has had many owners to include the Vick family, for which the city is named.

MSSPI spoke with the current owners of the property related to the Vick family ownership and they reported to us that to their knowledge the lot #8 was originally owned by the Vick family but they had no confirmation that the Vick family ever resided in the house.

At one point The McNutt House was sold at public auction to settle back taxes. The main floor contains coal burning fireplaces with their original cast iron mantles now serving host to business meetings and special occasion events. McNutt's living quarters, his personal office and a guest bedroom now accommodate guests as Suites with full kitchens and private bath. Renovations are currently in progress at the McNutt House, currently owned and operated by Pam & Elvin McFarin.

The McNutt House is located in the Historic Downtown District on the History Walking Tour just minutes from the National Military Park, museums, casinos, riverfront, numerous eateries, city events and entertainment. The McNutt House is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

To learn more about the McNutt House, accomadations and tours visit :

http://vbrg-apts.com/

　

　

Alexander Gallatin McNutt was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, in 1802. Father: Alexander McNutt b: 10 DEC 1754 in Augusta County, VA Mother: Rachel Grigsby b: 1771

He was educated at old Washington College and in the early 1820's moved to Jackson, Mississippi. With the intention of practicing law, McNutt soon moved to Vicksburg, where he opened a law office and also worked for a retired merchant collecting accounts. He became partners with a planter Joel S. Cameron, who was murdered in 1833 by his slaves. McNutt subsequently married Cameron's widow, Elizabeth Lewis Cameron.

　

McNutt's political career began in 1835 when he was elected to the state Senate. His greatest cause was reforming the banking system in Mississippi. In 1837 he was elected president of the Senate and as president signed the bill that established the Union Bank. During McNutt's term of office which began in 1838, he continued his reform plans. Unfortunately, the Union Bank failed, causing the collapse of Mississippi banks and leaving the state with a five million dollar debt.

McNutt retired from political life for a few years after his second term as governor ended in 1842 then in 1847 he waged an unsuccessful campaign for United States Senator against his lifelong nemesis, Henry S. Foote.

McNutt published humorous sketches of sporting life in the wilderness from 1844 to 1847 in William Trotter Porter's Spirit of the Times. His tales, written under the pseudonym "The Turkey Runner," usually involve two characters, both of whom work for the "Captain" (McNutt) on a plantation in Mississippi. Though his tales today are recognized as no more than a representative of Southwestern Humor, during his day Porter recognized McNutt in his collection The Big Bear of Arkansas as a "formidable rival" of Thomas Bangs Thorpe, considered one of the pre-eminent authors of that genre.

In 1848 McNutt again campaigned state-wide to become a presidential elector. While at Cockrum's Crossroads, in Desoto County, he became ill and died on October 22, 1848. . He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson Mississippi.

　

Other History related to the McNutt Family

Elisha Paxton (1785-1867) married Margaret McNutt Paxton (1792-1856) who was the sister of Alexander Gallatin McNutt, Elisha and Margaret Paxton raised and gave college educations to seven sons. One of these sons and most noted is

　

General Elisha Franklin Paxton. He was born on March 4, 1828. He attended the classical school of his cousin, James H. Paxton, and later graduated from Washington College in 1845, at the age of 17, from Yale in 1847 and completed a law course at the University of Virginia in 1849. He worked in the prosecutions of land claims in the state of Ohio after graduation. He began practicing law in Lexington in 1854 and in that same year married Elizabeth Hannah White (1831-1872) the daughter of Matthew White. Their children were Matthew W. Paxton, John G. Paxton and Frank Paxton. Matthew Paxton was the editor of the Rockbridge County News. In 1860, owning to an eye disease, he gave up law and bought Thorn-Hill, a valuable estate near Lexington. In giving up the practice of law, he turned his attention to farming and was very prosperous. He was a states right Democrat, and felt a deep interest in political affairs. When the first call for volunteers for the south was made in 1861 he marched as a lieutenant of the "1st Rockbridge Rifles" to Harpers Ferry. In the first battle of Manassas he was commended for gallantry on the field, in bearing the colors of a Georgia Regiment whose standard-bearer had been shot down. A short time, later he was promoted to major of his regiment, the 27th Virginian and was placed on Stonewall Jackson’s staff. Because he was such a strict disciplinarian as a major, he was relieved of command on a vote of confidence by his men. He then became a voluntary aid for Stonewall Jackson, with no pay, and paid his own expense. Jackson cited him many times for his distinguished service and in the fall of 1862, he was promoted to Brigidaire General on Jackson’s recommendation and took command of the "Stonewall Brigate". He led the "Stonewall Brigate" in some of the most memorable conflicts on Virginia soil. During the war, his thoughts turned to God and a premonition warned him he would never return home. He united himself with the Presbyterian Church, and arose each morning with prayer and carried the bible next to his heart. The night before the battle at Chancellorsville he expressed an assurance he would be killed the next day. In the morning he arose as usual for his private devotions before going into battle and he was shot leading his men. General Paxton died at the head of his troops at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863. It is not known if Gen. Paxton ever visited the McNutt House but I thought I would include this information for those with an interest in Civil War history.

About the Magill House

　

The Magill House is situated at the base of the courtyard and named in honor of Lt. David Weeks Magill, a wealthy 21 year old Louisiana plantation owner and Confederate Officer who perished in 1863 during the Siege of Vicksburg and is buried on site. Lt Magill's headstone stands in the courtyard in front of the Maghill House although it has been moved from the original unknown location of his actual burial site on the grounds.

This building has served a variety of purposes including classrooms for a Montessori School that once owned the property. A front porch spans the length of the building facing a large patio and the courtyard. The house contains a Guest Room and two efficiency Suites with kitchenettes, each with private bath. A common area is also available for use by guests containing a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher plus adjoining complimentary laundry room.

These two buildings plus the former Montessori School house

(used for larger social gatherings and special events) surround a lovely tiered courtyard containing several patios and a large deck protecting one of the area's oldest Japanese Magnolia trees. A Crape Myrtle believed to predate the Civil War provides additional shade to the picnic area containing gazebos and BBQ grill.

Lt David Weeks Magill

　

Center stage in the lower courtyard is a civil war grave marker identified to Lt. D. W. Magill of the 8th Louisiana Heavy Artillery reportedly uncovered when preparing the grounds to construct a 5 room structure now named in Magill's honor. David Weeks Magill, a 21 year old multi-millionaire (in today's dollars) who inherited the Louisiana sugar plantation L'Isle Labbe when his mother and two siblings fell victim to the 1856 hurricane that destroyed Last Island while vacationing at the popular resort area in Terrebonne Parish. David and his uncle (William) narrowly avoided the same fate as they were delayed in joining his mother by the storm.

Orphaned, he became the ward of his grandmother Mary Weeks who over saw management of David's property until she married Judge John Moore and moved to the plantation Shadows-on-the-Teche. Judge Moore represented the area in the state legislature and then in the United States Congress for several terms. Then came the Civil War. Congressman Moore helped draft Louisiana's ordinance of secession and was active in the state's wartime government, which moved from captured Baton Rouge to Shreveport. Meanwhile, young Magill was attending school in Virginia. Against his grandmother's strong objections he returned to Louisiana to join the confederacy as a Lieutenant and was ultimately dispatched to Vicksburg where he served and died during the siege. There is conflicting information regarding date and cause of his death, but it has been reported that he died of a fever of unknown origin.

Although the property's historic relevance is attached to Governor McNutt, who as a political figure likely had his share of skeletons in the closet, there is little evidence the house has any original closets. It's the permanent resident that has provided us our greatest interest in the landmark's hidden history.

Genealogy Research Information

Name: D W. Magill

Unit: 8 Batt'n Louisiana H. Art'y.

Rank - Induction: Lieutenant

Rank - Discharge: Lieutenant

Allegiance: Confederate

Source Citation:

Box: 378;Extraction: 18; Record: 2195

Source Information:

United States National Archives. Civil War Service Records

Confederate records were taken from National Archives Record Group 109 microfilm series M253.

---------

Confederate Research Sources

Volume 2 - page 838

Magill, D. W.,Lt. Battn. Wash. La. Hvy. Arty.

Name appears on an abstract for quarter ending March 31, 1863.

Louisiana Confederate Soldiers

This database constitutes 3 volumes of records of Louisiana Confederate soldiers and commands. This alphabetized roll contains over 120,000 records of individuals. It also provides a brief history of Louisiana's 982 companies in the Confederate army, making this database of interest to the thousands of descendants of Louisiana Confederate soldiers.

http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/military/

1850 Census Records

Name: David Magill

Age: 9

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841

Birth Place: Louisiana

Gender: Male

Home in 1850(City,County,State): St Martinsville, St Martin, Louisiana

Family Number: 939

+

A J Magill 39

Francis M Magill 28

Mary Magill 7

Augustine Magill 6

Brickner Magill 2

1860 Census Records

Name: David Magill

PLANTER

Age in 1860: 18

Birth Year: abt 1842

Birthplace: Louisiana

Home in 1860: Attakapas, St Martin, Louisiana

Gender: Male

Post Office: St Martinville

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=4024&p=localities.northam.usa.states.louisiana.unknown

MSSPI had the pleasure of investigating the McNutt, Magill and Chapel buildings on two occasions in the spring of 2010. We did not record anything on our IR Video, however we did record several EVP as well as having several team members who had personal experiences. We will be posting these clips on our main MSSPI website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the case file evp page. We appreciate the owners in allowing us to investigate their property and we would recommend a stay at the McNutt B & B should you ever have the occasion to visit the City of Vicksburg.

　

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_McNutt_(governor)

"Another Story of Jem and Chunkey." An Anthology of Mississippi Writers. Eds. Noel E. Polk and James R. Scafidel. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1979.

Howell, Elmo. "Governor Alexander G. McNutt of Mississippi: Humorist of the Old Southwest." Journal of Mississippi History 35 (February 1973): 153-66.

Howell, Elmo. "Governor McNutt House." Mississippi Home-Places: Notes on Literature and History, by Elmo Howell. 1988. 244-45.

http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/mcnutt_alexanderg/

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10342943

Encyclopedia of American Biography, p. 646.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=thomasbledsoe&id=I00277

http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m067.htm

The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries Special Collections

http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/index.php

118 College Drive #5148 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5148

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Alexander_G._McNutt/

http://vbrg-apts.com/

M House Private Residence Corinth MS

Case #1002 M House Private Residence


Location: Corinth MS

Dates: 6/5/2010

Weather Conditions: Hot and dry, slight intermittant mild breezes.

Investigators Present: Angela, Tony, Brad,

Others Present : KM- Homeowner　( family names and location are being kept confidential to ensure the homeowners privacy. )

History & Investigation Overview : Client reported claims of her bed shaking in the middle of the night not the frame but the mattress, audible voices, unexplained noises. Client states only known death in the home was husbands grandfather. Client also has her sister, B.'s ashes in a heart shaped box on the refridgerator. Client collects antiques and has numerous photos on her walls from 1800's time periods of persons she does not know.


Baseline readings suggested extremely high emf near water heater in laundry room from 72.5 up to 150 on EMF meter. Laundry room is in a seperate area from where the experiences have occurred. Numerous still photos were taken, both for reference and during the investigation. 4 IR DVR Cameras were placed throughout the home, focusing on the two bedrooms to try and document the bed shaking. Two clear glass bowls with a small amount of water were also placed on the beds and placed in camera shot to try and document any movement of the bed matresses. We were not able to document or experience this particular claim.

Baseline temps 69-72 degrees F.

16 EMF in back corner of the spare bedroom/unexplained. Kitchen readings flat except for 5 on fridge, 4.5 on microwave and 10.5 above the stove , LR O.0 to 0.2 EMF Masterbedroom 3.2 on clock radio/0.1 rest of the room. There are limited power outlets throughout the house as the walls are made of concrete. the floors are on a concrete slab with hardwood flooring on top. No crawl spaces or basements and a very small crawl space in the attic area. The bathroom addition has no attic space.

Occurrences & Personal Experiences: We heard low pitched growling noises in the living room, but we could not figure out where they were coming from. The motion light came on outside when Angie said, "you can do anything you want just give me some kind of sign that your here." The guys could find no reason outside why the light came on. There were no tree limbs near or blocking the light and all pets were accounted for. We saw no other wild animals or possible explainations for what made the light go off, however it did happen on two occasions during the night just after we had asked for a sign of spirit presence. And did not occur at any other time during the investigation. Whether it was related or not, it was coincedental and will be noted.

K. heard shuffling noises while sitting on the couch in LR. Experienced numerous cold spots and cold chills which faded quickly or moved. The backdoor came open by itself. It was completely closed and the guys at base saw it open and got up to close it. Just a few minutes after this, from the master bedroom, Angie saw a sparkle flash of light then 3 rod shaped shadows shoot into the living room wall. The guys noticed on the base camp monitor, a flash of light and a black orb which floated to the floor then illuminated for over a minute then disappated. This event occured on the opposite side of the wall where Angie had seen the shadows enter the wall. Angie who was unaware of this event, saw a quick flash of light come out of the wall and zip out into the living room moments after the light from the black orb had faded on the other side of the wall.

Black Orb/Anamoly Video MSSPI YouTube Channel

Now MSSPI is usually very skeptical when it comes to orbs. however this one was different from our normal bubble white orbs that we see so frequently when using IR & digital Cams. This one actually illuminated and stayed that way for over a minute before it vanished. We actually do not believe it is an orb but should be called a dark mass anomoly. We did a complete search of the area and could find no logical explaination, no dust bunnies or lightening bugs. Believe me we tried hard to disprove it as something natural. The video above is the short version of this clip as the main file was very large. We will be uploading the longer version on our YouTube MSSPIvideo Channel. You can also leave your comments about the video on the Youtube page. If you have any trouble viewing the clip, try viewing it on the main MSSPI YouTube page by clicking here

While on the bed in the spare room Angela experienced the room getting very dark , so dark she could not see the white door frame outline, she felt as if something extremely dark was up in her face. This was a bit unnerving. She also experienced a significant cold spot right after the darkness faded. 74 degrees on the right side of the bed, 60 degrees on the left side of the bed. the air conditioner was turned off and had been off for some time. Baselines in the room were 72-74 degrees F.

Tony felt unexplained cold chills while sitting on the couch in the LR. Brad had the sensation of electricity go from his neck down both arms while sitting on the loveseat. Unexplained noises and popping sounds were heard, and the smell of faint cigar smoke in the living room was noted by Brad.

Both Angie & K. experienced a darkness in the living room that got darker then gradually lightened. K2 lights flickered on the master bed only one time, no one was in the room, Angie saw it from the couch. Cabinet door in LR banged on a few occasions, unexplainably. K. had cold chills just after this noise, Angie saw an unexplained shadow on the wall in the LR. K. witnessed a very tall black shadow in the spare bedroom which shook her up a bit, Brad noted a cold spot in the area immediately after K. saw the shadow.

this photo is for comparison as to what was on the wall were the black orb footage was shot. This wall is made of concrete.



We will be adding the video footage very soon!



Summary:



It is my opinion based on the personal experiences and the whispery audio we recorded as well as the unusual black orb which illuminated and was recorded on video, that there is unexplained phenomena occurring at this residence. While we were unable to document the bed shaking, we experienced other things such as shadows, unexplained footsteps, noises and cold spots and physical symptoms that were unexplained.

We believe that a follow-up investigation is warranted to further document experiences and further evidence.

We have decided that the audio is not of high enough quality to post on this case report. Most of our audio files were sounds that were heard during the investigation and some whispery responses. We will maintain those files off line for the record, but we did not feel they were sufficient to post on the website. So we will review our audio files from Inv.2 and post if we find anything new. We will also be adding video to this case file as soon as our data is uploaded to the server.
We had no evidence captured in still photos.

Follow Up
MSSPI conducted a follow-up investigation at this location on July 24, 2010. Data from that investigation is in review. We will post updates to this case as the information becomes available and all evidence has been thru the review process.

History Updates:

During Inv. 2 the homeowner's husband was present and he stated that there were several deaths in the home that he is aware of. His grt grandfather and grt grandmother both apparently died in the home and their bodies were placed for viewing in the living room for the family wake. He also stated that his grt grandfather built the home in the early 1950's, prior to that the land was vacant. This home is also located in an area that saw plenty of action during the Civil War in the 1860's and could possibly have other history we are not aware of. we have not concluded our full history research but we will keep you posted of any new information we obtain.

The Z House- Southaven Private Residence

Private Residence Southaven #1003

by Angela L- MSSPI

On May 17, 2010 MSSPI investigated a residential home in Southaven Ms. The homeowner had reported seeing a dark shadow figure moving across his hallway from room to room on numerous occasions. He also reported the strange smell of coffee in the master bedroom and bathroom areas at certain times during the day. There were also reports of the feeling of being watched. Disembodied voices heard by himself and several guests to his home. And the sound of cabinet doors slamming shut. His lady friend reported having her hair and arm touched by an unseen entity. There were also reports of shuffling noises, footsteps and doors opening by themselves. The feeling of someone standing behind him when no one was there was also reported by the homeowner and an outside visitor. There was also a report by the homeowners friend that he had stayed over one night and while sleeping on the couch, something poked him hard in the stomach. The homeowner is new to the home having only recently purchased it about 2 or 3 months ago and has been doing some minor repairs and renovations to the home such as patching drywall and painting. He has yet to feel comfortable enough to sleep in the master bedroom. He sent us this photo which he took on his cell phone camera. We have not been able to recreate the shadow as of yet.

The history claims of the home included the original homeowner who purchased the house in the 1960's as having been killed in a tragic fishing boat accident at Arkabutla Lake sometime in the 1980's We are currently researching these claims.


On our initial investigation, we set up 4 DVR IR Cameras, Multiple Digital audio recorders and took multiple still photos as well as collected enviromental data. We had no unusual emf fluctuations or K2 hits, and nothing showed up in our video or still photos, However, we did have numerous personal experiences in the home as well as numerous EVP recordings. You can listen to the EVP clips on our main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the Case files EVP page.

Some of the personal experiences by our team members included the strong smell of vanilla coffee in the master bed/bath area that we could not find the source of and which seemed to come and go. and trust me when I say, we sniffed everything in the area LOL. We also recorded some evp clips during the same time we smelled the smell. There were also numerous loud footsteps heard and recorded as well as, disembodied voices that were heard by both Angela and Jen as well as an amazing experience, where a dresser drawer was slammed in the master bedroom while Angela & Jen were doing an emf/evp session in the room and had asked if anyone present could make a noise or come near the lights on the K2 meter. There was no one near the dresser at the time and we did catch the sound on our recorders. We were able to recreate the sound by manipulating the dresser drawer but we were unable to determine how the noise could have possibly happened without someone or something manipulating it.

Unfortunately the dresser was not in a clear view of the camera so we did not catch the dresser movement on the video, but it was definately a hair raising experience.


The activity seemed to increase when the girls were present as had also been reported by the homeowner that the activity seemed to increase whenever he had female friends over to visit. There were also some unexplained cold spots when there was absolutely no air or heat vents on or windows in the area.

We are very excited to do a followup investigation at this location as there was so much unexpected activity and there are some things we would like to try and recreate and /or possibly validate on a followup trip. We appreciate the homeowner allowing us to investigate his home. We are keeping the location and homeowner information private to protect the clients privacy. We completed a followup investigation in June 2010 with some added experiences and evp clips. However, we got nothing on our video and we also referred this case to another local paranormal team to get their take on the activity and to see if they experienced anything similar. Their evidence is currently in review and we arte keeping in contact with the homeowner for a possible future followup investigation after the other paranormal team has completed their investigation.
You can listen to some of the EVP clips we recorded by visiting the main MSSPI home website at http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ under the casefiles EVP pages.

Magnolia Hill B&B West Helena Arkansas

Magnolia Hill B&B West Helena Arkansas


Story & Photos by Shelly B MSSPI



Back in August of 2009, David and I were invited by our friends Paranormal Inc. to spend the night at Magnolia Hill B&B in West Helena, Arkansas.

The night started out with a tour of the grounds along with the history and alleged hauntings of the place such as footsteps going up and down the stairs and doors opening and shutting on their own as well as disembodied voices. One claim that was told to us by the innkeepers was that of their dog who can not go up and down the stairs and has to be carried. The innkeeper told us she was cleaning the bottom floors of the house and was looking for the dog and found him at the top of the stairs. They do not know how he got up there unless he was carried to the top.

The house is a beautiful home and the innkeepers were most gracious. The home was once a Presbyterian Church and was also used as a USO club during World War II. The home was also built on the site of a Civil War battle.

We had no activity in the home. All readings were within normal range, no EMF fluctuation or changes in temperatures. We did not get any unusual photographs or any EVP's the whole time we were there. That is how it goes sometimes, but we still had a great time at this historical location.

Some other members did get some activity that you can view on their websites. www.paranormalincorporated.com and http://www.theellisvillemississippiparanormalsociety.com/
Paranormal Incorporated has a blog written about their expierences on their site along with a few EVP's that they recorded.

Even though it was a quiet night for us, we had a great time and would love to go back for a nice weekend stay. If you are ever in West Helena and looking for a place to stay. Magnolia Hill B&B is the place to stay. For a complete history of Magnolia Hill or to book a stay at this lovely home, please visit www.magnoliahillbnb.com

Magnolia Manor, Bolivar, Tn.

MAGNOLIA MANOR BOLIVAR TENNESSEE

by Shelly Beard, MSSPI


My husband David and I had the pleasure of staying overnite at this historic home in March of 2009. This was also a joint investigation with members of Paranormal Inc. of Memphis, TN.

Magnolia Manor is also, one of the featured locations in Paranormal, Inc. upcoming documentary entitled Ghost of War soon to be released later this year. Click the Ghosts of War icon below to view the trailer.

http://paranormalincorporated.blogspot.com/2009/11/ghosts-of-war-update-and-trailer.html

Also present was The Ellisville Mississippi Paranormal Society out of Ellisville, MS along with a couple of nice ladies we met named Cindy and Lisa from Missouri.

The photo above was taken the day after the investigation on a visit to the nearby Polk Cemetery.

Magnolia Manor was built by Judge Austin Miller in 1849. He was a prominent attorney and is credited with helping place the southern boundary of Tennessee so that Memphis was in Tennessee, not Mississippi. In fact, Austin Miller is mentioned by name in the Constitution of the State of Mississippi in article two as having established the northern boundary of that state. He also donated 20 acres of land in Tunica County, Mississippi in 1848 for the county seat. The town was named Austin in honor of Judge Miller.

Magnolia Manor is a classic two story Georgian Colonial designs. Each brick was hand made and sun dried on the home site by slaves. It features fourteen foot ceilings and thirteen inch thick walls from the ground to the roof. There are four bedrooms in the main house and nine fireplaces. Two of the bedrooms are master suites, two full baths and two half baths. The house also features double parlors.

It has been beautifully restored and is owned by Elaine Cox. It has operated as a bed and breakfast since 1985.

Elaine has told us, that Magnolia Manor was used as headquarters for the Union Army during the Civil War and was occupied by Generals Logan, McPherson, Sherman, and Grant. It is also believed, that this is the home where they planned the battle of Shiloh.

One story that Elaine told us, was that one night, during dinner, General Sherman made the comment that he thought, that all Southern women and children should be exterminated. Mrs.Miller heard this comment and went out on the back porch, crying. General Grant followed her and asked her why she was crying, and she told him what General Sherman had said. General Grant then marched back into the house and made General Sherman apologize to Mrs. Miller. General Sherman did so, but he was so angry and humiliated, that on his way upstairs to his quarters, he slashed the banister with his sword. This slash is still visible to this day.

We began our night with a meet and greet with everyone and toured the house, as well as, learned the fascinating history of this manor.

Although we did not have any personal experiences, other team members did have experiences. You can read about those at the Paranormal Inc. web site listed below. We did get a few good EVP's from this location that we know were not anyone else that was present. We did not get any anomalous photographs, although we took numerous photos of the house and the grounds.

When I do an EVP session, I like to try, to carry on a conversation and see if I get some kind of response. While I was talking, I asked "Do you live here?" and this is the response I got. You can listen to the clip on our main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the new Casefiles EVP page. There were no other females in the room with David and I, and I know it was not me or any of the other guest in the house. There were two ladies in the room next to us, but I know, it was not either one of them.

After a full night of investigating David and I decided to turn in. We left the audio recorder running all night long in our room and captured a few good EVP's. Please take a listen and let us know what you hear. David and I did wake up a few times during the night to, sounds of doors banging shut and the sound of furniture being moved around in our room. (NOTE: You may hear David snoring in a few of these clips, but the sounds are clearly not him, as I am used to every sound he makes.)

Overall, it was great night, we met alot of new people, we are proud to call our friends and colleagues in the paranormal field. Not to mention, an opportunity to stay in a historic home and take a step back in time, as well as ,have a spectacular breakfast prepared by Ms. Elaine.

Special thanks to Ms. Elaine Cox, owner of Magnolia Manor and Rich Newman and Mike Ulseman of Paranormal, Inc. for inviting us on this overnight investigation event.

For more information about the history of Magnolia Manor or to book a stay at this historic bed and breakfast, please visit their web site at www.magnoliamanorbolivartn.com

Undisclosed Hospital , North Mississippi

Undisclosed Hospital


Due to confidentiality and request made by the hospital owners we are not releasing the name or location of this hospital other than to say it is located in the State of Mississippi.

David, Shelly, Angela and Tony had a chance to spend about 4 hours at this hospital in November 2008 ,taking photos and doing evp sessions. We did have one photo that we cannot explain. At first, this photo very much resembles Angela, however, at the time this photo was taken, Angela was outside of the hospital at the car, putting new batteries in her digital recorder which had been drained unexpectedly just a few minutes prior to this photo being taken by Shelly on the second floor of the hospital. Angela also had her hair down that day and was not wearing a ponytail which it appears the figure in this photo has. Also, Just before taking this photo, Shelly had been unable to open the double doors in the photo. There was also no power in the hospital at the time the photo was taken and we have been unable to determine what could have caused the bright round lights on the back wall other than the possibility that there may have been a generator light fixture reflecting the camera flash.

Each of the investigators present had personal experiences, from hearing the bell and movement of the elevators moving when there was no power to them, the smell of blood and bleach on the second floor near the elevator doors, hearing bangs, footsteps and the feeling of being watched and battery drain. Angela uses 8x Lithium batteries and had drain on two occasions, which is not the norm for her, She can usually take up to 8000 pics on a set of 8x Lithiums. We did record a few evp and we will be posting them to the main MSSPI website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the Case files EVP page.



You can leave your comments about the following photo in the comment section below.Please feel free to tell us what you think, we are not sure what to think especially since all our members, where abouts are accounted for at the time the photo was taken...believe me when I say, that this one has Angela pretty creeped out to say the least. LOL

While in the Boiler Room of the Hospital, Tony decided to mess with Angela a little bit by singing the song from the Freddy Kruger Movie 1-2 Freddies coming for you. Listen to the creepy EVP we recorded by visiting the main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the Case files EVP page. Somebody else tried to sing along. Angela also experienced battery drain on her camera at this same time.
We also recorded EVP of bells, water drips, voices and responses to our conversations. You can listen to them at the link above.



We were unable to do any follow-up investigating after this initial visit as the owners decided not to allow any more investigating at this location due to concerns about insurance liability and public tresspassing issues.

The C House-New Albany Private Residence

New Albany Private Residence 2009/2010

MSSPI investigated this early 1800's farmhouse on several occasions in 2009. Reports of activity included, several sightings of a large shadow man at the top of the stairs and on one occasion it was seen leaning over their young son while he slept, There were feelings of being watched, footsteps when no one was there and the heaters being turned on and off by themselves.The young son was afraid to sleep in his room and there were also reports of unexplained noises, the back door opening by itself and a chair in the dinning room turning over when no one was in the room.

We were able to confirm several deaths that occured in the house over the years and related to its location and age there is the possibility that the house saw some activity during the Civil War. The house was originally built in 1814. Moved from its original location in 1842 and also includes a large amount of farm land, a slaves quarters and an old barn. We only investigated the house as the slave quarters is now occupied by tenants and the barn has never been entered by the current owners and we did not know what safety hazzards could be lurking there and there had been no reported activity in those locations.

We have visited the location on at least 3 occasions in 2009 and have recorded numerous EVP and all of our team members have had some sort of personal experience while there.

Recent activity at the home in 2010 has been reported by the homeowner, including strange noises and footsteps, a rocking chair being moved to the center of the room on several occasions when no one was there, door handles jiggling and doors opening by themselves, strange behavior by the family cat and continued feelings of uneasiness and being watched by something unseen.



2010 Update:

MSSPI conducted a final investigation of the home on May 15th 2010. We made one last attempt to capture evidence at this location, but the atmosphere of the house was very quiet and there was little if any activity on this last investigation. The home was also investigated by the GHOST team of Southwest Tennesse the same week, and we appreciate them for sharing their findings with us. We are sorry to hear that the homeowners are moving out of state due to work related issues, but we wish them well and we appreciate them opening up their home for us to investigate. We will be posting some of the EVP clips to the main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the Case files EVP pages that are currently in construction as of the date of this blog post.

Personal Team Experiences Case Reports

David and T.J. Were investigating upstairs and T. J. was sitting in the chair that is in the hall corner at the top of the stairs. David was standing in the doorway of the daughter's room facing out towards T.J. And the stairwell. He states that he saw a shadow mass that moved towards him and went through his arm and it disappeared once it passed him. He states that his arm got really cold when this mass was near him. T.J. Did not see this. David has never experienced anything like that before. They also heard two distinctive knocks in the mancave when they asked if anyone was present during the EVP session.

While in the mancave ( downstairs bedroom) Jennifer experienced cold chills and the homeowner also experienced them. They both again felt cold chills in the son's room and the K2 meter went up to yellow and then red with no explanation while in the center of the bed. Angie felt a cold spot like someone had their hand on her arm and shoulder on the staircase, there was a slight temperature change aprox 2 degrees. Angela also saw a dark shadow mass approaching towards her from the bottom of the staircase to the top step where she was sitting just prior to the cold spot she felt, They also experienced cold chills in the parent's room and the K2 spiked to yellow while sitting in the middle of the bed. There was no logical explanation for this. Also all audio from their session has unexplainably deleted itself. There is no audio for this time in the location. Angela saw the files deleteing right in front of her and could not stop them, no buttons had been pushed on the recorder and only the file from this session was deleted.

We were on the porch area at the same time Angie, Jen and the Homeowner were inside the location. Upon arrival on the porch area Shelly stated that " I felt like someone touched my back." We were sitting there doing EVP session and I (Shelly) took a few pictures. David was sitting in one of lounge chairs on the porch to the left of the front door as was James. I was looking in through the glass in the house and observed the team inside going upstairs. I then looked back to David and we both witnessed a light anomaly that was not exactly round but it looked watery and ripply and danced around the interior of the porch awning. We saw this anomaly two times with in a 5 minute period. Each time it lasted about 10 to 15 seconds. I tried to photograph it but had no luck. At the time this was occurring James felt like he was being touched on the arm. I took photographs but nothing was in them. We tried to recreate this light anomaly various different ways and we could not.

2nd followup investigation--- during the EVP session that Angie, Shelly, and Jennifer were doing we asked if anyone was present and if they could give us a sign of their presence. Upon that we all three heard 2 distinctive knocks. This was not just a sound it was a deliberate knock that was in a row. At this time we also had K2 spike and the knocking was captured on all three recorders. Jennifer's actually has what sounds like footsteps walking up then knocking twice then walking away. We also heard what sounded like someone was messing with the mini blinds in the living room while we were in the downstairs bedroom or ( Mancave ). We went to investigate but there was nothing there.

Most every member of our team had personal experiences of some sort. This house has an amazing history and we may have validated one of our EVP's we captured. We are still currently researching this to see if the hired hand the original owners had was really named Frank. We can not say for 100% if it is haunted or not without further investigation and research, but we are all in agreement that there is unexplained activity occurring at this location. And with each investigation, we get a little bit closer to figuring out the truth. We appreciate the homeowners inviting us in to their home to investigate.

Delaware Private Residence

Delaware Private Residence Aug 2009


This past summer 2009, Angela & Tony had the privaledge of visiting the State of Delaware. While we were there we were invited to do a small investigation at a family members home which had reported activity. The activity reported ranged from the sighting of short shadow people walking in the back area of the 3- 5 acre lot as well as hearing voices, being pinched ,and doors opening by themselves. We agreed to do a small investigation with an audio session and emf sweep of the home as well as still photography. We were shown around the grounds and the home. Given what historical information the family was aware of and interviews with the family members who had had personal experiences.



We did recording sessions in the Attic bedrooms which had the highest incidence of activity and took photos, we did not capture anything significant in the pictures and found only the expected emf fluctuations from household appliances but nothing suspect or significant. But we did record some unexplained voices in the attic and on the staircase from the attic. One of which was audibly heard by Angela in the attic. We are posting those evp clips for further review on our main website, http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ on the Case files EVP page..
Since we were there in August, we have kept in contact with the family and the activity has increased. Especially since the beginning of some minor home improvements. They have since reported the sightings of apparitions of a man, a woman and a small child. the continuation of hearing voices. They have had an increase in physical intereaction in the attic, reports of pinching, and now scratching and the possible capture of an apparition on a cell phone camera of a small child sitting on the bed.( we have not confrimed or reviewed this photo as of yet. There has also been a report of a piece of wood being thrown at a family member while in the basement. We have referred them to a local paranormal research team in their area and are working with them to find some answers for the experiences they are having.

2010 Update- We visited with the family on our vacation trip to Delaware this past week. The activity still occurs from time to time but is not as frequent as it once was. The Delaware team did not find anything significant but keeps in contact with the family with followup calls and check ins. We will keep you updated if anything new comes up. We are not posting any photos on this case file out of respect for the families privacy.

Shiloh National Battlefield and Cemetery

MSSPI at Shiloh Battlefield and US National Cemetery


Articles and Photos by Angela L.Co founder MSSPI

MSSPI has been to Shiloh on two occasions, the first time in the summer of 2008 with Angela & Tony and The second time on a day trip with the Founders in July of 2009. We are planning a 3rd group trip in October 2010.

Angela & Tony had some great experiences on their first trip to the battlefield and captured a great EVP that is being featured in Paranormal Inc's New Haunted Battlefields Documentary Ghosts of War coming out sometime in October 2010, We will keep you informed when we have more information on the release date. But you can hear the EVP clip recorded on the Trail to Sherman's Headquarters and that is being featured in the upcoming Para Inc. documentary on our main website http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ under the case files EVP tab.

Tony & Angela were walking up a wooded rail behind the Old Shiloh Church Cemetery on their way to the Sherman's Headquarter Monument. Angela also thought she saw a shadow figure run past her in the woods at nearly the same time this EVP was recorded.

Photo by Angela L on 2009 day trip to the US National Cemetery at Shiloh Battlefield. Tn.

Shiloh National Cemetery was established in 1866 and embraces an area of 10.2 acres. There are 3,695 bodies buried in the cemetery, two thirds of which are unidentified. there are also a number of other casualties from nearby battlefields. Some from the Spanish American War, both World Wars and one from the Revolutionary War. There are only two Confederate bodies buried here, both died while being held prisioners of war by the Union Army.

The Wisconsin Color Guard Memorial is located on the east end of the cemetery overlooking the Tennessee River.

We recorded several EVP clips while in the cemetery and they can be reviewed on the main MSSPI website under Casefiles EVP tab.

Areas of Interest on the Battlefield

MSSPI Co Founder Shelly Beard trying to get this monsterous monument in a shot. Photo by Angela L .

                                                                 The Iowa State Monument

This 75 foot monument designed by E.F. Triebel was erected by the State of Iowa in 1906. An eagle tops this massive monumant with a wingspan of 15 feet. At the base if the monument is a bronze statue, symbolic of "Fame" inscribing a tribute to the Iowa soldiers who fought and died in the battle. The State of Iowa also has 11 more regimental monuments on the field.

Confederate Burial Trenches

Photo by Angela L 2009 MSSPI

All of the confederate dead, except the two in the National Cemetery are buried throughout the battlefield in 5 large mass burial trenches. In the largest there are reportedly 721 bodies, stacked 7 deep. The day after the battle, General Beauregard dispatched a message to General Grant asking for permission to send a mounted party to the battlefield to bury his dead. In answer Gen Grant said " Owing to the warmth of the weather, I deemed it advisable to have all the dead of both parties buried immediately.. now it is accomplished." The Confederate and the Union soldiers were buried together in the trenches. Four years after the battle, the Union dead were removed to the newly established national cemetery. The Confederate dead still remain in the trenches where they were buried by the Union. Apparently the US Government did not feel the Confederate dead were worthy of a cemetery plot or a proper burial.

The Bloody Pond

Angela L had her first paranormal experience here at the Bloody Pond when she was about 8 yrs. She wittnessed an apparition of a wounded Union Soldier standing behind her while she knelt next to the pond. His reflection was in the water and he spoke to her and when she turned around to look at him, there was no one there. There have also been numerous reports of sitings of wounded soldiers as well as a woman in white who is rumored to be a nurse who was present after the battle of Shiloh.
The history of the Bloody Pond is well known as the water source shared by both Union and Confederate wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and that there was so much blood spilled here that the water was the shade of blood red. At certain times of the year, the pond will take on the shade of red giving it a bloody appearance. This red shade is made today by a red algea that grows in the pond.

The Old Shiloh Church

Angela & Tony recorded whispers in the Old Church replica which stands on the exact spot where it stood during the Battle of Shiloh.

On the second trip to Shiloh,  Shelly & David joined the tour and met the church wasps.

Ray Springs Bridge
There have been many claims of people wittnessing apparitionsof soldiers on or near the bridge. On our second trip, Shelly David and Angela smelled the scent of cinnamon which we could not not find the source for. While we are not saying it was paranormal is was very odd.

Tony B at the Sunken Trail

There have also been numerous reports of phantom voices, screams, cannon fire and full bodies apparitions sighted or heard near the Sunken Trail as well as the surrounding fields where thousands of wounded and dying men lay bloody and mangled after the Battle of Shiloh.

The Park Service will tell you that they have no knowledge of ghosts and hauntings at the Battlefield, but numerous visitors and witnesses to the parks paranormal activities, dare to disagree.

Shiloh Facts

Shiloh National Battlefield is located on the west bank of the Tennessee River at the intersection of St. Hwys 45 and 142. It is 13 miles east of 45 and 5 miles south of Hwy 64.

Shiloh National Military Park is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of The Interior.

Shiloh National Military Park contains approximately 3,730 acres of Federal Land and was established by an act of Congress in 1894.

The battle of Shiloh occurred April 6 & 7th of 1862, nearly 24,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or reported missing.


There are numerous other areas of interest at the Shiloh Battlefield. We took hundreds of photos and hours of audio recordings on both trips we have made to Shiloh. We are looking forward to returning in October 2010. Check the main MSSPI website at http://www.mississippi-spi.com/ for EVP clip postings and news updates.




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