Sachs Covered Bridge

Built by David Stoner in 1852, this historic covered bridge over Marsh Creek was used by both Union and Confederate troops during the Battle of Gettysburg. Designated Pennsylvania's "Most Historic Bridge," it served as a crucial crossing point during the Confederate retreat on July 3, 1863.

Sachs Covered Bridge, built in 1854 over Marsh Creek, served as a crucial crossing point for both Union and Confederate forces during the Battle of Gettysburg. Today it is considered one of the most haunted spots in all of Gettysburg, and some claim it is the most haunted bridge in America.

The most persistent legend involves three Confederate soldiers who allegedly tried to escape the carnage of battle by donning Union uniforms. According to the tale, they were discovered marching with Northern troops near the bridge and promptly executed as examples—hanged from the bridge's wooden support beams so that any Confederate soldiers passing through would see the bodies and heed the warning.

Visitors report seeing three disembodied heads floating on the bridge under the dim moonlight, and photographs have captured what appear to be ghostly apparitions of the executed soldiers. People experience strange touching and hair-pulling, and hear eerie voices when no one else is present. The phantom smell of cigar smoke drifts across the bridge at night, and the sounds of distant cannon fire and musket volleys echo from nowhere.

Another legend tells of a Confederate soldier who drowned in Marsh Creek during the retreat. His spirit is said to haunt the water beneath the bridge, occasionally manifesting as a pale face rising from the creek or as wet footprints leading up the bridge ramp—appearing even on perfectly dry days. Some hear the sound of a man gasping for air and splashing in the water at night, only to find the creek completely still.

The clip-clop of phantom horses' hooves crossing the bridge is commonly reported, as if the cavalry units of 1863 still traverse the crossing. Visitors feel sudden taps on their shoulders only to turn and find no one there.

Historians caution that the hanging story is likely folklore with no documentary proof, but this has done nothing to diminish the bridge's reputation. Today, Sachs Covered Bridge is a pedestrian-only historical site, beautifully preserved and free to visit—though many who explore it after dark leave with stories of their own.