Williamsburg Ghost Tour

15. Coke-Garrett House

Williamsburg, VA

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Dr. Robert Major Garrett lived and worked in the spacious home at the time of the Battle of Williamsburg. His lawn and surgical office soon filled with unlucky men who fell in the fight. At that time, there were only fourteen local surgeons in Williamsburg who could lend aid. Dr. Garrett worked nobly as he cared for the wounded from both sides. Although he was a strong Southern sympathizer, he treated every patient impartially. Dedicated to the soldiers who desperately needed his help, Dr. Garrett went without sleep for several nights. The good doctor was not a young man, and severing limbs was a grueling, fatiguing job. Before collapsing from exhaustion, he did everything possible to ease the pain of the suffering men. Amputations were so frequent that the arms and legs of unfortunate soldiers were piled in the corners of Garrett's surgical office. The appendages of many of the wounded had been completely shot off in battle. There was no time to constantly remove the severed limbs, so the piles soon reached as high as the windowsills. One witness wrote, "The building became so full of blood, people slipped and fell to the floor." The dead were wrapped in sheets and buried in mass graves. Amputation pits were eventually dug to bury the dozens of severed limbs that accumulated each day. With all the trauma that occurred on the lovely grounds of the Coke-Garrett House, it is no wonder that visions of Civil War soldiers have been observed on several occasions. The presence of one particular Confederate has been noted throughout the years. This brave man was fatally wounded while attempting to rescue one of his fallen comrades. During the battle, he lingered behind, waiting for an opportunity to make his escape and carry his injured friend to safety. As the Southern soldier stood, balancing his companion on his shoulders, he was shot in the chest by a Union cavalryman. Somehow, this valiant man found the strength to drag himself and his compatriot to the Coke-Garrett House, where help could be found. His friend survived, but the Southern hero was not as fortunate. He died from his massive injury later the same day. One might think that all that remains of this courageous man is the memory of his good deed, but this may not be the case. His weary figure has been seen on the Garrett land. Apparently he is seeking treatment for his fatal wound. Since the soldier wears a gray uniform bearing the mark of death on his bloodstained chest, many townspeople believe this vision is the ghost of the selfless soldier. Martha Ashe, a resident of Nicholson Street, has seen the spirit of the Rebel hero. "I've lived in Colonial Williamsburg for over ten years," Martha says. "The town seems to take on a different atmosphere most every day. There is one thing I've experienced that remains the same, however. It's the vision of a poor Confederate boy lying on the grounds of the Coke-Garrett House, writhing in pain. "I've seen him on a number of occasions. It doesn't seem fair that a boy with such courage should spend eternity in agony. Every so often when I walk Nicholson Street, I see this young man lying on the ground, beckoning for help." Martha Ashe is not the only person who has witnessed the spirit of this Southern soldier. Visitors to Williamsburg have observed him as well. One such person is Cindy Lincoln. Her experience took place on a warm spring evening in 1992. Cindy recalled, "I just passed the jail, when I saw a man lying on the ground near the Garrett House. I could see he was bleeding, so I ran towards him to help. When I was about twenty yards from him, I turned to call to my friend Tom. When I turned back, the man was gone. I knew he couldn't have gotten very far in his condition. Tom and I searched the area for quite a while, but we never did find him. Finally, we gave up and went back to our hotel." No one knows why the spirit of this fallen Confederate soldier remains, but you might get the chance to find him and ask. Source: Penguin Press, Jackie Eileen Behrend The Hauntings of Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown: http://www.amazon.com/The-Hauntings-Williamsburg-Yorktown-Jamestown/dp/0895872102