Lee's ghost seems to appear in photograph

By Randall Floyd<br><br>Does the ghost of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee haunt a small battlefield near Aiken where outnumbered South Carolinians turned back a Union invasion during the waning days of

Thursday, December 7th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

By Randall Floyd

Does the ghost of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee haunt a small battlefield near Aiken where outnumbered South Carolinians turned back a Union invasion during the waning days of the Civil War?

A photograph taken in February 1999 during a re-enactment of the Battle of Aiken seems to
offer proof that the famous general's spirit appeared during a simulated cavalry charge. Lee was not a participant when the battle occurred in 1865. The photo was taken by Chris Dabrowski, a North Augusta photojournalist who was documenting the re-enactment for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. ``It's so eerie they can't explain it,'' said Dabrowski, official photographer for the group and honorary member of the E. Porter Alexander Camp.

Dabrowski, 48, was taking photographs of the re-enactment when he noticed a line of Confederate cavalrymen on a hilltop getting set to charge. ``The skies were overcast and there was a slight breeze blowing in from the woods when I saw the young men on horseback at the top of the hill,'' Dabrowski said in an interview. ``One of the horses was riderless, a tribute to a fallen comrade.''

When the prints arrived a week later, Dabrowski was shocked to see the ghostly likeness of Lee astride the lone horse. The ghost was clad in Lee's famed colonel's jacket and West Point cap. The apparition appeared at the end of the line of troops, gazing toward the battle. ``Shivers ran down my spine,'' Dabrowski said. ``You can see right through the body. The woods and trees on the other side can be seen through the torso and hat and face area. ``I wasn't sure what I had, but I knew it was something special,'' he noted.

Others who saw the photo agreed, including Mark Newell, a South Carolina archaeologist and photo expert, and Doug Smith, a computer expert. Both men inspected the original negative and verified its authenticity. The photo was scanned into three separate computers by three different individuals who came up with identical results. ``It's the real thing,'' Smith said. ``Chris captured something that day that is unexplainable.''

While the ghosts of Jeb Stuart, Stonewall Jackson and other famous commanders have
reportedly made appearances at Gettysburg, Shiloh, Cold Harbor and other battlefields, this is apparently the first time anyone has seen the specter of Robert E. Lee. ``Apparitions are pretty common on Civil War battlefields,'' noted Dabrowski. ``To my knowledge, however, this is the first time Lee's ghost has been seen.''

The ghostly figure ``perfectly matches'' photos of Lee that have appeared in books by
historian Emory Thomas and others, Dabrowski added. The controversial photo has been the subject of newspaper articles in several South Carolina newspapers, and an Augusta television station reported on it.

Dabrowski, a former newspaper reporter and graduate of Seton Hall University, says he
will keep telling the story until he gets some answers. ``I won't rest until I get to the bottom of
this mystery,'' he said. A deeply religious man, Dabrowski said he and his family share a history of paranormal encounters. Cold drafts, phantom footsteps and poltergeist activity are all part of their experience. ``I believe in the possibility of ghosts,'' he said. ``I am a journalist, a believer in truth and the rational explanation for most things. But there are some things that defy our imagination, and some people seem to be more receptive to spirits.''

But the photo of Lee's ghost has left him bewildered. ``Maybe his ghost still roams battlefields because he died an unhappy man,'' Dabrowski theorized. Researchers at Northwestern University believe that unhappy spirits continue to roam the earth. Maybe Lee's spirit is not happy with the way (things) turned out and is still beckoning the war cry.''

Author and syndicated columnist Randall Floyd's latest book is 100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries: Strange Secrets of the Past Revealed. He can be reached at Rfloyd2@aol.com