## Section One: The Isolated Lighthouse

At the southernmost tip of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, the isolation of which is further amplified by the expansive liquid bodies of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay on either side, stands the formidable and iconic Point Lookout Lighthouse. Casting its spectral glow far into the midnight shadows since 1830, the lighthouse has served as an uncanny beacon, or rather a preternatural warning or welcome to the sailors who dare venture her waters.

It is not so much the lighthouse’s nautical utility, but instead, its morbid and macabre history that renders it a conspicuous anomaly in folklores, narrating spectral tales of those unlucky thousands who met their untimely demise within its confines. Each tale spookier than the previous one, echoing tales of gruesome death, undying torment and spectral activity.

## Section Two: The Civil War Hospital and Prison Camp

The Lighthouse’s acute notoriety is, in large parts, attributed to its notorious stint as a triage and a detainment facility during the American Civil War. Failing to support the overflow from the local hospitals, the lighthouse was transformed into a makeshift triage and the surrounding woodland were converted into a Confederate prison camp.

Although the exact number of people interned and treated at the Point Lookout still finds a dubious mention in historical accounts, the number of souls that perished, owing to abysmal living conditions, malnourishment coupled with the trauma of war, is said to be in thousands. Some say as many as 4,000 lives were claimed by disease, harsh winters, and mistreatment.

## Section Three: The Haunting It Accumulated

These thousands of incarcerated souls, probably unprepared for their ill-fated demise, are rumoured to have never left the premises at all. Generations of locals, historians and paranormal enthusiasts believe that the specters of these tormented individuals continue to inhabit the present-day lighthouse and the surrounding plantation.

Eyewitness accounts of inexplicable visual sightings, auditory disturbances, unexplainable cold winds, and a constant eerie feeling of being observed have been reported time and again. These events are held as an indication of a spectral presence, of souls trapped in the never-ending cycle of torment and revenge, seeking aid, or perhaps looking to quench their thirst for justice.

## Section Four: The Confederate Soldier

Among the spectral infestation, the spirit of a particular Confederate soldier is said to be particularly active. Stories among the locals narrates that he is often seen knocking on the lighthouse windows and moving furniture. In several conducted paranormal investigations, it is claimed that he even responds when called upon.

Whether these spirits are a testament to the lighthouse’s terrifying past, or just stories born from the local folklore, the Point Lookout Lighthouse continues to be a constant point of fearful excitement and curiosity. One cannot help but ponder upon the tortured souls that might linger there.

## Section Five: The Enduring Legacy

The tales that surround the Point Lookout Lighthouse continue to serve as a grisly reminder of its tormented past. Its enduring legacy of ghost sightings, spectral noise and paranormal activities attract a large number of visitors, amateur ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts, all looking for an extraordinary experience.

As night descends, and the Point Lookout Light pierces the oblivion of the dark waters surrounding it, one might chance upon seeing apparitions and/or hearing voices that resonate from the lighthouse’s forbidding past, offering new tales of spectral encounters, only serving to enrich its ghostly lore.