Is the battlefield at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park haunted?

Many of you will remember from Alabama History class that the Battle of Horseshoe Bend took place on March 27, 1814 near present-day Alexander City, in what was then the Mississippi Territory. During this historic battle, which was part of the War of 1812, a force of about 2,700 American soldiers and 600 Lower Creek, Cherokee and Choctaw Indians, led by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated a force of about 1,000 Red Stick Creeks in a well-fortified bend of the Tallapoosa River in modern-day Tallapoosa County. This decisive battle led to the signing of the Treaty of Fort Jackson in which the Creek Nation ceded 23 million acres of Indian lands to the U.S. government.

Today, on the site of this battle, you will find Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, a 2,040-acre park that was established in 1956. Recently, my teenage daughter and I rode up to Horseshoe Bend and spent about two hours exploring the old battlefield. We took the driving tour around the park and also walked the 2-1/2 mile hiking trail that loops around the battlefield.

As we toured the park, I could not help but think about all the spooky stories that I’d heard about Horseshoe Bend over the years. Several years ago, AL.com “weird news reporter” Kelly Kazek wrote an article about Horseshoe Bend’s status as one of the “Top 10 Haunted Parks in the USA.” According to Kazek, “visitors to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park routinely report foul stenches, strange noises and sightings of apparitions at locations throughout the property.” Paranormal investigators have also reported hearing screams and seeing a white figure at the battlefield.

According to articles in The Alexander City Outlook newspaper, the ancient Indian village of Tehopeka once sat in the northeast corner of the Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. At the time of the 1814 battle, this village served as a camp for the “Red Stick” forces. Visitors to this site have reported strange voices and noises, unusual smells and ghostly sightings, the newspaper has reported.

According to the Southern Spirit Guide, “with the slaughter that occurred (at the park), it’s no wonder that visitors have reported a plethora of paranormal activity here ranging from smells and odd noises to full apparitions. A paranormal investigation by the Alabama Paranormal Research Team produced some photographic anomalies as well as the sound of someone screaming in the vicinity of the Muscogee Creek village site.”

While my daughter and I were at the site, we didn’t encounter anything spooky, but we did see more than a few deer and several rabbits. We were there on a Saturday, and several other groups of people were there as well, visiting the park, walking their dogs, jogging and otherwise enjoying the fine weather. Our only disappointment was that the visitor’s center was closed due to COVID-19.

In the end, if you’ve never been to Horseshoe Bend, I highly encourage you to take the time to visit the park. It’s one of the most historic sites in all of Alabama and the only national military park dedicated to the Creek Indian Wars. Plus, if you go at the right time, you might encounter something out of the ordinary and return home with a spooky story to tell.