If you are a history buff or a ghost hunter, you might want to visit the Drum Barracks in Wilmington, California. This is the last remaining original American Civil War era military facility in the Los Angeles area, and it has a rich and spooky history.
The Drum Barracks was built between 1862 and 1863 as a Union garrison to secure the loyalty and security of Southern California, which had many pro-Confederacy sympathizers. The camp was named after Colonel Richard Drum, the assistant adjutant general of the Department of California. It was also known as Camp Drum or Camp San Pedro.
The Drum Barracks served as a staging, training and supply base for military operations in the Southwest. Some 17,000 Californian volunteers passed through the barracks on their way to fight for the Union in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The camp also played a role in the Indian Wars after the Civil War ended.
The camp was decommissioned in 1871, and most of its buildings were sold or demolished. Only two structures survived: the powder magazine and the junior officer's quarters. The latter was saved from demolition in 1962 by community groups and turned into a Civil War museum that is open to the public.
The museum displays artifacts, weapons, uniforms, photographs and documents related to the Civil War and the Drum Barracks. It also offers guided tours of the historic building, which has been restored to its original appearance. Visitors can see the parlor, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, library and office of the officers who lived there.
But be warned: you might not be alone in the museum. The Drum Barracks is said to be haunted by several ghosts, some of whom are believed to be former soldiers or residents of the building. Paranormal investigators and visitors have reported hearing footsteps, voices, music, gunshots and cannon fire. They have also seen apparitions, shadows, orbs and other strange phenomena.
Some of the most haunted areas of the museum are:
- The parlor, where a ghostly woman in a white dress has been seen sitting on a sofa or walking across the room.
- The dining room, where a ghostly man in a blue uniform has been seen sitting at the table or standing by the fireplace.
- The kitchen, where objects have moved by themselves or fallen off shelves.
- The library, where books have been rearranged or thrown off shelves.
- The office, where a ghostly man in a gray uniform has been seen sitting at a desk or walking out of the room.
- The upstairs hallway, where footsteps have been heard going up and down the stairs or along the corridor.
- The bedrooms, where beds have been found messed up or indented as if someone had slept on them.
- The powder magazine, where cold spots and electrical malfunctions have been experienced.
If you are brave enough to visit the Drum Barracks, you might encounter some of these ghostly residents. But don't worry: they are not harmful or hostile. They are just reminders of the past that still linger in this historic place.
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