The Headless Horseman of Stones River

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 836 Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the early morning hours of December 31, 1862, Union Colonel Julius Peter Garesché was decapitated by a Confederate cannonball during the Battle of Stones River. His violent death—foretold in ominous warnings and eerie family prophecies—would soon echo in more ways than one. For in the decades since, visitors to the battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, have claimed to see a headless figure in blue silently riding the mist-covered glades near the site of his fall. But who was Colonel Garesché? And how did his tragic story become entwined with one of America’s oldest ghost story archetypes—the Headless Horseman? In this episode, we explore the origins of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the centuries-old folklore that inspired it, and the chilling real-life legend that grew out of the blood-soaked fields of Middle Tennessee. From Garesché’s Catholic faith and battlefield premonitions to the enduring tale of a spectral rider haunting Stones River, this is a story where American history and haunting legend collide. Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: Ad-Free Episodes, Premium Releases, Bonus Content & More⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Into History: History Without Interruption⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Southern Gothic Media: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠ SouthernGothicMedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merch Store:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/merch⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pinterest:⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ X:⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SoGoPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Advertise on this podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.5	Did you know a 2018 study showed half of prenatal vitamins tested had unacceptable levels of heavy metals. I'm Kat, mother of three,
0:40.5	and founder of ritual. When I was four months pregnant, I couldn't find a prenatal I could trust,
0:46.1	so I created my own. Ours is may traceable, third-party tested for heavy metals, and recently
0:51.6	earned the purity award from the Clean Label Project.
0:55.0	But don't just take my word for it.
0:56.7	Get 25% off at virtual.com slash podcast.
1:06.1	Southern Gothic is a podcast that explores the history behind some of the American
1:14.8	South's darkest days, greatest mysteries, and most chilling ghost stories.
1:19.6	The In 1820, American author Washington Irving
1:42.9	published a collection of 34 essays and short stories called
1:48.3	The Sketchbook of Jeffrey Crayon Jen.
1:52.6	Though written while living abroad in England, the collection revealed Irving's deep attachment
1:58.8	to the young American landscape, particularly the Hudson River Valley,
2:04.4	where he spent his time as a child. Well, during this time, the United States was an awful
2:12.2	young country and still shaping its identity, so what made Irving stand out was that he was one of the first
2:20.6	writers to craft literature that felt truly American, not simply borrowed from European traditions.
2:30.2	You see, Irving had a gift for blending folklore and history with a sense of place, giving
	...

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