John Houston Thorpe

John Houston Thorpe was captain of Company A of the Forty-Seventh North Carolina during the American Civil War. He survived the war, attained the rank of general, and retired. In the 1920s, he began gathering historical documentation of his old regiment. In 1932, after some reticence, Thorpe decided to attend a reunion of Civil War veterans in Richmond. He generally enjoyed himself, but was painfully aware of his age.

One night, after an evening of dancing, Thorpe died in his sleep. His ghost joined those of the men who died in battle during the Civil War, reenacting various battles in a far more congenial manner.