This episode explores whether extraterrestrial beings may have influenced the outcome of the American Civil War, drawing on accounts of prophetic visions and mysterious battlefield encounters. Ancient astronaut theorists point to Joseph Smith's 1832 prophecy—allegedly delivered by the luminous figure Moroni, whom some researchers identify as an extraterrestrial from the Pleiades—which predicted war would begin with South Carolina's rebellion nearly three decades before Fort Sumter. The episode also examines George Washington's reported 1777 encounter with a "luminous being" at Valley Forge who supposedly foresaw future American conflicts, Union officer Ambrose Bierce's writings about disappearances and interdimensional travel, and reports that hundreds of soldiers witnessed a ghostly image of Washington at Gettysburg, prompting an official investigation. Theorists argue these incidents suggest extraterrestrial observers—or active participants—working to preserve American democracy during its greatest crisis.
Historians and folklorists note that both the Washington and Smith prophecy accounts are poorly documented, with Washington's Valley Forge vision first appearing in print decades after his death with no corroborating evidence from his own writings or contemporaries. Smith's prediction, while documented, emerged during a period of intense national debate over slavery and South Carolina's nullification crisis, making political foresight more plausible than supernatural revelation. Nevertheless, the episode offers a fascinating lens on Civil War-era spiritualism, the genuine mystical experiences reported by historical figures including Lincoln, and the documented psychological phenomena soldiers experience during warfare—making it compelling for anyone interested in how crisis moments generate supernatural narratives.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
United States · American (19th century)
Theorists argue that the 1800 sighting reported by astronomer William Dunbar of a large glowing object hovering 200 yards above ground near Baton Rouge, which crashed and destroyed the surrounding area without leaving an appropriately sized crater, was a UFO encounter too anomalous to be a meteor. The account was formally presented by Vice President Thomas Jefferson to the American Philosophical Society as a scientific observation.
Baxter Street, New York City
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists cite a pre-war sighting by Mrs. T. Richard Kinder from her Baxter Street home of a luminous, cross-shaped object flying through the air as part of a pattern of alien monitoring just before the Civil War began. No mainstream explanation is offered in the episode.
Chihuahua, Mexico
Mexico · Modern
Theorists claim that Ambrose Bierce traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico in December 1913 and vanished, possibly because extraterrestrials invited him to join them at a 'Crystal Cave' — a location associated with F.A. Mitchell-Hedges — as a reward for his role in preparing humanity for alien contact through his science fiction. Mainstream historians regard Bierce's disappearance as an unsolved mystery, with theories ranging from suicide to death in the Mexican Revolution.
Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists frame the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 as the fulfillment of Joseph Smith's extraterrestrially-delivered prophecy that war would begin with 'the rebellion of South Carolina.' Mainstream historians identify Fort Sumter as the conventional military flashpoint that started the Civil War following South Carolina's secession.
Gettysburg
United States · Modern
Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest that a ghostly image of George Washington was witnessed by hundreds of soldiers at Gettysburg, prompting an official government investigation. This apparition may indicate extraterrestrial presence during the Civil War, possibly influencing the preservation of the Union.
Jackson County, Missouri
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists argue that Joseph Smith's declaration of Jackson County as the site of the New Jerusalem, combined with his contact with the luminous being Moroni from the Pleiades, resulted in a prophecy predicting the Civil War beginning in South Carolina nearly 30 years in advance. The mainstream view treats Smith's prophecy as a religious revelation or historically informed prediction given the already-volatile tensions over slavery in Missouri.
Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists suggest that the head wound Ambrose Bierce suffered at Kennesaw Mountain on June 23, 1864 rewired his brain and gave him access to an otherworldly realm, enabling him to receive extraterrestrial information that manifested in his science fiction about disappearances, alternate realities, and inter-dimensional travel. Mainstream medical and literary scholars attribute Bierce's literary output to his talent, wartime trauma, and the emerging science fiction genre.
Selma, Alabama
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists highlight an 1854 incident in Selma, Alabama, in which a plantation owner allegedly vanished in broad daylight before multiple witnesses, with investigators reportedly still hearing his voice but unable to see him, as evidence of inter-dimensional travel that Ambrose Bierce later documented and fictionalized. No mainstream scientific explanation is offered in the episode.
Shreveport, Louisiana
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists point to an 1860 Shreveport sighting of a 300-yard-long craft hovering above the treetops with rays emanating from its center, visible for an hour, as evidence of alien craft monitoring America before the Civil War. No mainstream scientific explanation is offered in the episode.
Valley Forge
United States · Colonial American
Theorists argue George Washington had an extraterrestrial visitation at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777, in which an otherworldly being appeared in the forest and revealed to him a prophetic vision of America's future, and that Washington also encountered glowing orbs and small 'Green Skin' figures he believed may have been alien observers. Mainstream historians note no contemporary documentary evidence supports the visitation story, which derives from a secondhand newspaper account from an aged aide published long after the events.
Wilmington, Delaware
United States · American Civil War era
Theorists cite an 1860 Wilmington UFO report of a 200-foot-long craft trailing globes of light, with one globe ejected like a rocket, as evidence of extraterrestrial monitoring in the lead-up to the Civil War. No mainstream scientific or historical explanation is offered in the episode.