Jon Solo Sebastian 06/01/2025:

The Devil went down to Georgia… or perhaps he just sends his minions over there, instead. I was listening to a late night radio program while I was on the road. The guest on the show was talking about cryptids; so of course, my ears were glued to the speakers. He began describing a creature, or humanoid that sounded an awful lot like a vampire; or at least a similar description to one of the many different versions of vampires out there. Old Green Eyes gets its name from its glowing green eyes, but what makes it vampire-like? It appears to be old and emaciated. It has long waist-length white or gray hair, a wide jaw with sharp fangs, and wears a cape or long black coat. Is this creature of the night a vampire, or is it something else?

Ol’ Green Eyes of Chickamauga, Georgia

I say it sounds very vampire-like, but other folks have different theories. One that I found interesting, and could be highly probable is that it’s actually a deer. If you’ve ever driven in the dark and seen deer walking around the area, you’ve noticed their “glowing” greenish-yellow eyes. I’ve always felt like they give off an eerie vibe in the darkness.

When you’re in an area like Chickamauga, Georgia where one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War took place, where 40,000 soldiers lost their lives, your mind might land on all of the history and death that happened there, and then BOOM—You see glowing eyes up ahead and your fear and imagination turn a deer into a large fanged creature coming for your soul, or a ghost of a fallen soldier trying to scare you off the land. Of course, I’d prefer it to be a vampire or cryptid as opposed to a deer, but that’s because I want these things to be real.

Let’s take a look at some of the creatures or explanations folks have said the legend of Old Green Eyes could be.

A wild cat:

I find it hard to believe it would be a wild cat even if the glowing eyes and fangs check out. Why isn’t it spotted in the day time? I find it highly strange to only be seen at night. On top of that, most sightings state the creature or apparition is at least six feet tall, so that wild cat would have to be quite large. It would more than likely leave a body count of its prey, and at least a footprint or two somewhere on the grounds.

A fallen soldier:

I’ve already mentioned this one, but it could be the ghost of soldier from the Civil War whose spirit cannot rest, or he is the acting protector of the land. Perhaps with so many lives lost in the battle, the spirit feels the land is sacred and should be left alone so the dead may rest peacefully.

Ambrose Bierce:

“An interesting theory hinted at by The Pulse in 2016 is that Ambrose Bierce, a veteran and writer who chronicled the horrors of the Civil War in his writing, is the spirit — in his article titled “A Wry Self-Portrait,” Bierce revealed that he had green eyes.”

A vampire:

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but the description certainly tracks when you compare it to fictional vampires. The thing is, there’ve been no reports of Green Eyes being violent; nor have any blood-drained bodies been reported. It could be a vampire who scares away visitors at night, but it feeds on small animals rather than humans.

The only “normal” explanation of what people are seeing would be the deer.

Sightings/Encounters

Picture it:

Chickamauga, 1976, a park ranger named Edward (name of the vampire in Twilight, lol) Tinney was walking through the park at 4am. He was on his way to check on some battle re-enactors who were camping overnight. Along the way, he spotted a man ahead with strangely bright green eyes that seemed to be glowing. He was at least six foot tall. The man was wearing a long black trench coat, and he had long waist-length hair (some versions of the story claim the hair was black while others say it was white or silver).

Edward felt threatened by the way the man was approaching him. He didn’t know whether to run or scream. He crossed the road hoping to avoid a confrontation. As they crossed paths from opposite sides of the road, the man, who never stopped looking at him, smiled showing his bright white fangs in the darkness. At that moment, a car came down the road and the headlights pulled Edward’s attention away from the creepy man. When he looked back, the man was gone. Was this the Old Green Eyes everyone else has seen, or something else? The glowing green eyes tell me the answer is yes, but it also could just be one of many hauntings that take place on this battlefield.

Tell me, between Edward’s encounter, and the possibilities I listed above, what do you think Old Green Eyes could be? I’m still leaning toward vampire; I had an encounter not too different from Edward’s sighting when I was a teenager. That story is coming up in my new book titled: Stranger in a Strangeland. It was around 1992 here in Ohio. My friends and I were being stalked by someone or something when we were all walking back to our friend’s house after seeing a movie one summer night. Be sure to check that out, but until then—Let me know what you think Old Green Eyes could be, or if you’ve ever encountered him. I’d love to speak with someone who has seen him!