North Carolina Ghosts & LegendsOther University of
South Carolina Press Books
by Nancy Roberts
South Carolina Ghosts
From the Coast to the Mountains
The Haunted South
Where Ghosts Still Roam
Ghosts of the Carolinas
Ghosts of the Southern Mountains and Appalachia
The Gold Seekers
Gold, Ghosts and Legends
from Carolina to California
Civil War Ghosts Stories & Legends
North Carolina Ghosts & Legends
Nancy Roberts
University of South Carolina Press
1959, 1967 by Nancy Roberts
1992 University of South Carolina Press
First Published by McNally and Loftin
Charlotte, North Carolina, 1959
Cloth and paperback editions published by the University of South Carolina Press, 1992
Ebook edition published in Columbia, South Carolina,
by the University of South Carolina Press, 2013
Revised and enlarged edition
www.sc.edu/uscpress
22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Library of Congress has cataloged the cloth edition as follows:
Roberts, Nancy, 1924
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: An illustrated guide to ghosts & mysterious occurrences in the Old North State, 1967
ISBN 0-87249-764-X (alk. paper)
1. GhostsNorth Carolina I. Roberts, Nancy, 1924An illustrated guide to ghosts & mysterious occurrences in the Old North State. 1967. II. Title
III. North Carolina ghosts and legends.
BF1472.U6R636 1991
133.1'09756-dc20
91-14469
ISBN 978-0-87249-765-8 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-61117-362-8 (ebook)
Photographs by Bruce Roberts
Contents
Ocracoke
Fort Fisher
Shackleford Banks
Western North Carolina
Outer Banks
Near High Point
Warsaw
Bath
Western North Carolina Mountains
Kadesh
Smithfield
Old Salem
Smithfield
Siler City
Wilmington
Chapel Hill
Gold Hill
Bentonville
Fayetteville
Preface
Civilizations come and go but some things never change. In the midst of life there have always been and always will be ghosts.
There are also people who are more bold, more imaginative, or just more colorful than the rest of us. They become legendary and I find their exploits irresistible.
This book was originally published as An Illustrated Guide to Ghosts & Mysterious Occurrences in the Old North State. Since then I have gone on to write ten other collections of ghost stories and could not resist including a number of gold era ghost stories in my latest book, The Gold Seekers.
Several new coastal tales have been written for this revised edition of North Carolinas most famous classic stories, and the title has been changed to North Carolina Ghosts & Legends.
In addition to stories from the mountains, Piedmont, and eastern Carolina, there is a total of six stories from the Outer Banksa unique and haunting part of the state. Among these is the intriguing tale of the ghost on Blackbeards last voyage, a story with a contemporary historical source.
My first book came about as a result of personal encouragement from writer Carl Sandburg. It will always be one of my favorites. I hope that you will enjoy this collection of North Caroliniana.
Nancy Roberts
North Carolina
Ghosts & LegendsThe Ghost Comes for Blackbeard
Death and the Devil had done for the rest Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum
Blackbeard had always liked the color of night, and it suited him well. He made it his habit to wear black from the crown of his rakish, broad-brimmed felt hat and thigh-length coat to the dark, sooty hue of his immense boots.
It was Friday, November 22, 1718, and he had no reason to believe that today would be unlike any other. The rising sun limned the outermost rim of the dark winter sea with a flaming scarlet border, and the ropes and rail of The Adventure glistened with silvery hoarfrost. Blackbeards strong rough hands, thickly mantled with black hairs, traveled expertly over the rigging. From habit, the big fingers, half-numbed, checked the rope-yarns of the furled sails, so that whenever he wished he could haul home the sheets without his men scrambling up to loose them.
It was an old precaution of his. The lowered main and foreyards gave The Adventure the deceptive appearance of having lain at anchor for a long time. This morning, in the bleak gray light before sunup, he was a caged black panther pacing the deck of The Adventure. A tall man, he had a yard-long cutlass that swung on the belt at his hip as he strode back and forth with immense suppressed energy. The wide, wicked blade hanging from his belt had the slight curve of a saber but was actually a much heavier weapon, its rounded brass guard designed to protect his hand and wrist.
Blackbeard had taught his crew how to use these blades with brute strength and deadly accuracy. Sailors on merchant ships often panicked at the sight of the pirates cutlasses swinging in murderous arcs, blades glittering in the sunlight, and many surrendered even before their ships were boarded.
The captain of The Adventure saw a pale, sickly sun, barely visible through the clouds on the horizon, and bellowed. Israel! Israel Hands! Where in hell are you? It was Israel, and sometimes the loyal, massively built Black Caesar, who often helped keep the crew in line. When the men didnt see action for a while, they grew slack and impudent.
Damn! Where was that rascal, Israel? Blackbeard threw back his head and took a great swig of rum from the leather flask at his waist, savoring the familiar fiery feel of it the length of his throat. Israel should be here to drink with himkeep him abreast of whatever crazy rumors crewmen were always whispering, or fight if need be, but the latter was unlikely. There could scarcely be a safer place than Ocracoke for mooring The Adventure.
And it ought to be so. He paid North Carolinas Governor Eden, who lived but a few miles away, well for it. Barrels of sugar and rum as well as other plunder were transported furtively by darkness from his ship to the governors back door.
The heavy, dark rum had left a pleasant, lingering warmth upon Blackbeards tongue, and despite a slight clouding of memory, he suddenly recalled why Israel wasnt there. When the weather was raw and the winds icy breath blew wickedly across the water, Israel often remained in Bath Town because of his bad knee.
Long ago, during a gambling game in his cabin, Blackbeard had playfully turned off the oil lamp, shoved a pair of crossed pistols under the table, and pulled the triggers. One pistol misfired and the slug from the other tore through Israels knee, crippling him for life.
Why did you do that, sir? a crew member asked timidly.
