Ghosts of the Carolinas

Foreword

Foreword MILLIONS OF WORDS have been spoken and written-and effectively-in heralding the attractions and advantages of the Carolinas. Most of this material has emphasized the physical assets of the region. Some of it has even listed the high spirits ofCarolinians as importantintangibles in the enumeration of assets. These promoters of the Carolinas have given little appreciation, as far as I have observed, however, to the virtues of the most intangible of these intangibles, the spirits themselves. Yet surely no section of the nation can rightfully claim more mystifying, more intriguing, more sadly accusing, more altruistic, or more enduring ghosts. Of a certainty we have our share of the finest shades in all America. And they have gone too long uncatalogued and unappreciated. But this failure of our generally alert and enterprising public relations folk to exploit adequately the Carolinas' apparitions has been remedied in part at least by Nancy Roberts and her photographer husband Bruce. With the publication a few years ago of An Illustrated Guide to Ghosts and Mysterious Occurrences in the Old North State and now this volume on other ghosts of both Carolinas, Nancy and Bruce Roberts promulgate our claim to possession of some of the most frightening and charming and authenticated ghosts that have ever walked-or drifted or 7 8 floated, or, tritely, haunted-the American scene. The new book evenly shares between the two states certain of the more notable apparitions. Many of these shades even yet materialize, orseem to, from outofthe deep past; they are venerable and respected and long have been spoken of even with affection. One such is the Gray Man of Pawley's Island, South Carolina, a benevolent ancient-young man whose appearance to those who see his apparition strolling along the beach has become a warning to flee from a closely approaching hurricane. Some are peculiarly and identifiably Carolinian; others are reported to materialize from time to time in widely separated states. Somearenot even human emanations, like the ghostly Hound of Goshen, a frightening apparition that has scared the daylights out of many persons through long years. But to give that old spirit dog his due, though he has chased dozens, maybe scores or hundreds of horses, mules and terrified people to near exhaustion, he has not to this day bitten man or beast. Difficult to classify are some of the others in this book-the Brown Mountain lights, for example. Are they the spectral torches of Indian braves slain in a long-ago battle along the mountain's ridges? Or could they be the luminous apparitions of Indian maidens seeking lovers lost in that battle? Or indeed, are they but a natural phenomenon never satisfactorily explained? There are those who think thatpersons who, perish the thought, have neither eyes to see a ghost materialize nor ears to hear his almost soundless corning, nor skin sensitized to notice the sudden swift clamminess of his passing. But for a fact the lights do appear above Brown Mountain, whether ghostly, gaseous, reflected, or mirage. I have seen them myself. To illustrate his wife's intriguing stories, Bruce Roberts has artfully planned and skillfully executed photographs of the sites ofcertain mysterious occurrences . And even though they may not convince all the book's readers of the reality of its spectral characters , most surely they must earn the plaudits of the more vainglorious in his ghostly gallery. Huntersville, North Carolina September, 1962 -LEGEITE BLYTHE 9 Ghosts of the Carolinas 11 12 The tavern keeper's desk looks the same today as it did a hundred years ago. The Tavern is part of the Old Salem restoration at Winston-Salem. ...