Ghosthunting North Carolina. Kala Ambrose
of goods and passengers.
The ship sank more than 200 years before the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was built near its underwater grave. It’s very likely that the ghostly passengers wandered the coast of Currituck Beach for hundreds of years and now make the Currituck Lighthouse and keeper’s cottage their home. Many also suspect that young Sadie may have been lured into the ocean after seeing one of the ghosts in the water, which led to her drowning.
CHAPTER 3
The Haunted Soldiers of Fort Macon
ATLANTIC BEACH
Built in 1843, Fort Macon was one of several coastal forts built to protect the entrance to North Carolina ports including Beaufort and Morehead City.
“The day had been a long one, but the evening seemed longer; the sun seemed almost to go backwards, and it appeared as if night would never come.”
—Lt. James A. Graham, 27th North Carolina Infantry
THE WAR OF 1812 prompted the United States to build a long line of forts along the East Coast for national security. Built by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Fort Macon was designed to protect Beaufort Harbor, a deepwater ocean port. The fort is five sided, built of brick and stone, is quite striking. Twenty-six vaulted rooms called casements make up the substantial fort, with walls that are almost five feet thick.
Ghosts of Civil War soldiers are reported to still be on active duty, guarding the fort day and night.
The fort became active in 1834, and at the beginning of the Civil War the Confederacy of North Carolina wrestled the port away from Union soldiers. The fort was recovered by Union soldiers in 1862 and served as a federal prison for both civil and military prisoners from 1867 to 1876. Fort Macon was officially closed in 1903. The state of North Carolina purchased the fort from the federal government in 1923 and turned it into a state park. It was reactivated for a brief period during World War II as a coastal defense base.
Visually appealing, the fort and surrounding park lie on one of North Carolina’s most beautiful barrier islands. The park is fully restored and open to the public. Besides the fort, there are areas for fishing and swimming, nature trails to hike, a refreshment stand, and beautiful scenery on land and sea to enjoy, which makes the fort and the park one of the most visited parks in the state, reportedly receiving more than 1 million visitors each year.
In 1862, Union forces attacked the fort, and even though the Confederate soldiers were completely surrounded, they refused to surrender. The fort was besieged by heavy gunfire for 11 hours straight, and cannon fire struck the fort more than 500 times. By the next day, the fort was under such strain that the commander, Colonel White, was forced to surrender. While the fort had been able to easily withstand gunfire, cannons quickly penetrated the barriers.
Some reports state that Civil War ghosts haunt the fort, including Confederate soldiers who keep watch for approaching Union soldiers. Others state that the ghosts there are those of former prisoners. Witnesses report seeing soldiers strolling outside the fort and seeing items move within several rooms inside the fort. There are also sounds of footsteps, gunfire, and men speaking in low voices.
The fort is beautiful in its own way, and the five-sided shape is intriguing. Exhibits and displays include the fort’s powder magazines, counterfire rooms with cannons, and furnace and bake ovens. Some quarters have been restored to show how soldiers and officers lived at the fort.
While touring Fort Macon, I didn’t experience any paranormal activity. It was a gorgeous day when we visited the area, and everyone there was enjoying the beautiful weather. Some of the techniques used in ghosthunting include checking for increased solar activity, which has been reported by many paranormal researchers to cause an increase in paranormal activity, as spirits need an energy source in order to appear. When the sun has a solar storm or is releasing solar flares, radioactive particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere, which charges the geomagnetic fields. Ghosts can then access this energy, which allows them to be more active on the earth plane. Moon phases have also been studied, and certain phases, including the full moon cycle, often produce more ghost sightings and paranormal activity.
During my visit, the geomagnetic field was quiet, and solar storms were low. I was also there during a low lunar cycle. I didn’t detect any paranormal activity to note other than the usual energy imprints I detect any time I’m near a battlefield. This doesn’t mean that the fort is not haunted; it just means that I didn’t encounter any activity during my visit. As with any paranormal investigations, it often takes time and repeated visits to a location under the right conditions to find proof of ghostly activity. Locals and visitors continue to report ghostly experiences while visiting, and I hope to return again to investigate further.
The Flaming Ship of New Bern
In New Bern, North Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean meets the Neuse River, providing an idyllic setting to spend a vacation on the beach each summer under sunny and star-filled skies. Gentle, warm breezes drift in from the ocean, and many locals and tourists enjoy a peaceful stroll on the beach under the moonlight. Yet on one night of the year, a horrifying site appears on the water near New Bern.
In the early 1700s, a group of German Protestants hired a captain and crew to sail them from England to North Carolina. Their plans were to settle in New Bern and begin their new lives there. This group was known as the Palatines. They carried all their worldly goods with them, and reportedly they had quite a large amount of gold and silver, which they had kept hidden from the captain and crew.
As the ship approached the North Carolina coast, the Palatines excitedly prepared for the landing, pulling their belongings up onto the deck. They were preparing to disembark from the ship as quickly as possible. The captain and crew, seeing the substantial wealth of the Palatines, told them that for their own safety, the landing could not be made until the next morning.
That evening, as the Palatine passengers slept aboard the ship, the crew stabbed and killed all of them. They collected all of the Palatines’ gold and silver and loaded it into rowboats. As the captain and crew made their escape, they set fire to the ship to destroy any evidence of the Palatine passengers. The ship quickly caught fire, and as the murderous captain and crew watched, the ship became engulfed in flames, but to their surprise, it never sank. Instead, while on fire, it began to sail toward them. Terrified, the crew rowed as quickly as possible to shore and ran to hide in the woods. Local reports at the time stated that at daybreak the ship was no longer on fire, but it still remained floating on the water in a blackened and charred state. That evening, the ship appeared to be on fire again, and then sailed away out to sea until it disappeared from the horizon.
Each year, during the first night of the new moon in September, the “Flaming Ship of New Bern,”—as described by locals—is reported to make its appearance off the shores of New Bern. Others say that it now appears during the full moon of a summer evening in July or August, and other reports say that it is during the first full moon in September.
It has also been reported as the “Flaming Ship of Ocracoke.” The legend states that the Palatines were supposed to live in New Bern but that they were killed on the ship near Ocracoke. Witnesses have reported seeing the ship in both locations. Perhaps the Palatines are chasing the evil captain and crew along the entire watery trail. The oldest reports date back to seeing the ship off the coast of Ocracoke, while more recent sightings report the ship near New Bern. Over the years, it looks as if the Palatines are drawing ever closer to the place they wanted to call home.
The ship reportedly appears out of nowhere and burns brightly in the water three times before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Local lore states that the Palatines will continue to appear each year in search of their treasure. Until they have their gold and silver returned to them, they refuse to rest in peace and are looking for revenge on the captain and his crew.
CHAPTER 4
The