South Carolina Smiles and Places 2008 Official Vacation Guide - (Page 17) aybe it’s the rush of energy that comes with that tingle at the base of the neck. Maybe it’s our desire to test ourselves through what scares us. Or perhaps it’s a more primitive longing to connect with each other. Regardless of what draws us to stories and haunted spots, South Carolina has no shortage. Whether it is truth or imagination, a visit to these haunted places will certainly give you a fright. Take the Grey Man of Pawleys Island. This faceless apparition is, by some, thought to be the ghost of Percival Pawley who founded the island. By other accounts he’s the long lost love of one of the island’s earlier residents. The story says that the families of two young lovers decided to break off their romance by sending the man to France to study. On the trip to Europe his boat sank due to a hurricane, and all passengers were thought to be dead. Then one day, while the young lady was grieving for her lost love, a young man washed up on the shore of Pawleys Island. The woman came to his rescue quickly realizing it was her lover. The reunion was short-lived however, because the man died a few days later of a fever contracted in the terrible storm. Since then he is said to roam the island appearing prior to deadly hurricanes to warn those who live on the island of impending danger. But ghosts live inland as well. Camden, the state’s oldest inland city, is perhaps most famous as the site of the Patriots’ worst defeat of the Revolutionary War. With this history of tragedy there are sure to be quite a few accounts of ghosts in the area. Agnes of Glasgow was a Scottish woman whose love was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. Agnes felt she had waited long enough for her lover’s return and crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a search for the young man. Her tips led her to Camden. Though Agnes arrived safely, she perished before she could find her lover. It is said that she still roams the streets of Camden and the area where the British soldiers were stationed in hopes of finding her lost love. The story of her heartbreak was etched on her tomb with the tip of a soldier’s bayonet and today is detailed on a marker in the Presbyterian churchyard on Dekalb Street, in the city’s downtown. Carolina ghosts aren’t always friendly. In Charleston the ghosts of pirates are said to haunt the grounds of The Battery. During the day, the Charleston Battery draws tourists and Civil War enthusiasts from across the nation and around the world to see the beautiful homes and historic Fort Sumter off in the distance. At night, as visitors dine along Market and East Bay Streets, locals don’t hesitate to share tales of the pirates said to still haunt this place. The beginning of Battery Park’s storied past is the early 1720s when the site was used for gallows to hang criminals. In 1729, the bodies of 29 pirates who had committed terrible crimes against Charleston swung from the oak trees and were prominently displayed to deter other pirates. While avoiding more pirate troubles, Charleston created trouble more supernatural in nature. The residents of Charleston say that some nights you can see the ghosts of these men still swinging in the beautiful oaks, which still stand, and some Battery residents say the pirates can still be heard roaming the area seeking to avenge their fate. South Carolina is full of legends just like these. To get the full taste of things to frighten you, plan a ghost hunt of your own or ask the locals who are always happy to share their experiences with the unexplained. Guided ghost walks and tours also provide enough information on local lore to chill the bones. www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com 17 http://www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
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