Legends of Fort Mountain

Part of the Cohutta Mountains, a small mountain range at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains, Fort Mountain takes its name from the remnants of a stone formation located on the peak.

This ancient 885 feet-long zigzagging rock wall was built from stones that are from the local area around the summit. It is up to 12 feet thick and up to seven feet high, but generally rises to a height of two or three feet. The wall, which is scattered with 29 pits, cairns, small cylinders, stone rings, and ruins of a gateway, is said by some sources to have been built around 400-500 AD, while other sources say that the date has not been determined.

There are several theories as to who might have built this wall. Early visitors referred to the formation as a fort, speculating that it was built by Hernando de Soto to defend against the Creek Indians around 1540. However, this theory was contradicted as early as 1917, when a historian pointed out that de Soto was in the area for less than two weeks.

Two other legends say that the wall was built either by the Moon-eyed people according to Cherokee lore or is contributed to a Welsh prince who was said to have made his way to America in 1170.

According to Cherokee tradition, the moon-eyed people lived in the lower Appalachia region before the Cherokee came to the area during the late 1700s. The people were said to be called “moon-eyed” because they saw poorly during the day and could see very well at night. They were also described as being small in stature, the men bearded, light-eyed, and having pale white skin. One early historian described them as albinos who were possibly the ancestors of the Kuna people of Panama, who have a high incidence of albinism.

Cherokee Indian
Cherokee Indian

The Cherokee, who drove them out of the region, say that these people built the ancient structures in the area. Supposedly, a temple had once stood inside the fortification which contained a giant stone snake with ruby eyes.

The moon-eyed people were first mentioned in a 1797 book by Benjamin Smith Barton. Later documentation tells of similar accounts, such as an 1823 book, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, which tells of a band of white people who were killed or driven out of Kentucky and West Tennessee.

Who were these moon-eyed people? Some say they might be of Welsh descent. This story tells of a prince named Madoc (or Madog) ab Owain Gwynedd, who fled his homeland after the death of his father, which had created a Civil War among his seven sons. The sons were to fight to determine who would rule their father’s lands.

To avoid the bloodshed, Madoc set sail with his brother Rhirid and a few followers in 1170 and was said to have landed somewhere around Mobile Bay, Alabama. Sometime later, Madoc returned to his native country and recruited more followers who returned on ten ships to settle in America. After setting sail, they were never heard from in Wales again. Some speculate it was these colonists that built the fortress wall. Allegedly, the Fort Mountain stonework wasn’t the only one they built. Legend also attributes one near DeSoto Falls, Alabama, which is said to be nearly identical to the setting, layout, and method of construction of Dolwyddelan Castle in Wales, the birthplace of Madoc.  Minor fortifications in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area are also attributed to these Welsh people.

In an 1810 letter, former Tennessee governor John Sevier wrote that the Cherokee leader Oconostota told him in 1783 that local mounds had been built by white people who were pushed from the area by the Cherokee. According to Sevier, Oconostota confirmed that these were Welsh from across the ocean. Madoc’s travels, first told in print about 1584, had also been told in Welsh songs and stories since the twelfth century.

Fort Mountain Wall
Fort Mountain Wall

Were these descendants of Madoc’s colonists the Moon-eyed people?

Many generations of explorers, archaeologists, geologists, and historians have wondered about the identity of the unknown builders and the purpose of their handiwork. Some believe that the wall had a ceremonial function since it lacks certain characteristics necessary for defensive purposes, such as its relatively low height and the lack of water within the wall.

However, nobody knows which of the many legends and theories is true and which are false. The true answer still lies buried somewhere in antiquity and may never be unearthed

Current legends tell that the sounds of distant drums, flickering lights, and the images of men wearing bearskins have been encountered along the collapsed wall.

Today, the mysterious peak is part of the Fort Mountain State Park, which is also known for its unique scenery, a mixture of both hardwood and pine forests and several blueberry thickets. In addition, the park contains a 17-acre mountain lake.

It is located which is seven miles east of Chatsworth, Georgia off GA 52.

Read more >>

Haunted Historic Sites in Savannah, Georgia You Must Visit

Of all the places in the United States, Savannah, GA has long been considered to be one of the most haunted, but also to have some of the best must-see historic attractions in the land. If you are interested in historic attractions and love a good, old-fashioned ghost story, then haunted Savannah is just the place you may want to visit. You already know there are different types of ghosts out there, from the apparitions to anniversary ghosts, but did you know it’s possible that they haunt many of the historic sites of Savannah? Savannah has long been referred to as a “Southern belle” who features a tragic, haunted past. From the cobblestone sidewalks to the moss ridden trees, the streets of Savannah are gorgeous and reported to be haunted by visitors from the afterlife. Read on for a few of the most haunted historic sites in Savannah and listen in on the stories they have to tell.

The Kehoe House

The beauty of the 1892 Kehoe House is only marred by the tragic incident that occurred there. The house was originally built for William Kehoe, his wife, and their 10 children. The house rang with laughter, until the tragic day, the Kehoe twins were killed while playing in the fireplace of the home. Cherubs that grace the fireplaces now are said to be a monument to the young twins. Guests report hearing children laughing when no children are present and guests in rooms 201 and 203 of the house report someone sitting on the beds, leaving warm indentations behind. While, still not as haunted as some of the other locations in Savannah, guests love to visit the Kehoe House for the gorgeous atmosphere and helpful staff there. If you’re an avid photographer, looking to enter a photo contest, you might just be able to catch a shot of the twins playing in the hallway, to secure the win of your entry.


Photo from Bonaventure Historical Society.

Bonaventure Cemetery

You can’t be an avid ghost lover or enjoy visiting historic sites without visiting a historic cemetery or two. One such graveyard is the Bonaventure Cemetery. While not the oldest cemetery in Savannah, this is one of the oldest and has its fair share of restless spirits. One of the saddest stories to come out of this historic cemetery is the tale of six-year-old Gracie Watson, who was laid to rest there in 1889. Gracie was loved by all, but sadly died of pneumonia, two days before Easter Sunday. Her father had a huge statue built of the child. It’s that same statue that visitors to the cemetery have reported walking around the graveyard. There have also been reports of visitors seeing Gracie playing in the streets in front of her home. When touring the cemetery during your trip, make sure to watch out for Little Gracie and any other spirits who might be wandering the grounds.

The Gribble House

The Gribble House is said to be one of the most haunted houses in Savannah, maybe even in all of Georgia. The house was the scene of a tragic murder, involving three young women in 1909. The killer of the women was never found, and it is said that the spirits of the victims roam the grounds to this day, seeking justice for their brutal murders. Lovers of the paranormal can view the site of the murders with a tour through the warehouse that stands there today, though the house was torn down long ago. Reported occurrences there include shadowy figures running through the building, strange lights, and your classic woman in a white apparition.

17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant


Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah, Georgia, 1900, by the Detroit Photographic Co.

In the heart of downtown Savannah rests the 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant. Having been in business for over 100 years, it comes as no surprise that the inn is haunted and has many tales to tell. The inn is so haunted in fact, the owners have decided to publish some of the guests’ experiences on their own website for the viewing pleasure of all the paranormal buffs out there. The inn was built in the year 1820 and tragedy occurred rather quickly, after all, yellow fever was rampant in Savannah at the time and fires were breaking out everywhere. Perhaps, the worst, and the saddest story was that of Anne Powell, who after being seduced by the charms of a sailor on leave, jumped to her death from the window of room 204. Anne is said to rub the cheeks of male guests, layout nightclothes for the women, and take small trinkets as her own. If you want to see if you can photograph Anne in room 204, do it now because guests book this room months ahead because it is so popular!

The Hamilton-Turner Inn

Perhaps you have already heard of the Hamilton-Turner Inn, as it was made famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Staying here, guests have heard billiard balls bouncing along the upper floors, seen a man smoking a cigar on the roof, and heard the sounds of children running through the inn playing and laughing when there were no children known to be visiting there.

The Moon River Brewing Company


Depiction of General William T. Sherman and his troops enter Savannah,
Georgia in the Civil War.

Perhaps the most haunted and saddest historic site in all of Savannah is The Moon River Brewing Company. It is indeed billed as one of the most haunted locations in the area by many. This famous site has been visited by the team from the popular TV shows; Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. Built in 1821, the building was originally the city hotel. It played host to many famous people and was the popular place for Savannah’s high society to gather.

After the Civil War, the building was also used as a hospital and treated many, many residents of Savannah who were struck down by yellow fever. There are many, many ghosts that haunt the halls and rooms of The Moon River Brewing Company, some of them friendly and some of them, not so much. The most frequent spirits seen are those of the children that possibly died there during the yellow fever outbreak. Also, seen is Toby, a not-so-friendly ghost who taunts and haunts anyone who ventures into the downstairs part of the building, and a woman in old-fashioned attire, who will stand at the top of stairs and glare down at the guests below. Not only are spirits seen here, but they are also felt by some people when they are bumped or prodded by something that isn’t there.

These are just a few of the most haunted historic sites in Savannah, GA that you will want to see on a trip to this Southern city. Whether it’s the spirits at The Moon River Brewing Company or the ghosts that haunt the halls of The Kehoe House, if you love history and ghosts alike, Savannah, GA is the place you can visit to find both.

©Anna Hicks, October 2018

About the Author: Anna Hicks is the blogger behind paidtwice.com. While she once wanted to be a teacher, she now gets her history fix by writing on the subject. She also enjoys writing about DIY, personal finance, and her terrible cooking skills.

Read more >>

Ghost Camels in the American Southwest

In 1848, the importation of camels for military purposes in the southwest was suggested to the War Department by Henry Wayne, a Quartermaster Major. Two years later, Secretary of War and Mississippi Senator, Jefferson Davis, tried to persuade the Senate to look into the use of camels for the U.S. Army.

During this time period, the southwest territory of the United States was greatly expanding and it was thought that camels could be used to carry at least twice the amount of weight as horses or mules, and might also be used in tracking and pursuing Indians, as they could travel without water or rest for much longer than horses. It was also suggested that the camels might carry the mail and that fast camel passenger trains might be developed to run from Missouri River points to the Pacific Coast.

Initially, the Senators voted the idea down, but after California newspapers began to promote the idea, they finally agreed in 1854, passing a bill to appropriate $30,000 for the camel experiment.


Camels in the Southwest.

Some 72 camels arrived in the country in the early part of 1857 and were put to work carrying supplies in the southwest. However, though the camels proved to be well-suited to travel through the region, their unpleasant disposition, a habit of frightening horses, and tendency to wander off during the nights, made them very unpopular among the soldiers. Still, they continued to be used until the Civil War broke out, at which time; they were sold at auction or turned loose into the desert.

For years afterward, wild camels continued to be spied roaming in the desert, especially in southern Arizona. Along with these real sightings, a number of legends and tales began regarding these ugly beasts of burden. The most popular is the tale of a camel known as the Red Ghost.

In 1883, a woman was found trampled to death and, on her body and a nearby bush, were clumps of reddish fur. Large hoof prints were found in the area, but locals were perplexed. A short time later, a large animal careened into a tent in which two miners lay sleeping. Though they were unable to identify the beast, again, large hoof prints and tufts of red hair were left behind. After more incidents occurred, the locals finally recognized the large animal as a camel. Soon, people began to report seeing the camel, who one rancher said carried a rider, though the rider appeared to be dead. The next report came from a group of prospectors who saw the camel and while watching him, spied something falling from its back. As the beast moved on, the prospectors went to see what had fallen and discovered a human skull. For the next several years, numerous others spied the camel, who by this time had been dubbed the “Red Ghost,” carrying its headless rider. However, in 1893, when an Arizona farmer found the red camel grazing in his garden, he shot and killed the beast. By this time, the large camel had shaken free of its dead rider, but still bore the saddle and leather straps with which the corpse had been attached.


Camel in the desert, about 1900

There was much speculation as to who the mysterious dead rider the camel had carried for several years might have been. One tale alleges that the rider was a young soldier, who was afraid of the camels, and therefore, was having much difficulty in learning how to ride them. In order to teach him how, his fellow soldiers tied him to the top of the beast, determined that he would get over his fear. They then hit the camel on the rump and the beast took off running. Though the soldiers pursued the camel and his rider, the red beast easily outpaced them and escaped into the desert. Neither the camel nor his helpless rider were ever seen again.

Though the abandoned beasts of the Camel Corps roamed for decades, they soon disappeared altogether. In 1907, a prospector reported that he had seen two wild camels in Nevada and other reports continued to come in sporadically. However, in April 1934, the Oakland Tribune reported: “The Last American Camel Is Dead.” The camel, dubbed “Topsy,” was last seen trekking across the desert of Arizona into California. When she made her way to Los Angeles, she was taken to Griffith Park to live. However, sometime later, she became so crippled with the paralysis, the zoo attendants were forced to put her down.

Seemingly, all the “real” army camels have long passed. However, legends continue to abound of people sighting a giant red camel, carrying a headless rider, in the deserts of Arizona. It sounds as if “Red Ghost,” may very well be living up to his name.

Yet another legend of a ghostly camel also persists. This camel belonged to a prospector named Jake, who had purchased three camels from the Army at the public auction. Though his camels were every bit as ornery as the soldiers had described them, he spent much time caring for them and had nothing but praise for his beasts of burden.

After Jake hit pay dirt, he led his gold-laden camels into town to sell his ore. Afterward, he headed to the local saloon to celebrate. Unfortunately, in the crowd was a man named Paul Adams, who listened with much interest to Jake’s story of his gold find. When Jake left to return to his mine, he didn’t go directly to his claim, knowing that he might be followed. Though he was careful and took a circuitous route, the man named Paul Adams followed him. When Jake encamped for the night, Adams, thinking that he was at the mine’s location, murdered him. Trying to protect his owner, one of the camels attacked Adams, and for his efforts, was shot by a scoundrel, but not before he had viciously bit him.


Ghost Camel

Adams then began to search in earnest for Jake’s mine, until one night the ghost of Jake riding upon the dead camel, approached his camp and chased the scoundrel all the way into town, straight to the sheriff’s office. Frightened beyond belief, Paul Adams then made a full confession.

Whether Jake and his loyal camel continue to roam the desert is unknown.

Read more >>

Haunted Fort Jackson

The oldest standing brick fortification in Georgia and a National Historic Landmark, Old Fort Jackson not only provides a wealth of history but is also allegedly haunted.

Officially called Fort James Jackson, this restored 19th-century fort was built when President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of eight forts in the area to defend the Savannah area. One of these fortifications included Fort Jackson which was named for James Jackson, a British native who fought In the American Revolution and rose to the rank of colonel. When he was just 25 years old, he accepted the surrender of the British in Savannah at the close of the revolution. He was later a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia.

The fort was built between 1808 and 1812 over the site of a 1776 earthen battery from the American Revolution. It was originally built as a six-gun fort with three, two gun batteries facing the water. The back of the fort was open and unfortified.


Fort Jackson, Georgia

In the War of 1812, local militias and U.S. troops saw active duty at Fort Jackson. After the war, two periods of construction followed at the fort. A moat, drawbridge, brick barracks, privies, a rear wall, and another powder magazine were added.

During the Civil War, Fort Jackson, along with nearby Fort McAllister and Fort Pulaski, defended Savannah from Union attack. In 1862, Fort Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert Smalls. The fort was commanded by Colonel Edward Clifford Anderson and would become the Confederate Headquarters for the Savannah River defenses, including the Confederate Navy. The fort was held by the Confederates until December 1864 when it was evacuated as General Sherman approached. The departing Confederates set the fort afire, spiked the guns and destroyed everything of military value. Union troops occupied the fort until the end of the war. The Confederate forces retreated to South Carolina where they joined other forces and continued to fight until April 26, 1865, when they surrendered to General Sherman’s army at Durham, North Carolina.

After the Civil War, the fort was placed in caretaker status and was renamed Fort Oglethorpe in 1884 and carried that name until it was decommissioned in 1905. It was purchased by the city of Savannah in 1924 for park purposes but not fully restored until the 1970s.

As to the ghosts of Old Fort Jackson, the one most often sighted is thought to be that of a Confederate private by the name of Patrick Garrity. Garrity apparently had a problem with his superior, Lieutenant George Dickerson. One night when Garrity was on guard duty near the drawbridge, he was approached by Lieutenant Dickerson and for reasons unknown, the private bludgeoned his superior with his musket, breaking both his musket and the officer’s skull in four places. Private Garrity then fled the scene by jumping into the moat, but his escape was not to be effective, as he drowned in the moat. Lieutenant Dickerson survived the beating but was unable to remember the attack. He never fully recovered and was forced to step down from his command.

Today, there is a ghostly specter that is often spied at the site of the attack, believed to be that of Patrick Garrity. Said to be dressed in a Confederate uniform, the soldier is seen walking along the parade ground or standing near the drawbridge. Some reports say that the apparition appears only from the waist up.

Evidently Garrity is not alone, another silhouette of a soldier has been reported standing on the casement walls above the parade ground. Other fallen soldiers are also seen in various areas, some walking leisurely and others intensely manning their posts with a watchful eye. On one occasion when a cleaning lady reportedly heard strange noises, she turned around to come face to face with a Confederate soldier standing in a doorway. After glaring at her, the spirit vanished.

Many who visit the old post describe feeling unsettling energy or eerie feelings just before they glimpse a darting shadow or a full-fledged apparition of a historic soldier. Others report hearing phantom footsteps and other strange sounds.

Situated on the Savannah River, two miles east of the city of Savannah, Fort Jackson is located at 1 Fort Jackson Road. The old fort is owned by the state of Georgia and operated as a museum by the Coastal Heritage Society. Fee for admission.

Read more >>