by Kala Ambrose
Built in 1875, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located to the north of Bodie Island and was the last major lighthouse built on the Outer Banks. Its most distinguishing feature may be that it remains in its original brick form, rather than being painted in a bold black-and-white pattern like most other North Carolina lighthouses.
Each lighthouse hired what was called a “keeper,” a man who would care for the lighthouse and ensure that the light was in good working order at all times. A small cottage was built next to each lighthouse in order to house the keeper and his family. Once construction was complete on the lighthouse and cottage, the first lighthouse keeper for the Currituck Beach Lighthouse settled into the cottage with his wife and their daughter, Sadie. Sadie slept in what is referred to as the north bedroom of the cottage.
One day Sadie was playing on the beach and went missing. Her body was found washed up on shore the next day. Shortly after her demise, reports of the ghost of a little girl began to appear around the lighthouse and the cottage. Rumors began to spread that the keeper’s cottage was cursed and that illness, misery, and death fell to anyone who slept in the north bedroom. Over the years, lighthouse keepers and their guests who slept in the north bedroom reported seeing and feeling a ghost in the room, and several became ill while sleeping in the room.
Ghostly apparitions and other restless spirits are frequently seen and reported around the lighthouse. Until recently, it was unclear why so many spirits appeared in this area. In 2009, after a ferocious winter storm along the Outer Banks, waves from the Atlantic Ocean dredged up a shipwreck, placing it at the edge of the shore. The ship appears to be from the early 1600s and may be the oldest shipwreck ever found along the coast of North Carolina. East Carolina University (ECU) students, underwater archaeologists, maritime history experts, and members from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission worked around the clock in a race against the tide to pull the shipwreck farther up the beach to safety. The ECU team continues to work on identifying the ship; most recently, coins were found with fleur-de-lis symbols on one side and the image of King Louis XIII on the other. While the name of the ship, along with her crew and passengers, has not yet been identified, such a large ship most likely was carrying a full load 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 Lost Colony of Roanoke
ROANOKE
What happened to Virginia Dare and the rest of the colonists of Roanoke remains a mystery to this day.
“How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December’s bareness every where!
—William Shakespeare, “Sonnet XCVII”
IN 1584, EXPLORERS WERE SENT to Roanoke Island (a narrow island situated between the Outer Banks and the mainland of North Carolina) by Sir Walter Raleigh to determine if the area would be well suited to establishing a colony. Upon their return, they delivered a positive report of the location, which included a list of the abundant natural resources surrounding the area and findings that Roanoke was better protected from the elements than the Outer Banks. They also brought back with them a Native American chief to show that relations between the tribe’s people and the settlers could be peaceful. The island appeared to be a good all-around choice for a settlement, with live oaks and plenty of other trees with which to build cabins and a variety of wildlife to hunt for food. Raleigh delivered the information to Queen Elizabeth, and she granted him a charter to all the lands that he could claim in the area.
The next year Raleigh sent out a group of 100 men, mostly soldiers and craftsmen, to establish the colony under the guidance of Ralph Lane, a military captain. The group met with poor results from the beginning. One of their ships struck a sandbar and tilted onto its side during their attempt to land. As a result, a good portion of their food and other supplies were lost as they tumbled into the water and sank. In addition, they arrived in late summer and were unable to plant the crops they needed for food. The third and most disastrous occurrence was that instead of making friends with the natives, Lane fought with them and ended up killing their chief over a cup that he believed the natives had stolen. Reports state that the natives retaliated by ransacking the village and setting it on fire. This ended the opportunity of receiving any help from the native tribe. With cold weather approaching, Lane and his men abandoned the area, reportedly leaving a few of the craftsmen behind. As luck or karma would have it, a ship with reinforcements and supplies arrived a week later. Fifteen men from the ship’s crew were ordered to remain behind to secure the area while the captain and the rest of his crew, along with the craftsmen who didn’t leave with Lane, returned to deliver this information to Raleigh in England.
Raleigh responded to the news of Lane’s departure by gathering a party of 117 men, women, and children who were willing to sail from England in order to establish a permanent settlement in the New World. John White was selected to be the new governor of the charter land, which Raleigh had once proclaimed would be called the “citi of Raleigh.” As the group boarded the ship to sail back to the New World, White included in his party his pregnant daughter, Eleanor Dare, and her husband Annanias Dare. The native chief, who had traveled to England with the original explorers, also sailed back with the colonists.
After Lane’s fiasco with the natives, Raleigh had decided that Chesapeake Bay would be a better choice for a settlement, and this was where the ship was supposed to take Governor White and his party. The Portuguese captain of the ship was first ordered to stop at Roanoke to drop off supplies and check on the men who had been left there, as well as to drop off the Native American chief at his home. The ship arrived safely in Roanoke. While there, the ship’s crew discovered that the natives who had fought with Lane had also killed the 15 men who had been left behind to guard the settlement, and most everything there had been burned or destroyed with only a few bones of the dead men found scattered. It was extremely dangerous and considered uninhabitable at this time due to the ongoing battle with the local native tribe.
During the voyage to Roanoke, the ship’s captain had received word that the Spanish were gearing up to fight England, and he decided that this was a golden opportunity to make a fortune pirating and looting the ships carrying cargo back and forth. He made the decision that he would not take the passengers all the way up to Chesapeake Bay; instead they would be left at Roanoke so that he could return to Europe. Even though the captain was aware that everyone who had previously been at Roanoke was now dead, he forced Governor White and all of the passengers off the ship and onto Roanoke Island.
The passengers scrambled to build some sort of shelter, and White immediately reached out to the Croatan people, who had been friendly with the earlier explorers. He also reached out to the other tribe that had fought with Lane. The Croatan people were friendly, but the other tribe refused to make peace with the settlers.
The colonists busied themselves trying to create shelter and unpack their belongings while the ship’s crew was busy loading fresh water and other supplies back onto the ship.
On July 28, 1587, a member of White’s party, George Howe, set out walking along the beach, looking to collect crabs to cook for that evening’s dinner. As he was walking, he was captured and killed by being shot 16 times with arrows, and then his head was beaten into pieces by the native tribe.
Afraid for their lives, the colonists asked the governor to travel back with the ship when it departed and make his way to England to ask for immediate assistance and reinforcements. This was a risky voyage, as traveling across the Atlantic Ocean in the fall was a very rough journey for ships due to storms and high waves. There was also concern about the Portuguese captain heading into battle and pirating along the way during the trip back to Europe.
Before White’s departure on the ship, his daughter Eleanor gave birth to the first colonist child on August 18, 1587, on Roanoke Island. She named her child Virginia Dare. On August 27, 1587, John White sailed with the ship back to England. What happened subsequently is every father’s nightmare.
Governor White just ba
rely made it back to England, as the captain noted in his ship’s log; they had been lucky to find their way to the English shore. White gathered supplies and resources but could not find a captain who was willing to risk the voyage across the Atlantic during the stormy and choppy seas of the winter months. He was forced to wait, leaving his family and the colonists at the mercy of a long, cold winter with few supplies and a hostile enemy surrounding them.
In spring of the next year, White desperately tried to get back to the colonists at Roanoke. During this time the Anglo-Spanish War broke out and all available ships were being used in the battles. He managed to find two ships, which were small enough that they were deemed unable to be of any assistance in battle. As White sailed toward Roanoke, the two ships encountered Spanish pirates whose crews boarded the English ships and stole all of the cargo. Empty-handed, John White was forced back to England again to gather new resources and supplies. Due to the ongoing war, White was unable to hire a ship until three years later, in 1590, when he managed to get on board with, an expedition that agreed to drop him off at Roanoke.
Three years after Eleanor gave birth to Virginia, her father landed on Roanoke Island to find everyone and everything missing. All traces of the settlement had disappeared. There was no sign of struggle, nor were there any signs of where the group had gone. His heart raced with terror. Were his daughter and granddaughter alive? Had someone taken them? There had been no way to get a direct message to them for the past three years. The colonists had no news source and relied on ships that very infrequently stopped in the area. It’s highly likely that the colonists might not have known about the war that had kept White from traveling back to them. They may have presumed White to be dead or lost at sea.