Ghosts of Hannahs Creek Swamp
Many of North Carolina's ghost stories have roots that are deeply embedded in the state's rich history. Since many of the battles of the civil war were fought right here, it's no wonder that some of the souls that were lost on the battlefields have never left. Such is the case of the ghosts of Hannah's Creek Swamp.
As the union soldiers continued their march through the state, heading south, they were allowed to plunder both homes and individuals, but were given strict orders to leave enough food and supplies for families to survive, and not to cause harm to unarmed civilians.
Most of the union soldiers followed their orders, but a group of rogue soldiers took it upon themselves to make up their own rules of war. Ignoring the strict instructions, this group pillaged and plundered homes and families, leaving a trail of murdered bodies and burning structures in their wake.
These men were led by none other than Colonel David Fanning of the Union army. Among the families that Fanning and his men terrorized was that of Confederate Colonel John Saunders, and his wife, at their home in Smithfield. He killed the man and his wife, not realizing that his actions would come back to haunt him- literally- for all eternity.
Colonel John Saunders had a son, Confederate Lieutenant John Saunders, who vowed revenge on the ones responsible for the death of his parents. Lieutenant Saunders and his men searched for weeks for the marauders with no luck. Finally, much to his surprise, he learned of a group of Union soldiers who were taking refuge at Hannah's Creek Swamp in Johnston County.
The residents of the town were all too happy to loan the soldiers civilian clothing, and dressed in their disguises, they rowed to the small island in the middle of the swamp where the men were reportedly hiding.
By the time the rogue soldiers realized that they had been tricked, it was too late; they were completely surrounded by Saunder's Confederate soldiers. Saunders ordered the Yankees searched, and even searched Fanning himself. When he found the small gold crucifix that had belonged to his mother, he knew exactly what he must do.
A gun was held to the back of Fanning's head, making him watch as his men were hung to their death from the trees on the island.
Saunders then marched Fanning back to his parent's home in Smithfield, where mercilessly hung Fanning in the family graveyard, right above his mother and father's grave.
A century and a half has passed since the end of the civil war, but the ghosts of Colonel Fanning's men seem to continue on. Visitors to Hannah's Creek Swamp have claimed to experience cold spots, and unexplained feelings of dread. Some have reported hearing mens voices, begging for their lives to be spared. Still others have reported hearing the creaking of the ropes as the bodies still swing from trees.
What really happened at the Island of Hannah's Creek? No one knows for sure. What is known though, sis that the Union Soldiers of Colonel Fanning's army continue to call out in the darkness, pleading for mercy, begging for forgiveness for the crimes they committed during their lives.
Comments
Yes, the Union Soldiers were ordered not to harm civilians, but how is "looting" their homes and farms, "not harming" poor people? Secondly, I still belive General Sherman should be tried in abscentia(sp?) for murder and war crimes, for his destructive post-war rampage from Atlanta to Savannah! No wonder the dead cannot rest in the south.
Sherman and Lincoln were war criminals.
People who don't like what happens when they lose shouldn't start wars.
Who invaded who?
Though I certainly sympathize with any landowner or person in the south who lost possessions and/or had their home burnt to the ground by General Sherman's troops, a good argument can be made that this campaign helped end the war that much sooner. Think of the tens of thousands of lives saved by the burning of Atlanta and the destruction of the many railroads along this march. Was it terrible that this occurred? Absolutely. Was it necessary? Unfortunately, yes. Without Sherman's March to the Sea the war would have dragged out for many more months with the cost of many more lives on each side.
A bigger calamity for the south was the successful assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Had he not been murdered, the south would have been treated much fairer and a lot of bitterness resolved by President Lincoln's administration. Without his clout to stop them, the Radical Republicans had their way and punished the south relentlessly. This event hurt the south overall much more than Sherman's march ever did.
Because i can't find it
Hannah's Creek is in the Bentonville Community. HWY 701 runs by it.
There is two versions to this story. One is what is posted because of the area where it is located and the other is that its slaves who tried to escape their master. Either way nothing happens. Just the typical sounds you would hear in a swamp in the middle of the night.
Does anyone know for certain the origination of the name of Hannahs Creek?
An unsubstantiated tale is told of a young girl named Hannah drowning in the creek in colonial period and from that incident the name originated.
Some early colonial period land grants to John Lee, Esq. refer to creek as northern fork of Mill Creek. A search of later grants and deeds along the creek could possibly establish the approximate time name of Hannahs Creek originated.
Curious
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