Seaside Spectres: North Carolina's Haunted Hundred Coastal

by Daniel W. Barefoot

Daniel W. Barefoot’s colleagues in the North Carolina General Assembly call him their “resident historian.” Now, he’s their resident folklorist, too. North Carolina’s Haunted Hundred , Barefoot’s three-volume series, is a sampler of the diverse supernatural history of the Tar Heel State. One story is drawn from each of the state’s hundred counties. You’ll find tales of ghosts, witches, demons, spook lights, unidentified flying objects, unexplained phenomena, and more. Many of the stories have never before been widely circulated in print. Seaside Spectres contains 33 tales from the state’s coastal region. In “The Cursed Town,” the Beaufort County story, you’ll read about the curse laid on Bath by an eighteenth-century preacher―a curse from which the town has never recovered. In “Terrors of the Swamp,” the Camden County story, you’ll learn of unexplained happenings in the Great Dismal Swamp―mysterious lights, a ghostly haunting from the American Revolution, and an awful creature called the Dismal Swamp Freak. In “The Fraternity of Death,” the New Hanover County tale, you’ll meet the nineteenth-century cult whose members mocked the Last Supper and died under mysterious circumstances soon afterward, inspiring a story by Robert Louis Stephenson. Dan Barefoot was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 18, 1951. He is a 1973 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Barefoot is the author of four travel guides— Touring the Backroads of North Carolina’s Upper Coast , Touring the Backroads of North Carolina’s Lower Coast , Touring South Carolina’s Revolutionary War Sites , and Touring North Carolina’s Revolutionary War Sites —as well as a biography of esteemed confederate general Robert Hoke and a trilogy of ghost stories representing all of North Carolina’s one hundred counties. Barefoot’s most recent books are Haunted Halls of Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities , Let Us Die Like Brave Men , Hark the Sound of Tar Heel Voices , and Spirits of ’76 . From 1998 until 2002, Barefoot served three terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 44th district. He has also served on numerous boards and is active in his church and community. Barefoot currently serves as the city attorney for Lincolnton, North Carolina. He is a frequent speaker to cultural, civic, and church groups throughout the Southeast.

Genres: Ghost Stories, Paranormal

130 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Dennis Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the preface to this book the author writes that he was first intrigued with this kind of book during his childhood as he read books by a trio of well-known authors of this type of book. Among the books he mentioned was a book by Nancy Roberts that also led to my fascination with ghost stories. I immediately knew that I had found a kindred spirit, pun intended.

There are a few flaws that I found in this book but the obvious respect the author holds for his subject matter more than make up for any shortcomings. There are very few recent accounts by witnesses to be found in this book and those accounts always add greatly to this type book. There are also a few stories that have nothing at all to do with ghosts and that always gets under my skin. Much to the author's credit however, it is very clear that he has an open mind on the subject of ghosts and is not writing a simple collection of what he views as pure folklore. That kind of condescending attitude can ruin the best of ghost books and it is not present here at all.

Daniel Barefoot takes his readers on a spiritual journey all along North Carolina's coast, an area where supernatural events are to be found in abundance. He has done an excellent job of avoiding ghost stories that have been told and retold in numerous other books and only the story of, "Aunt Nora" was familiar to me. Considering the many North Carolina ghost books in my collection that in itself was quite a feat for this author. Also, Barefoot tells his readers how to reach some of the sites he writes about, especially if the reader will be likely to see something that is mentioned in the story. On a recent trip to coastal North Carolina I passed very close to some of the points mentioned and I really wish I had read this book before my trip.

Barefoot's writing style is very pleasing and it takes no time to breeze through this book. At the end you will find yourself wanting more and I'm happy to say that there is more to be had. This is only volume one in a series of three volumes that cover every county in North Carolina. Maybe I'll get the other two volumes for Christmas.

Read this book on a cool windy October evening like I did and you will almost be able to hear the Tar River banshee as she wails outside your window. You might even catch a glimpse of Whit Stallings as he checks to make sure you are not after his treasure.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tales of different haunting in the 33 counties in the coastal area of North Carolina. Some tales have evil entities, while others have kind and even humerus ones. Many weird happenings and frightening tales based in the past await your perusal.

[Riyan Littlefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of the North Carolina trilogy focuses on ghosts and legends from the Carolina coast, spinning memorable yarns intertwined with history.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the usual NC ghost stories. Learned a lot of new ones.

[Andrea Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very neat collection of ghost stories from eastern North Carolina. Like most ghost stories, each begins with historical fact, which I love. I am not sure if I believe in ghost or not, but I love the history behind the stories. These tales were all lesser known, so most were new to even a North Carolina native like me. There are 2 more books in this series, 1 covering stories in the Piedmont and the other the mountains.

[X_LadyDarkrai_X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Love a good ghost story.