Haunted Savannah

Moon River Occurrence

2006-03-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

In my five years of being a tour guide, I've seen a few strange things. But rarely have they happened in front of a large group with perfect timing-- such as the tour last week.

I was leading a pub tour, and early in the night a young lady expressed her disbelief in the supernatural. She said, "Until I see it I won't believe." Well, that's a common statement on the pub tour, and she seemed to be enjoying the stories nonetheless. We got to Moon River Brewing Company, and the tour goes upstairs into the unrenovated portion.

Well, we got through with that part of the tour and were pausing at the bar before heading on to our next location. I walked over to the aforementioned young lady and asked if she was enjoying herself. A few others in the group clustered around us, mostly to get a drink but also to hear our conversation.

"You got a chill out of me," she admitted, "But I still don't believe in this stuff. Like I said, I will only believe when I see it."

At the very moment she spoke those words, something happened. The plastic stand holding the beer list on the bar behind her (picture the plastic holder where they insert a list of drink specials or desserts and you'll have the right idea) literally split open. No one touched it or was near it. The darned thing flopped into two pieces right behind her-- and everyone who was near us saw it but her. She, the admitted disbeliever, was the only one who didn't see the plastic stand fall open on its own. She saw our expressions and asked, "What?"

Sometimes, ghosts can have a sense of humor. Or at least it certainly appeared so, to us ten or so standing at the bar in Moon River with our mouths open.

More TAPS comments

2006-02-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

I get the occasional comment or email from this blog. Most deal with that TV show Ghost Hunters: TAPS, of which I am assuredly not a fan. I've gone to great lengths to not make fun of TAPS (it is a mighty struggle), and try to keep my comments factual and impartial. Here is the most recent comment:

Anonymous said...: Would TAPS fake evidence?

Folks, this is a TV show. It is entertainment. If you haven't figured that out with the 'hipper than hip' camera moves and Real World-esque drama amongst the cast, then nothing I can say about the show will change your mind.

These guys give ghost hunters a bad name-- and given the second-science status of most paranormal investigations, that is really saying something. I've given up watching the show because of their shoddy scientific work, and unprofessional attitude.

Regarding the post by a reader: who cares? These guys have zero respect in the professional community... of which I do not consider myself a member, by the way. If you consider holding up your arms on camera and saying 'I feel a cold spot' evidence, you're missing the point.

If you like the show, then fine. But don't ever consider what they do to be a real invstigation, because it just isn't-- it's entertainment.

GHOSTOCK II info

2006-01-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the website, for anyone who is interested:

http://ghostock.com/

And a link to a very good forum, where I post under the handle 'Haunted Savannah':

http://ghosthounds.com/

GHOSTOCK II

2006-01-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that Ghostock II will be held at the Marshall House on Friday, January 27-29th. Ghostock is a forum/symposium for all topics regarding paranormal activity, and it is also the starting point for 'ghost hunts' taking place throughout the city at various locations that are reputed to be haunted.

Here is the line-up of guests:

SATURDAY JANUARY 28TH

10:00AM – 10:45AM Pamela Burns

11:00AM – 11:45AM Jack Richards

12:00PM – 12:45PM Doris "Dusty" Smith

1:00PM - 1:45PM Murray Silver

2:00PM – 2:45PM Rebecca Clark

3:00PM - 3:45PM David Kolln

4:00PM – 4:45PM James Caskey

5:00PM – 5:45PM Patrick Burns

I'm excited, personally. I'm glad Patrick and Pamela and the rest of the Ghost Hounds crew are giving me this opportunity.

Moon Over Savannah

2006-01-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

Being a pub tour guide is a unique working environment. I often tell my pub groups, "The ghost stories you're about to hear may or may not scare you. What probably WILL scare you are the locals at these pubs." A pub guide has got a lot more to think about when leading the tour, over and above the stories you're telling. As a matter of fact, more often than not your guide isn't concentrating on the story nearly as much as he or she is focused on the surrounding people (i.e. drunks who may or may not pose a problem). Anytime you mix people and alcohol, trouble can be around the next corner.

Not only are you at the mercy of the individual pubs ( and their bartenders), but you also have to factor in crowd control within your respective group (hey, they ARE drinking), as well as external crowd control. And it is that last factor which can make even an experienced pub tour guide break out in a cold sweat. Or hysterical laughter, as the case certainly was last night.

I had led my pub group to our next location, and had begun my story with my pubgoers facing a large window, looking into the bar. There was a large table right inside that window, filled with 20-something men and women. As I talked, everyone on tour got a stunned look on their face, including the 85 year old grandmother who was in the group. Then everyone burst out laughing. It was one of the few times that the tour guide was NOT in on the joke.

Turns out, one of the young ladies at the table had apparently consumed just enough 'liquid courage' to do something mischievous. In full view of my group outside, she had dropped her pants around her thighs and proceeded to rub her (I am told) very attractive bare bottom on the glass next to me. Needless to say, story-time was over; there was no recovering from that sort of display.

In one of life's great moments, I knew exactly what to say. You know, the comment or retort that usually occurs to you weeks later, when it does you absolutely no good at all? This time, it came to me. I quickly stepped inside the door and said, "Ma'am, it was so nice making your acquaintance. In fact, I'd LOVE to see more of you!"

Not to be outdone, one man on my pub tour outside raised his glass and yelled, "Bottoms up!"

Returned Home...

2006-01-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

I have returned from our (as yet untitled) travel show. What an incredible experience. I am exhausted, and thus glad that it is over, but also I wish we were still shooting and visiting those incredible locations. Wow, what an extended weekend! We traveled over 2,000 miles in four days (roughly equivalent to driving to Denver).

I had thought about doing a sort of journal about the experience, but I'd rather let everyone experience it as intended-- in a TV show or internet film format. Let me just say that I had no idea that we had so many unique and exciting places to visit in my home state of Georgia.

Those of you who know me well will be glad to know that I didn't disappoint... and by that I mean that when you point a camera at me I'm bound to do something incredibly klutzy. All I will say is that I completely ruined that pair of shoes, and of course it happened when the cameras were rolling.

I will say that our footage of the Georgia Guidestones was probably the highlight of the trip, although right up there would have to be the abandoned railroad tunnel... the one which seemed to get more forbidding as we travelled the length of it. Our lights, one by one, kept going out. The film team had this moment where we all began to consider what we would have to do if the battery-powered lights failed us entirely, and we were forced to travel strictly by candlelight. I sincerely hope that our moment there translates onto film, because I for one was really beginning to get nervous.

More on this later... and when the footage becomes available I will definitely post a link.

New TV Show

2006-01-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

I'll be away in North Georgia for a few days shooting a pilot for a TV Travel show. I'm pretty excited... the concept of the show is an insider's travel guide to offbeat or little-known places. I'm serving as advisor, and will provide background information on the locations. I'll also be appearing on camera, as well. I'm not 'leading point', so to speak (a fact for which I am eternally grateful), but I'll be there as sort of an intellectual foil to the other on-camera personalities.

All in all, it sounds like a fun gig, and I love to travel, so it seems like a perfect fit. I just wonder how many takes will involve me trying to get the production to eat at local restaurants, instead of a fast food chain. I'll post an update after Sunday, when I return.

Savannah Haunted Pub & Club Crawl Photos

2005-12-31T13:33:00.000-08:00

Orb Photography

2005-12-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

(click on the photo to enlarge)

I recently received this photo, from amateur ghost hunter Marie (pictured in the center of the photo, holding an EMF reader), which was taken on tour this was taken at the Moon River Brewing Company). There are several so-called orbs present in the photo, both between Marie and myself (yep, that's me, with my ever-trusty Savannah Fest beer) and down the hallway.

Marie and I had a long conversation via email regarding orbs. I get a lot of questions regarding this phenomenon, so I thought I'd address it here.

I cannot say for certain what an orb is, definitively. But for a novel approach let's focus on what an orb is NOT, for a change. Many people claim that they are electromagnetic spirit energy manifesting or being captured by the camera. I for one discount this theory for a number of reasons. Please notice Marie's EMF reader. It isn't going off. If this was some sort of energy source, her EMF reader would be going crazy, but it isn't.

I also don't believe that these are some sort of electromagnetic phenomena because there isn't a substantiated method for proving that ANY electromagnetic field can be captured on traditional or digital film that way. If that were true , any photo of a human being would be covered in orbs, not even mentioning every electrical outlet, refrigerator or fuse box captured on film.

Conversely, many skeptics say that these are reflections on the lens, moisture or something airborne (pollen, dust, etc.). I don't believe this to be true in every case, because orbs show up in both conventional and digital photos, and in all conceivable lighting condition, flash or no flash. There are also photos of orbs which appear *behind* solid objects. That'd be one big piece of dust!

So what do we know about orbs? We know that *something* strange is going on, but we don't know exactly what. Some of these orb photos are explainable, but not all.

And it is VERY interesting that many seem to be showing up in areas reputed to be haunted.

Autographed Copies of Ghost Book 'Haunted Savannah' available

2005-12-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to buy an autographed and personalized copy of 'Haunted Savannah'.

Buy Me Now!

Forsyth Park Inn

2005-12-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

Forsyth Park Inn

The Forsyth Park Inn, built in 1893, is one of the most beautiful bed and breakfasts in Savannah. Overlooking the picturesque Forsyth Park fountain from Whitaker St., the Inn has nine uniquely dressed guestrooms which evoke the splendor of the 19^th century while providing the comforts of the 21^st. The Inn also has another feature which is not advertised in their brochure: the ghost of fourteen-year-old Lottie Churchill, who has been racked by a guilt so powerful that it drove her insane. But to tell her story, one must first tell the amazing tale of her uncle, Captain Aaron Flint ‘Rudder’ Churchill, a distant relative of Winston Churchill.

Churchill’s Amazing Feat

He was born in 1850, in Nova Scotia, and at the age of sixteen served as first mate on the large cargo ship Research, commanded by his uncle. She sailed from Quebec with a cargo of timber bound for Scotland, and during the chilly November voyage her rudder was snapped off in a storm. First Mate Aaron was called upon to save the ship by attaching a new rudder. The crew lowered him over the side by a rope into the stormy sea, and Aaron and managed complete the repairs even though it meant spending over three hours in the near-freezing ocean. The ordeal nearly killed the boy. The new rudder did not last long, and Aaron was called upon to replace the rudder not only a second time, but a total of eight times. He is credited with saving the lives of the crew and saving the ship, complete with cargo. After a voyage of eighty-eight days (and eight rudders!), the ship finally arrived at her destination. The company was so grateful to Aaron that he received a hefty reward for his efforts. By the age of twenty-one, he was captain of his own ship, and at the age of twenty-four he had amassed enough money that he decided to retire to Savannah, with presumably was one of his ports of call during his sailing days.

But Aaron ‘Rudder’ Churchill had only just begun his career. He opened his own stevedoring business on the Savannah docks, and four years later he began his own steamship line. One of the main cargoes transported on his steamships was cotton, and so Aaron began to invest in cotton plantations—meaning he was sending out steamships with holds full of cotton that he himself had produced. He even invented a new process to wrap the cotton into tighter bales, thus making it easier and cheaper to ship.

Due to his great success as a Savannah merchant, Churchill built what was then known as ‘Churchill Mansion’, a larger and grander house that his residence in Nova Scotia. It was this house which would eventually become Forsyth Park Inn.

Churchill, presumably remembering his days as a deckhand, treated his employees exceedingly well. During World War I, the Churchill Steamship Line, Aaron’s company, adopted the policy that if any employee wished to join the armed services, that employee was guaranteed a job making the same salary upon returning from the War. Also, a spouse of the employee would receive half of that salary until the employee’s return— paid out of the company’s own pocket.

Sadly, the one area of his life where Captain Churchill did not excel was in creating a family. He and his wife Lois were unsuccessful in their efforts to have a child, so they adopted Lois’ fourteen-year-old niece. Lottie came to live with Aaron and Lois, and they treated her as if she were their very own. Not long after Lottie was adopted, in 1899, Lois’ sister Anna came to live with the three of them. Anna was recuperating from a long illness. Anna and Lottie became close, and she felt a deep bond developing, as if Anna was the older sister for whom she had always wished.

Lottie’s Dark Plan

One night, Lottie walked past an open doorway, and spotted a couple embracing passionately. She stepped forward to say hello to Uncle Aaron and Aunt Lois, but suddenly she had a numbing realization. Her uncle was embracing Anna, not Aunt Lois!

Lottie was tortured by the knowledge. She spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, and the more she thought the angrier she became. Most of all she felt betrayed by Anna. She felt as if her perfect life with Uncle Aaron and Aunt Lois was about to end, and it would be because of someone that she had once trusted enough to consider her like a sister. If Anna were removed from the equation, the harmony between her aunt and uncle might return, and she could continue living happily with them. Anna would have to pay for her sins. Lottie devised a plan.

Lottie fixed afternoon tea for her two aunts, but the cup she handed to Anna had more than just steaming water and tea leaves: Lottie had added some poison, in the form of oleander. Sitting together in the garden and not realizing Lottie’s scheme, Anna and Lois happily accepted the afternoon refreshment. Lottie watched from a distance as the deadly poison took effect. Anna collapsed and died in her sister’s arms.

For a short moment, Lottie was ecstatic, thinking she had saved her aunt and uncle’s marriage. But her elation soon turned to despair when Lois sat her down after the funeral and delivered some stunning news: Anna had not just been Lois’ sister, but she had been Lottie’s real mother, as well! Lottie, wracked by guilt, eventually had to be committed to an asylum. She never truly recovered.

One of the few times Lottie emerged from the institution was to attend the funeral for the man who had shown her such kindness: her Uncle Aaron, who died in 1920 at the age of seventy.

A Spectral Presence

Lottie’s ghost is said to still roam the house and garden of the old Churchill homestead, now the Forsyth Park Inn. She has been seen still frequenting the halls by both guests and the owner of the Inn, still appearing to be an insecure fourteen-year-old girl. She has been noted to disappear from sight quickly after being seen—perhaps she is still mortified by the thought of inadvertently killing her own mother after all these years.

She has been seen by guests to still walk the garden of the Inn, perhaps visiting the spot where she procured the oleander with which she poisoned a woman who turned out to be her own mother.

The owner had another strange experience at the Inn, this occurrence taking place in the kitchen. She couldn’t find the keys to the Inn, because they were missing from their customary hook in the kitchen. She hunted high and lo for the keys, and was about to give up her search when the kitchen door opened on its own, the keys were tossed through the open door, and they landed at her feet.

A couple staying at the Forsyth Inn also had a strange instance in their room: the television flipped on by itself one evening. Then the set turned off, then on again. No one was near the remote. Then the channel switched, on its own, to the 2004 conclusion of the trial of Scott Peterson, who was accused of killing his pregnant wife, Laci. The couple relating the story had not heard the story of the young murderess Lottie Churchill, and so didn’t understand the delicious irony: the soul of a departed murderess, turning on the television to check the progress of another accused murderer. Perhaps Lottie took a special interest in the Scott and Laci Peterson case because of the similar murder of a mother by a (supposed) loved one.

The calm and tranquil setting of the Forsyth Park Inn, scene of such a tragic death, is now haunted by the ghost of fourteen-year-old Lottie, who could be seeking atonement for her poisoning scheme gone awry. What lies in her future? Will she ever find the peace for which she searches? Unfortunately for Lottie, the tea leaves showing her fortune are tainted by oleander, perhaps forever.

TAPS "Ghost Hunters" Revisited

2005-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

In the "Ghost Hunters" program on SciFi, one of the team members makes a statement about the area where they caught a supposed apparition on camera. He says, in essence, that there is no way anyone could have gotten back into that area without being seen by the camera. Hmmmmm. I spend about five nights a week in that area, and as soon as he said it, alarm bells went off for me.

Thanks to Fear Turtles on the TAPS Forum for these pics.

Here is roughly the same view as the camera in the show. This is the rear basement. We are viewing the two pool tables, and please note that the entire right hand portion of the basement is obscured by a wall.

Here is the rear pool table, behind which the 'apparition' appeared to scamper. These buffet tables were not in the area when the TAPS crew was filming, BTW. Please note how much room there is off to the right, between the wall and the pool table. It is NOT the cramped area implied by the show's camera.

Here is the shot they never show you. This is a view directly to the right, turning the camera roughly 90 degrees. There is a door in this area which leads up to the main dining room located in the rear of the restaurant. Please note the fire exit sign-- there have to be two exits as stated by fire codes.

Also, to the right of this shot (just past the doorway in that stairwell), there is a small space which is used for storage. There is an area that would be quite simple for someone to hide. The door opens out, remember, because of fire codes.

The TAPS team was being misleading, at best.

Remember Pearl Harbor

2005-12-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to consider that it is December 7th, 2005, the 64th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Certain moments will be indelibly etched into the character of a generation: 9/11, the Challenger disaster, the moon landing, President Kennedy's assassination. The surprise attack of U.S. forces in Pearl Harbor is one of these unforgettable moments which must be remembered as a key turning point in history.

This reminds me that I should call members of my family who served in the military.

Ghostock 2 in Savannah

2005-12-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

A ghost forum/ investigation is coming to Savannah on January 27-29th 2006. The Ghostock event, organized by Ghost Hounds founder and director Patrick Burns, will be taking place in the Marshall House.

Speakers will include:

local author James Caskey, writer of bestselling local book 'Haunted Savannah' and founder of Cobblestone Tours (yes, a self-plug);

local author Murray Silver, writer of bestselling local book 'Behind the Moss Curtain' and 'Great Balls of Fire:The Unauthorized Biography of Jerry Lee Lewis'.

local historian and tour guide Rebecca Clark.

For more info, please contact:

http://ghosthounds.com/

Ghosts in the Bible

2005-11-29T10:06:00.000-08:00

Studying ghost stories can be a surprising journey. I recently came across a Biblical reference to ghosts. Many times people have religious objections to ghost tales, citing a demonic or Satanic connection. But many of these same people simply have not read the Bible. The Scripture cites case after case of supernatural stories which could be reasonably cited as ghost stories. Here's an interesting excerpt from the Old Testament:

1 Samuel 28 (New International Version)

1 Samuel 28

Saul and the Witch of Endor

¹ In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army."

² David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do."
Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. ⁶ He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. ⁷ Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
"There is one in Endor," they said.

⁸ So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."

⁹ But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?"

¹⁰ Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this."

¹¹ Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"

¹³ The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see a spirit ^[a] coming up out of the ground."

¹⁴ "What does he look like?" he asked.
"An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."

¹⁶ Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. ¹⁹ The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."

²⁰ Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.

²¹ When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. ²² Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way."

²³ He refused and said, "I will not eat."
________________________________________________

I have made no changes to the text, not even for space considerations, just so no one can accuse me of taking this story out of context. The story goes on that what Samuel predicted from the grave came to pass exactly as foretold, and the Philistines were victorious over Israel.

I realize that I may have offended people by posting this, but it is entirely possible to have an open mind about the subject no matter your viewpoint.

Ah, Savannah...

2005-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I was on tour, and had just finished telling the crowd how weird Savannah could be, and it happened. A car drove past the group with a huge doll of 'Chucky' (from the movie Child's Play) sticking out of its sunroof.

One fella piped up: "Boy, you're not kidding..." My group never really recovered from that. They kept yelling, "Here comes Chucky again!" at random intervals-- even when we were inside buildings.

Tour Photos

2005-11-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

How weird is it to discover photos of yourself online?

'Haunted Savannah' ghost book available online!

2005-11-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to buy a personalized copy of Haunted Savannah.

Buy Me Now!

Stephen Bader Responds (TAPS at Sorrel-Weed)

2005-11-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

You know, sometimes I get carried away. I was so eager to trounce that awful 'Ghost Hunters' show that I trashed everything about it, including Stephen Bader. Bader responded, and was pretty fair in his response to my musings and skepticism.

I reprinted his reply here (in part, for space considerations), but you can click the 'comments' section in the post below if you wish to read his whole letter. Stephen's comments are in blue. At the end of the piece, in red, are the comments of his tenant Chris, who also appeared on the program.

I was upset that the Taps crew did not mention my house by the proper name, the Sorrel Weed House. Why they called it the Bader House, I do not know. Charles Green wrote a letter that is published in a book.....If I recall correctly it is "Children of Pride". His letter discusses Mrs. Sorrel jumping from the porch to her death. He implies that she was mentally unstable in the letter.

The letter you're referring to must be in Children of Pride, a collection of letters written by and to the Jones family in Savannah. It is collected into one volume by Charles Coldcock Jones, a Confederate officer and mayor of Savannah. I've never read the letter in question, but it is on my list of things to read.

I have met many descendants of the Sorrel family, and have copies of letters they have given me. They have also all relayed this to me, giving me copies of personal letters between James Longstreet and Moxley Sorrel, Charles Green and various members of the Sorrel
family and others. I showed these letters to the TAPS team, but I had no control as to what they edited out of the show.

This is unfortunate. The TAPS team dropped the ball on this one... wouldn't one think that a document supporting a witnesses assertations would be a key part of the show?

I was also upset about the implication that Francis Sorrel "raped" a slave. There is absolutely no merit to that. My comment that I strongly suspected that he had an affair with the slave(which I believe is true), combined with Chris stating "it sounds like the slave that was raped", created that impression. I did not know Chris had said that until I viewed the show on Halloween. The EVP he heard flipped him out, and that is what he concluded by listening to it, not by what I had told him.

Why do you believe that Francis Sorrel had an affair with a slave? You again quote strong suspicions without stating why. I'd love to see some documentation on this, speaking strictly as a researcher of haunted sites, as well as an author of a book about Savannah's ghosts. Perhaps there's even a chapter in a future volume in there.

I understand why Chris said what he did, but if you listen to the audio, it does sound like dialogue from a horror movie. I stand by my assertion that that is what the TAPS team captured on their EVP.

Thank you, BTW, for the interesting history of the house (which follows):

Francis Sorrel if I recall correctly, had the home next door built in 1856, and sold it in 1859 to the Weed family.

There were two stipulations for the sale. The first was that Francis Sorrel had to close several windows, so the Weed girls could dress without being seen from the windows of another house. The second stipulation was that Francis could maintain the Sorrel Weed House as his residence for 3 years, which means that Mrs Sorrel jumped from my porch, when she died in early 1861. It is an absolute historic fact that she jumped to her death from the porch.
The previous owners, the Cohen's will tell you the same thing.

Again, I lay this at the feet of the TAPS crew. They are idiots, not to put too fine a point on it. Any sort of investigation, ghost or not, needs to present evidence to support an assertation. I realize it is a 30 minute program, and some things will wind up on the cutting room floor, but all they needed to do was just show Stephen holding a letter. That would lend credence to their investigation much better than running around the cemetery.

I'll do some research (I'm a member of the GHS) to verify what you've stated, but it sounds reasonable.

One last bit about Bader:
In my last post, I brought up a Savannah Morning News article regarding Bader's finances. I shouldn't have done it. In my zeal to slam the TAPS team I colored everything with the same brush. The last little bit of Stephen's response deals with that, but to fair, I did a Google search of his name and that was one of the first things to pop up.

Perhaps you would prefer that I rebuild the Lady Jane shop around the house again, and open a ladies clothing shop.

No, that's not what I want. But the article makes the renovations sound substandard. If it wasn't true, then you could have sued them for libel, or asked for a retraction. I had to, once, over an article in which they mentioned me. Actually they were pretty nice about it.

And now a word from Chris, the tenant:

Here are some before and after pics of the Sorrel Weed House, before and after the shop was demolished. There are also some artifacts on the sight. I have been researching the house for some time, and apparantly you do not have an understanding of Steve's interest in History and the length to which he has gone to to restore the home to it's original 1840 appearance. Apparently you need to do more research before you post erroneous, slandering comments about others.

www.sorrelweedhouse.blogspot.com

Yes, Stephen has done a much better job than the previous owner. But to criticize me for not researching is laughable, given that you imply strongly that a slave was raped in the carriage house by Francis Sorrel. I do have a strong interest in history, but apparently our definition of what constitutes history differs.

However, the pictures are very pretty.

SciFi Channel's "Ghost Hunters" (TAPS) in Savannah

2005-11-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

SciFi's Ghost Hunters team recently visited Savannah for their Halloween Special. I had actually never seen their show before, so this was my first opportunity. Sad to say, I'm pretty underwhelmed by what I saw. I'm not sure if this episode is indicative of the quality of their program, but I was severely disappointed in many, many ways.

Plumbers moonlighting as ghost hunters? I'll keep the potty humor in check, but it is a struggle. Those of you that know me personally know I can rarely resist barely-clever puns. I'm doing my best.

The episode started out with a 'Real World'-esque drama: one of their old members was welcomed back to the group after a past rift. It had all the makings of an old flame coming back to town... all we needed was a flashback shot of the old member's clothes out on the lawn. After some awkward male mumblings and half-verbalized apologies, the show finally moved forward.

And then they came to Savannah. Their trip started out well, with historian Rebecca Clark (some of you will recognize Rebecca from my book) relating some interesting historical bits. She was well-spoken and full of knowledge. She explained a theory of why Savannah could be so haunted, and gave them a quick tour of the city.

The show moved on to a location identified as "Bader's House." The house should have been identified by its proper title, The Sorrel-Weed House, but I realize why they did this: to match the house with the man (Stephen Bader in this case). But they should have gotten the name of the house in there. It may seem like a small thing, but to a Savannah history buff, it would be like discussing a trip to see the Mona Lisa without mentioning the artist or the museum where it is housed.

Anyway, the house was built by Charles Blaney Cluskey in 1840 (some sources say 1841) for Francis Sorrel. Francis' son, Gilbert Moxley Sorrel, was raised in the house. Moxley, as he liked to be called, was the youngest General in the Confederacy (aged 26), and part of Gen Longstreet's staff. The house was sold in 1859 to Henry Weed.

A brief aside about Stephen Bader. He gives the impression of being the owner quite well, doesn't he? The house, last I heard, was actually owned by his brother in Atlanta. Mr. Bader was the subject of a lengthy Savannah Morning News article in 2000 which chronicled his problems, including: not abiding by the Historic Review Board's guidelines for renovating historic structures, not getting proper permits to do said work, not paying contractors, not paying for antiques, and not getting along with the neighbors.

The story of the suicide of Francis Sorrel's wife is a puzzling one. Bader claims she pitched herself off the second floor balcony. I can't seem to find an account of it anywhere. On a website related to the Sorrel-Weed House, the claim is made that the wife died in 1861, which cannot be true, since the house was sold to the Weed family in 1859. One would also think that the wife in question (nowhere is she mentioned by name) would find a more suitable method of suicide than throwing herself off the second floor balcony. Stephen Bader also claims to 'believe' that Mrs. Sorrel killed herself after she found out that Francis was having an affair, citing some letters. He produced no letters to verify this account-- one would think he would be quick to pull them out to verify his story. It's a juicy story... without any historical record to back it up.

Then the show's focus shifts to the carriage house. A fellow living back there claimed to have shifted his bed to the living room because his name kept being called by a 'ghostly voice'. In the midst of setting up equipment to catch evidence of this, one of the team members whacks an antique with a cord roller; he rubs the wood to see if there is any damage, and then looks around to see if anyone saw him do it. Yep, man, you're caught on tape. Clearly TAPS has pretty high standards when hiring folks... or re-hiring, in this case.

The team finds handprints in the basement via thermal imaging. I'm not saying these were staged, but they don't really go into how they got there or if anyone had been in that area previous to them walking into it. The handprints seemed to be fading rapidly.

The next bit involves the carriage house. One team is shown asking for a sign that there is a ghost present, and then they hear a voice outside. Once they return, a clothes hanger is lying near a doorway where there had been nothing before. Another team also centers on the carriage house: they hear a bang, and walk into the house, seeing nothing amiss. Later they learn that there is a voice on the recorder of a woman screaming for help.

My problem with this? There are two teams, each with a cameraman and two members. That's six people scrambling all over this small carriage house. What is the timeframe for any of these events? Are they simply mucking up each other's data? The individual teams are chatting amongst themselves the whole time. They are also visiting during October in a heavily populated urban area-- and the voice sounds like an overheard horror movie, quite honestly.

When the voice is played for the tenant of the carriage house, he switches stories, claiming that there was a slave raped in the carriage house. The implication is that Francis Sorrel did it... the father of one of the heroes of the Confederacy. Later during the show Stephen Bader calls the suicide "a fact". Hmmm. This whole segment makes me suspicious that the intent is to drum up business for the ghost tour which goes through the house, or even for the bed & breakfast, run by Mr. Bader.

Switching gears, there is a bit in Colonial Park Cemetery where they (or at least a few of their members) go searching for the "Man Beast", who was allegedly "hung (sic) in the cemetery" (I believe you mean "hanged", fellas). In the segment, the TAPS team members are seen being scared by a giant spider, kicking open an iron fenced burial plot (!), and basically running around like a bunch of pre-teen boys. Great. They took time away from their segment about Savannah for this? And then a couple of team members jumped out in costume. How can we take them seriously at all?

The most credible portion of their program was the portion dealing with Moon River Brewing Company. Interviewing the manager, Chris, was a good step. He is knowledgeable and a genuinely nice guy. His story involving the pool tables dropping all the billiard balls simultaneously was one I had never heard before. And no, no 'ball-dropping' jokes will be tolerated in the Comments section of this blog...

I could have done without the bit where a TAPS member talked about "feeling up" a ghost. TAPS? More like FRATS.

They did capture a strange mist on one of their remote cameras. But the other supposed 'ghost' sighting looks very much like one of the TAPS members lurking behind a pool table. A team member claims that there was "no way" whatever they caught on tape could have gotten past the camera. Uh, sorry, fellas, whoever that was could have easily used the stairs off to the right, the ones not in the frame. The back stairwell is located right where the supposed ghost enters and then disappears from view.

All in all I was very disappointed in this show. They needed more historical data, more eyewitnesses, more interviews. I would have loved to see Elizabeth Piechochinski, Colin Young, or some of our other credible and well-spoken local historians on the program. I would have liked to see better care taken in their scientific research, as well. Sending teams pell-mell into supposed haunted locations might make for unintentionally entertaining television, but it doesn't speak well of their seriousness or commitment to presenting factual information.

'Haunted Savannah' Pictures from B&B Billiards

2005-11-05T05:45:00.000-08:00

These photos appeared originally in my book, 'Haunted Savannah', but they were reproduced in black & white. I thought they were much more striking in color.

Here's a strange photo taken by Craig Biszick, owner of B & B Billiards. It is a digital photo taken of his daughter. Craig is a non-smoker, and insists that they were alone in the downstairs of B & B when these startling photos were taken. There were 12 shots taken total, and these were the only 2 with an anomaly (shots 6 & 7 in the sequence).

These photos were not doctored by me in any way, and Craig claims that they were unchanged by him as well.

Is this genuine spectral phenomena captured digitally? I'll let you be the judge.

I've seen a lot of photos where people claim that there are spirit orbs, faces, or vortexes. My usual reaction to these is, "Nice shot of a camera strap, there, guy," or some other logical explanation. But these are very peculiar.

Savannah Pictures

2005-11-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Savannah. Just thought I'd share a few
pictures I've snapped over the years.

Sorry for the following legalese. All photos are copyrighted by me. Please don't copy them or retransmit them in any form. If you'd like to link to this page please email me, or ask permission before using them for any purpose. Thanks.

Outside the Savannah Cotton Exchange.

This relief was carved on the monument commemorating Count Casimir Pulaski. He gave his life for American freedom on October 9th, 1779.

Decorative ironwork in Savannah.

The Fountain in Forsyth Park.

George Washington donated two guns to a local artillery unit when he visited the city in 1791. The Chatham Artillery cheekily named them 'George & Martha'.

Lutheran Church of the Ascension on Wright Square.

Sculpture on Telfair Museum (Telfair Square). Four famous artists are pictured.

Another sculpture outside of the Telfair.

Colonial Park Cemetery, estblished in 1750. This gate was erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1913.

This is where we begin our nightly ghost walk, the Haunted History Tour.

City Hall, designed by Hyman Witcover in 1905.

Our founder, Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe. He was a member of British Parliament turned reformer, philanthropist, and adventurer. He was also no slouch as a general.

On the base of Oglethorpe's monument there are four lions. The sculptors, Henry Bacon & Daniel Chester French, also designed the Seated Lincoln in Washington D.C.

Ironwork on the Champion-McAlpin House.

More decorative ironwork on the Champion-McAlpin House on Orleans Square.

(below) The Independent Presbyterian Church.

Banned! or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love 'Face's Tavern'

2005-10-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

Most of my tours are great. I meet wonderful people, I have a fantastic time myself, and leave with a warm glow that I just made someone's vacation one to remember. However, occasionally, we have a Pub Tour Gone Wrong. One in particular still stands out.

There are certain tours absolutely loathed by tour guides; and business groups are at or near the top of the list. These groups frequently show up for tour already pretty-well lit.

One particular group three years ago arranged for a private tour. They explained that they were software people from Cincinatti, and needed an earlier tour time. For what I considered to be the the right price, I agreed. I was to learn shortly that I had asked for far, far too little. The group was a party of eleven, and nine of the tourgoers were men. Even before the tour began, I was pulled aside by one of the members of the party, and the guy requested that I make fun of his boss, an already red-faced fellow named Ed. When I asked why, expecting a buddy-buddy answer, the guy responded, “Well, he’s sort of a big drunk jerk.” This set the tone for the evening. I later found out that this group had been drinking since around three in the afternoon, so they had a four-hour head-start on me... and they were rowdy drunks.

Bossman Ed looked me over with glassy eyes, surveying the wool uniform, and mumbled, “Any guy who wears an outfit like that can do a shot with me.” My hard-and-fast rule for myself is ‘no shots while on the tour’. I really want to be coherent, but Ed wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. This was the first of many shots for me that evening, and as the night went on it became easier for me to disregard that rule because, well, frankly, I was miserable.

My first story was a disaster. I tried to tell them the history of the old building in which we started, but they weren’t interested in history. Ed’s eyes got even glassier. I remember thinking, "I'm in Hell."

They wound up making up their own ghost story. I don't remember the particulars, but I know that the phrases “dripping blood” and “bloodcurdling SCREAM” were featured prominently, and they seemed to be much happier once I started down that route, as well. I figured I was in for a rough evening, and it was confirmed when one of the guys yelled “boo” to scare one of the ladies on tour. It got worse, though—far, far worse.

The next pub we visited was the Olde Pink House, a fine dining establishment. I told a quick ghost story outside (I gritted my teeth the whole time, and did something I HATE-- I made up a story on the spot—one of a headless murdering phantom), and they absolutely loved it. One fellow pulled his shirt over his head and yelled, “I’m the ghost!” And here is where the tour went seriously wrong: the group wanted to go downstairs into the tavern for a beverage. The Pink House is fine dining, and a drunken rabble like the ones I was leading that particular night would not be viewed kindly by the staff or the diners, some of whom were wearing tuxedoes and sequined dresses. I wanted to just move on, but they were all dry and wanted to stop. I warned them to not make too much noise, and just creep downstairs into the tavern via the outside stairs if they wanted a drink. They promised to behave. I reminded them that it was fine dining. They said, “A quick drink and we’ll be right back.” And here is where I made the worst mistake of my pub tour career: I believed them.

Long story short? This is the reason I am banned from the Olde Pink House. Others can look back on things they regret and usually find a perspective of, "Well, I meant well." I have no such excuse. I knew better, and did it anyway. The group got booted from the restaurant, and I got firmly admonished by the manager, who happened to be a friend of mine (I am still apologizing to her nearly three years later!). Fortunately, our friendship survived.

After we left (were tossed from?) the Pink House, we were also booted from the 17Hundred90, as well. Let me just say that I've seen fistfights that needed less policing than this group. And then they informed me that they wanted to go to River Street. "But the tour goes this way," I offered weakly. "Drinks," Ed informed me, "Are THIS way."

The Riverfront was two blocks from the 17Hundred90. Halfway there, the group was out of alcohol and began to complain. I informed them that we just had another block to go, and I was told to shut up and lead them to alcohol. And that's where I turned into pure, unadulterated evil.

In life, there are rules of thumb: Never annoy a cop. Never mess with someone preparing your food. And we can add a new one to the list: Never insult your tour guide. Especially when you are drunk, don't know the city, and are basically at his mercy.

Oh yes, I knew of a great bar. As a matter of fact, they should head right inside and meet a few of the locals. Especially the bartender... if he liked you sometimes he would give you free drinks! That was all the group needed to hear... they rushed inside. I, however, said I would wait right outside on the sidewalk. Heh. Yeah, sure I would. I would wait just like Patton waited for Monty at the Rhine.

You've probably guessed already that I didn't wait for them. I had had enough abuse for one night. So yes, I ditched them. The part you haven't probably guessed, though, is that I ditched them at a gay bar.

Three years later, I still don't feel bad.

Tour disclaimer: not all pub tours wind up with the patrons being ditched at a gay bar. Tour group being ditched at a gay bar subject to availability.

Halloween In Savannah

2005-10-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

Even though I run a tour in Savannah and dress in period costume nearly every night, there is something thrilling about touring during Halloween. The costumes that people come up with in this town are absolutely amazing. Maybe it's the creative atmosphere with the art school, or maybe it is the strong drama culture in the city. Maybe it's the Goth counterculture... I'm not sure. But we have some great 'outside the box' type thinkers in this city.

Two great costumes I saw last night were a guy dressed as a shower curtain (quite simply, a shower curtain suspended on a circular rod over his head). That guy had a little trouble getting into Sushi Zen! And another guy had on a big bale of hay with dinner rolls attached all over him (a roll in the hay, get it?).

Anyway, TC and I split up our tours last night (the Halloween crowd was too large for one guide), and when the group divided I realized that all of the troublemakers went with me. In the space of two hours I was heckled, groped, applauded, fondled, cursed at, cheered, and flirted with-- sometimes simultaneously.

Dressing as the Dread Pirate Wesley from the Princess Bride while on tour was a very, very bad idea. Judging from how many drag queens hooted at me last night ("I'm your Buttercup, bay-bee!"), I'll not be dressing as anything but a Confederate for quite some time. I had to come home and de-compress after such an intense tour.

Statesboro Regional Library Event

2005-09-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.srlsstaff.blogspot.com/

Haunted Beaver House in Statesboro

2005-09-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

This place will have a chapter in the planned follow-up to 'Haunted Savannah'. I did a book signing there on Tuesday, and had a chance to meet with Clay Beaver, who told me some incredible things about this establishment.

The following is an article which appeared in the Statesboro Herald.

Is Beaver House haunted?

Ghost hunter tests Boro landmark for lost, restless spirits

JAKE HALLMAN/staff

The exterior of the Beaver House Restaurant is bathed in light at night. Owner Clay Beaver said that a couple of pictures taken of the exterior of the restaurant have shown ghostly images of people in old-fashioned dress in the windows.

By HOLLI DEAL BRAGG
hbragg@statesboroherald.net

Walking through the Historic Beaver House Restaurant, Pennsylvania resident Holly Metcalf wore an intense look on her face. It was obvious she was searching for something, but in most cases, the objects she sought cannot be seen.

She was looking for spirits – what some call ghosts – in the house. The Beaver family said the house is haunted with the spirits of ancestors and a little girl who died after an accident there - long, long ago.

Metcalf is a “sensitive” – a person who is highly in touch with what she calls the sixth sense.

“We all have the sixth sense when we are born,” she said. “We breed it out of our children. We breed it out of ourselves.”

Metcalf said she can hear spirits.

Walking around the property, she explained how today’s society discourages sensitivity to spirit energy and other supernatural occurrences. When children speak of an imaginary friend “We say ‘you don’t have an imaginary friend,’ but maybe they do have a friend or see someone we can’t see.”

Metcalf used digital cameras and an electromagnetic sensor to detect the presence of spirit energy. The sensor would sound an alert when passed along light sockets or where wiring ran through the wall, but was quiet as Metcalf’s assistant walked into the center of a room.

Then, the red light flashed and the machine began to beep feverishly. It was nowhere near any wiring. When the sensor stopped, the assistant took a step forward. The alert resumed. The magnetic field making the sensor sound off was moving. The group followed it around the room, changing locations when the sensor stopped until the alarm resumed.

In one room, the alarm beeped rapidly. Metcalf walked into the dark room then swiftly returned, saying it was hard to breathe. Others - believers and skeptic alike - noted the heaviness of the air and a distinct change in temperature from comfortable to chilly.

Spirits pull energy from the atmosphere and from living creatures as well. An unexplainable cold spot could indicate the presence of a spirit, Metcalf said.

As she took a break from her search, the sensitive talked with Beaver outside the house, describing what she was hearing and feeling. Music no one else could hear was coming from a building nearby, she said.

“Who’s John?” she asked. Beaver said it was his late father’s name.

“No, this isn’t your father,” she said. “Grandfather? Great grandfather?”

Beaver said he did have a great grandfather by that name. “He was in government,” Metcalf stated.

Beaver looked at the others in the group. “He was mayor,” he said.

When Metcalf called another name, Beaver was visibly startled. It was the name of an aunt who had died suddenly.

Metcalf could not have known her name, he said later.

“She is still here,” Metcalf said. “She did not want to leave.”

Spirits in the house

Beaver said there are six “ghosts” that haunt the Beaver House Restaurant. One is his grandfather, Roy Beaver, a big man who stood 6’6” and weighed 480 pounds, he said.

A few years ago a psychic attending a seminar at Georgia Southern University dined at the restaurant, he said. As she paid her bill, she asked about “the big man who walks the house.”

“She said he was sitting in a red chair with a green ottoman listening to a radio,” he said, pointing to one of the restaurant’s dining rooms. “There was no way she could have known Granddaddy was a big man, and he sat right there - “ he pointed - “in a red chair with a green ottoman, and he listened to (a poplar radio program).”

Beaver’s great grandmother Ruth McDougald is also a presence in the house, as are two uncles, his aunt and a small girl named Annie who died after a fall out of a tree that stood behind where Pizza Hut is today, he said.

Employees - including some who claimed they did not “believe” in ghosts - have seen evidence of these spirits or caught glimpses of them, he said.

Annie is “most prevalent,” Beaver said. He has seen her twice.

The spirits like to play jokes, such as opening doors that had been locked; moving furniture and stealing silverware form place settings, only to replace them later, he said.

Seeing spirits or evidence of their presence is not unusual, Metcalf said. “They do say there is a very thin veil between our world and their world.”

Why are they here? “No one knows,” she said.

A ghost is like “a rut in a mud road,” she said, “the same thing over and over. “The spiritual body doesn’t realize the physical body is gone.”

Spirits are energy from previously “living” things that walk the earth.

Metcalf said she believes our lives are “specks” in the big picture and that we live multiple lives before we reach Heaven. Lives are recycled, she said.

Spirits could be lives that have not been “reassigned” to earth as we know it, and are suspended between worlds, she said.

“I believe in God and I believe there is life everlasting,” she said. “And I don’t think this is it. I believe this, life here on earth, is hell. Here, where fathers rape daughters, people kill strangers, people snort stuff up their noses - what can be worse than this?

“We are all here to learn,” she continued. “We are His students. Those who don’t choose His way are recycled.”

As she moved through the house, Metcalf and others snapped digital pictures, especially in the areas where the electromagnetic sensor went off.

The result were shots with “orbs,” - circular spots of light. While one photographer discredited many of these orbs as reflections off the camera lens, one particular shot of a dark bedroom was unexplainable.

While perfectly circular orbs were seen in this shot - explained as lens reflections - there were also two oddly-shaped light mists that could not have been lens reflections, the photographer said.

The unexplainable clusters of light were situated directly over an area where the electromagnetic sensor had sounded frantically.

There was a great deal of activity in one particular room, Metcalf said. “I just felt compelled to go there.”

Beaver said the room Metcalf was drawn to had been his aunt’s room.

Metcalf isn’t a psychic, she said. She doesn’t predict the future and cannot read minds, but she is sensitive to spirit energy.

She understands and even encourages skepticism. “You have to be skeptic,” she said. “You have to look for rational explanations first.”

But it’s when the rational explanations do not exist - as in the photos with the oddly shaped orbs of misty light -that one could believe spirits are present, she said.

Beaver said nothing seriously spooky has ever happened at the restaurant, and said no customers have ever reported strange or unexplainable occurrences while they dined.

Still, it is interesting to have a few family ghosts around, he said.

Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414. Section/Page: Front Page

I have no idea how to title this one, so....

2005-09-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

My wool pants apparently shrank a bit when I got caught in a rainstorm one evening. Last night a woman on my tour stared at my crotch and then asked if I was wearing a jockstrap. When I said 'no' to her odd question, she bit her finger and stared even harder.

This was the same tour that an entirely different woman asked me why I had my Tour Guide Permit clipped to my bag. The bag, called a haversack, rides perilously close to my posterior. She then informed me that she had been staring at it all tour. By 'it', of course, she didn't mean the permit.

My tours are getting weirder. Also, time to buy new pants...

'Connect' Article by Linda Sickler

2005-09-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Haunted Savannah
New book tells Savannah's ghostly side

By Linda Sickler
June 22, 2005

IT SEEMS LIKE Everyone wants to live in a haunted house in Savannah.

“It’s almost a status symbol,” says James Caskey, tour guide, historic re-enactor and author of the new book, Haunted Savannah.

“Old seaports have that reputation,” Caskey says. “Southern seaport cities, especially.”

Caskey’s book is subtitled The Official Guidebook to Savannah Haunted History Tour. It details all the stops made during tours led by Cobblestone Tours, Inc., which Caskey owns.

The tours cover Savannah’s extensive and often tragic history, including duels, wars, plagues and murders. In addition to the stories, the book includes some photographs of what appears to be spectral energy.

The photo of Caskey that is on the back of the book depicts him with streams of energy shooting around his face. The photo was taken by his brother.

Caskey’s book came about over time. “I originally started just writing out scripts for tour guides,” he says. “I found if they had written material, it helped them a lot more than me telling them the same things over and over.”

At one point, Caskey opened the file of scripts he kept on his computer. “I was very surprised to see how much I’d written,” he says.

Then Caskey met Savannah author Murray Silver. “We must have talked a couple of hours,” Caskey says. “He urged me to get in touch with his publisher.”

The publisher is Cristina Piva, owner of Bonaventture (yes, it has two Ts) Books. “She was very enthusiastic about it,” Caskey says.

The book not only has ghost stories, there is a lot of history about Savannah. The book already is selling briskly locally. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Caskey says.

Readers have turned out for readings and signings Caskey has done so far. “One woman drove in from Pooler to meet me,” he says with surprise.

Caskey moved to Savannah 13 years ago to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design to study painting. At that time, he did not believe in ghosts.

“Then I took a job at the Fort Screven Inn on Tybee Island,” Caskey says. “The owner warned me it was haunted, but I didn’t believe in it at all. I thought he was a little off.”

Then Caskey began to hear strange noises in the hallway -- the sound of heavy boots walking, even though there was no one there. He blamed the sounds on the settling of an old building.

There was a door leading down to the basement that was always kept locked, yet often while Caskey was doing his daily duties, he would find the door unlocked. One time, he locked it and turned to walk away, only to hear the door unlock behind him.

Still, Caskey wasn’t convinced, so he locked the door and backed down the hallway so he could watch the bolt. It didn’t move, so he walked back to the door. As he reached for the knob to test it, the lock unlocked itself.

That was startling, but a truly frightening experience awaited Caskey. After graduating from SCAD, he was making his living as a decorative and portrait painter.

Caskey was hired by a couple living on Barnard Street to do several projects in their house. He often listened to music while he worked, which was sometimes at night when the couple was out.

One night, Caskey took the CD out of the CD player, which had been switched off. He was engrossed with his work when he heard Nina Simone singing, of all things, “I put a spell on you, ‘Cause you’re mine. You better stop the things you do, I ain’t lyin’, NO, I ain’t lyin’.

The music so frightened Caskey that he ran outside, threw his key through the mail slot and ran to his car.

Did he finally believe? “Oh my, yes!” Caskey says. “It gets your attention. It was such a personal message, I decided to run.”

The next morning, Caskey returned to the house and checked the CD player. It was still empty, just as he’d left it, and the owners said they hadn’t touched it.

When Caskey asked the lady of the house if it was haunted, she said she sometimes felt a presence on late evenings. The downstairs apartment also was haunted, as Caskey learned when he was hired to paint there, too.

To write the book, Caskey conducted several lengthy interviews. “I spent a lot of time with the people who own these haunted buildings,” he says.

Tourists often share their personal ghost stories with him during the walking tours. “I have found people from all over who have ghost stories,” Caskey says. “Some have had frightening things happen that they don’t understand.”

The tours began as an outgrowth of Caskey’s interest in history and his fascination with Savannah. “As a child, I was tremendously shy,” he says. “It surprises even me that I would do so much speaking in public.”

A friend who owned a tour company hired Caskey as a guide. When the friend closed his business, Caskey decided to start his own.

While writing the book, Caskey spent a lot of time at the Georgia Historical Society. “They told me I needed to set up a tent there,” he says. “They were incredibly helpful.

“i’m not a historian at all,” Caskey says. “Jewell Anderson and the rest of the staff at the historical society did all the research. They were very patient.”

While conducting his tours, Caskey wears a Confederate soldier’s uniform. “I’ve been a re-enactor,” he says. “I try to dress as accurately as I can.”

Among Caskey’s accomplishments are participating in the burial of the Hunley crew in Charleston last year. “I was conducting a tour for some re-enactors and they told me they were one member short for an upcoming event and asked if I could help out,” he says.

When Caskey asked them what the event was, they told him it was the burial of the Hunley crew. “I almost fell over,” he says.

“Since I had never been around a real firing cannon, they gave me the job that had the least activity concerning the cannon -- I was the commander,” Caskey says. “You can get hurt very easily around a cannon when you don’t know what you are doing.”

Caskey’s tours have been featured on the Travel Channel program, America’s Most Haunted Places -- Savannah. A particularly memorable tour was re-enacted for the program.

It showed Caskey leading a group through an upper floor of the Moon River Brewing Company. One of the ghosts that apparently haunts Moon River is a woman, who sometimes pushes men as they are going down the stairs.

“This fellow was walking in front of me,” Caskey says. “He had told me at the start, ‘I don’t believe in this stuff at all, I’m only here because my wife wanted to come.’

“When we got upstairs, he stood with his arms folded,” Caskey says. “He had a look on his face that said he wasn’t buying any of this.

“It was a cold evening and he was wearing a red scarf,” Caskey says. “As we were going down the steps, I saw him slap the side of his neck and give me a dirty look.”

The man later apologized to Caskey for his actions and for his remarks early in the evening.

“He said, ‘I had something happen to me at Moon River that I can’t explain,’” Caskey says. “What he felt was a hand reach down into his jacket and try to take the scarf.”

Assuming that Caskey was playing a joke on him because of what he had said, the man slapped at what he thought was Caskey’s hand.

“There was no hand there,” Caskey says. “When he turned around to look at me, I was 8 feet behind him with a lantern in one hand and a beverage in the other.”

That was not the only person to have a supernatural experience on one of Caskey’s tour. “People more often than not will usually feel a sensation, a change in air pressure or a temperature change,” he says.

“I had a woman one time who had a shocked look on her face,” Caskey says. “She asked me about ‘the woman in period costume up there.’

“I was the only one in the group in period costume,” Caskey says. “I took her back upstairs and showed her there was no one else.”

When Caskey asked if the woman minded if he shared her story with the rest of the tour group, she begged him not to say anything. “She told me her boyfriend already thought she was kind of flaky,” he says.

Although Caskey thinks spectral phenomena probably has a natural explanation, he has no theories. “I don’t know what ghosts are,” Caskey says. “I do know there is something out there because I’ve experienced it. It’’s something we can’t explain with science yet.”

Savannah deserves its reputation as “America’s Most Haunted City,” Caskey says. “It would be hard to imagine any others as haunted as us.”

Inane Questions on Tour: A Small Sampling

2005-09-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

If you deal with the public on a consistent basis, you'll eventually be asked some bizarre queries. I used to encourage people on tour to ask questions by saying, “There are no stupid questions.” I have sadly been proven wrong on this point time and time again. The following are just a sampling of the inane, inappropriate and just plain bizarre questions asked by tourgoers (and some responses) over the years:

“What time does the nine o’clock tour start?”

“Does the Savannah River Boat go through the Historic District?” (“Yes, ma’am, but only during hurricane season.”)

(heading into the side entrance of the 17Hundred90’s tavern, which has no sign) “Are you taking me to your apartment?” (“Ma’am, would you like me to?”)

“Are you a virgin?” (“Yes. What are you doing later?”)

(from a group of three men and two ladies) “Would you like to come back to our hotel room? Reggie finds you very attractive.”

(from man) “Can I hold your sword?” (“It would take a bigger man than you to hold my sword, sir.”)

(from woman) “Can I hold your sword?” (“Aren’t you at least going to buy me dinner first?”)

“Do you try to pick up every girl on your tour in a brown skirt?” (“Yes, I have a fetish.”)

“Can we have an experience if we pay extra?” (“Yes... I’m having an experience right now.”)

“Oh no, you’re not one of those liberal feminists, are you?” (“I think most feminists would be horrified to hear what you just said, ma’am!”)

(from a Tybee Island resident) “Okay, so the Union guns were bombing Ft. Pulaski... and you said the guns were about eight hundred yards away. But that was in the Civil War, so how far would that be today?” (“Ummm, exactly the same distance?”)

“Can we go downstairs to hear the moaning?” (You’ll only hear moaning if I go downstairs with you, ma’am.”)

Party Pics

2005-09-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd post a few of these pics from the book premiere party. These were taken June 3rd in the downstairs of Moon River Brewing Company.

Click the photos for a larger view.

This was the beginning of the party. I was worried that this was going to be it in terms of guests. Is that an orb on that guy's black T-shirt?

This is Elizabeth (L) and Melonie (R) from Melonie's Antiques. They have a whole chapter devoted to their ghost.

The three reenactors were a nice surprise. See, I'm not the only one who dresses up-- but they look better in a hoop skirt than I do. Just ask my employees.

That's Margaret on the left.

Here's the author signing for an author-to-be. This little lady wants to write a book as well.

This is Jewell Anderson from the Georgia Historical Society. I'm not sure what I said to her that has made her so happy-- but perhaps it was my promising that I wouldn't leave such a mess in the archives at the GHS if I write another book.

Altogether I think I signed 100 copies that evening.

Tour guide Karl needs to watch himself around my mom. Get a couple of glasses of wine in her and watch out...

Here's my publisher, Cristina-- the woman just simply does not stop working.

Here we have John Duncan, Professor Emeritus of History at Armstrong University. He also appeared in the movie Midnight of the Garden of Good & Evil.

A loyal reader has found the perfect way to experience my book.

An author has to be in touch with his target audience.

Hand... cramping...

Here's Margaret and my best friend Jeff posing with a local kook.

Cristina is discussing having a robotic hand attached to her new author so he can keep up with all of his book signings she's scheduled.

Tour guide Missy discusses her sexual harrassment case against her boss-- I hear he owns a tour.

How's that for cornball? Cristina encouraged me to give a speech, which was pretty well received.

I hope you've enjoyed these pics. Send your comments to cobblestonetours@hotmail.com, or simply post a comment on the blog below.

Sorry for the lack of posts...

2005-08-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I've been incredibly busy. I promise from henceforth on out, I shall update more regularly. There have just been book signings and tours and tour guides in transition, so it has been a little hectic. I do, however, want to share with you a little weirdness that happened to me recently:

Wearing a big goofy outfit made of wool and leather gets a reaction out of most people. Like the woman one evening who, unprovoked in any way, walked up to me and ran her fingers over my gauntlet. She then cooed in my ear in the sexiest way possible, "Oooooh.... kidskin." Then she walked away.

And then there are the real freaks, the ones your mother probably warned you about. I had a guy approach me on the way to tour one night, camera in hand. I thought he wanted a photo. He said, "Wow, great outfit..." I smiled for the photo request which I was sure was coming. But instead, he asked me (as if it were the most natural thing in the world): "Can I see your socks?"

Before you ask, sicko, I did not acquiece to his request (means 'no'). I thought about asking why he would want to see the style of my foot stockings, but decided I didn't really care to know, and would probably sleep much sounder if I didn't ask. Ignorance in this case truly is bliss. If not wanting to know what this fella was up to was cereal flakes, just call me General Mills.

ConnectSavannah.com

2005-06-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

There is a great interview by Linda Sickler in regards to the book for Connect Savannah, a local weekly publication. You'll have to cut-and-paste, since I'm HTML impaired, but it is worth the effort. She did a great job.

http://www.connectsavannah.com/

Click on 'Culture', then 'Books', and you'll see the link immediately.

A Bathroom Encounter

2005-06-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a while... I've been slammed with book signings, the tour has been short-staffed, and I have had a death in the family. It's been a hectic week. to say the least.

Regarding the title of this piece, I recently had an encounter with something in the men's room in the Marshall House. No, this wasn't an encounter with something supernatural; it was much, much worse. If you have a weak constitution, this is your cue to stop reading. I walked in to use the facilities and found a rather inebriated man standing in front of the mirror. After chatting about history for several moments, the fellow told me that he was on a date with a very attractive and well-off young lady. When I suggested that he might want to return to his date, he told me:

"Well, I would, but I've got a wicked case of gas." He then demonstrated that he wasn't kidding by cutting loose with something I haven't heard heretofore outside of a zoo.

Modesty prevents me from recording what he actually said next. The gist of it is, "If she stays with me through this, I'll marry her." His statement contained a specific sexual act, which if she were performing on him like he suggested when his internal rumblings returned, she might be killed. I had no response to his declaration of affection, nor his test of their relatively new love.

Not all scary stories from the pub tour contain ghosts...

Mention in the Savannah Morning News

2005-06-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Bill Dawers	Web posted Saturday, June 11, 2005

New book devoted to our oldest residents – ghosts

"One cannot walk down Savannah's streets at twilight without feeling evidence of her supernatural side. The old beautiful homes practically emanate the aura of lost loves, lives cut short, and other misfortunes."

Thus begins James Caskey's "Haunted Savannah," the latest entry in the growing list of books about the city.

I suspect many of you know Caskey, at least by sight. He's a tour guide and founder of Cobblestone Tours, and many nights he's dressed in Civil War Era garb while leading a group of visitors on his Savannah Haunted History Tour. Such tours have become a big hit with tourists who otherwise find little to do downtown at night.

His new book, published by the locally based Bonaventure Books, is the official guide to the tour, and it's chock full of history, legends, stories, and personalities. The 200-plus page book is broken up into literally scores of readable small chapters.

I suspect many local readers will find themselves reading the book as I did - by flipping through and randomly reading stories about places that interest us.

Some of the places are familiar - The Olde Pink House, 17Hundred90, the Kehoe House. Other stories are less familiar, like the one about the Willink House on St. Julian, where mysterious goings-on might be linked to a clandestine school for blacks in the decade before Emancipation.

Or the story of Irish immigrant Alice Riley, who was the first person to be executed in Georgia. She was hanged for murder in January of 1735.

In addition to the stories about ghosts and other hauntings, the book is sprinkled with tales about the strange and notorious.

Last weekend, "Haunted Savannah" was fittingly launched with a big party in the basement at Moon River Brewing Co.

Originally the old City Hotel, the ancient building allegedly has hauntings of its own, and the close confines and dense brickwork of the basement appropriately evoked Savannah's mysterious past. And present.

Caskey will be signing his book from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at B. Matthews Bakery & Eatery at Habersham and Bay. On June 24th, he'll be signing at Beans on Bay Coffee Shop on Upper Factor's Walk at 126 West Bay Street.

"Haunted Savannah" is available at bookstores and gift shops throughout downtown.

Roger Ebert's Q & A

2005-06-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

From Roger Ebert's website:

Q. I greatly enjoy your reviews and the thoughtful observations they contain. However, I get a little worried about the strength of your argument in your review of "Unleashed," when you make the case for women being able to stir a man's humanity by using Ann Coulter as your example. That is the same person who claimed women should bear arms but not be able to vote.

C. Perla, Miami

A. Wouldn't you sleep more soundly at night knowing Ann Coulter was in the Army and not in a voting booth?

Sherman's Troops and the Cask of Wine

2005-06-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sherman’s troops were raiding the plantations from Atlanta all the way to Savannah, and they developed a strategy called 'foraging'. The Southern families affected by foraging called it by a different name: stealing. What the marauding Union army couldn’t steal, they burned. The Southern families would often try to hide valuables in the family burial plot or vault, hoping the Union troops would be squeamish about violating their dead. Of course, after a while the first place the Bluecoats would look was the graves of the plantation.

The Union soldiers raided a plantation right outside of Savannah, and popped open a burial vault. There they found a cask of wine right inside the door. Overjoyed at this discovery, the soldiers used their rifle butts to knock it open and began to drink. What they didn’t realize was that a member of that family, a young girl, had died while in finishing school in Baltimore. Her remains were shipped by train back to her home, and the practice of the time was to immerse the deceased in a preservative—red wine, in this case. The family had no desire to open the cask when it arrived, because the young lady in question had been in transit for several weeks, so they simply put the cask of wine right inside the door of the vault. It remained there for 6 years until it was disturbed.

The Union soldiers learned the difference between a cask and a casket. The troops also learned that sometimes Savannah wines are full-bodied. The wine wasn't merlot, it was Margot!

An Extra Story (A Side of 'Shrimp')

2005-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd add a story that was unfortunately finished to late to be included in my book 'Haunted Savannah'. It should go without saying (here comes the legalese, sorry) that this is copyrighted by me, and may not be reproduced in any form without my express written consent. This will be appearing in some form in a later edition, or possibly a second volume, if it is warranted.

The Shrimp Factory was built in 1823, and was originally a cotton warehouse. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, and it changed everything in Savannah. Cotton was the major cash crop of the area in the 1800's, and before it could be shipped, it had to be graded for quality and stored. Most of the buildings on River Street were warehouses at one time.

One of the finer restaurants on River Street, the structure is a mainstay since 1977. Famous for their shrimp (the shrimp & crab au gratin is a favorite of this author), the dining establishment is also one of the few to serve Chatham Artillery Punch, a particularly lethal local brew. The staff has had a number of strange experiences on the upper floors over the years. The current owner, Cheryl, has had numerous unexplainable occurrences herself, and states that there are two distinct presences in the Shrimp Factory.

She began working here in 1978, when the Shrimp Factory was owned by her mother, and as soon as she began working here she began to notice some odd happenings: she would hear a murmur of voices above her in the storage room. She described it as a large group of people talking quietly. When she would ask her mother what was going on upstairs, her mother Janie would shrug and say that the upstairs was empty. Cheryl has even run up the stairs to have a look but found nothing but an empty room. Even diners below have heard the strange voices or footsteps up above, and inquired about what they assume is another dining area. But when asked, the staff just explains very simply: the upstairs is haunted.

For so many years the ownership wondered if an electrical problem was the cause of the fan lights flickering, or problems with the fans themselves, which often were stopping and starting without anyone touching the switches. About ten years ago, the frustrated management replaced all of the electrical wiring and new switches and dimmers were installed. The electrical problems persisted after the wiring was replaced, however, leading Cheryl to believe that the problem lies not in the electrical wiring, but instead in the paranormal goings-on at the Shrimp Factory.

The upper floor is today the liquor cabinet and storage room, essentially where the extra bottles of liquor are kept to restock the downstairs bar. Not only has a presence been felt in the room, but the staff has heard low moans and clanking chains. The disembodied moaning has been heard on numerous occasions, but seems more prevalent typically during the winter months. Lest one start to believe that the moaning could be the wind blowing through the old rafters, let it be noted that it has been heard on days and nights of absolute calm. A psychic visiting the area felt the impression of a slave who died in the area, supposedly in the winter, nestled between two bales of cotton to try to stay warm in the unheated room. Perhaps the psychic impression of his tragic death has been bound to the location, playing out his last moments for all time.

A former employee reported going into the upstairs to get a bottle of champagne that a customer had ordered, and as soon as he ascended to the second floor he felt a presence and heard chanting in a language he did not recognize. He also saw strange shadowy figures in the storage room. Needless to say, he fled the area without picking up the champagne. Other staff members have reported finding beer kegs leaking badly in the upstairs room, and it has been a common occurrence for the liquor bottles to be rearranged or turn up missing, only to reappear in plain sight at a later time.

The other spirit in the Shrimp Factory is on the stairs leading up to the storage area. Cheryl describes a feeling like someone is on the stairs with you, as if they are right behind you, and a draft of cold air. Seeing as how the upstairs can get pretty warm during the summer months, she says, then the feeling is not that unpleasant. In fact, the spirit haunting the stairs has never menaced anyone or been particularly disruptive.

This is thought to be the spectre of 'Old Joe', a former employee who died in that very spot in 1977. He was the picture of perfect health, and just 55 years old, but he collapsed nonetheless on the way up the stairs. His cause of death was recorded as natural causes. He was reportedly heading up to the storage area to get a bottle of rum, which may explain why members of the staff will sometimes find bottles of that type of liquor pulled out, or if no containers of rum are stored in the area. Old Joe is said to get frustrated and break other bottles of liquor in protest. This is especially a problem in the winter, since that is when the Shrimp Factory generally lets inventory run a little low in the off-season.

Usually these broken containers were the expensive brandy, whiskey or champagne. The management eventually had to reach a truce with him, by specifying that one rum bottle must always be left in inventory so he would leave the other bottles alone. Old Joe seems happy with the arrangement, and his bottle-breaking days are largely behind him.

So what is the story behind the story at the Shrimp Factory? Is the chill on the stairs Old Joe, a spirit of the former employee? Or is the presence an old slave, as sensed by the psychic? It is possible these two entities co-exist peacefully within the current structure which houses the Shrimp Factory. A building like this one has seen much tragedy in Savannah; two of these instances have perhaps spawned a psychic vibration, the effects of which are still being felt today.

June 6th

2005-06-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Let's also take a moment to remember those brave souls at Normandy on June 6th, 1944. This date changed the world.

Favorite Tour Memories

2005-06-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

I was painfully shy as a child, so it is very odd that I have a job in which I dress in a costume which makes me stand out, and I speak to large groups of people on a regular basis. Perhaps this shyness at a young age is the reason that I have always loved observing people interacting-- as a kid I would much rather to have listened to a conversation than had one myself. Even though my job is to tell stories, I still manage to get a good bit of people-watching in while I'm touring.

Coming into constant contact with people is part of being a tour guide... and after four years, if I didn't have some stories, I really wasn't paying attention, was I?

One of my all-time favorite memories was the guy who proposed to his girlfriend while on the pub tour. He had arranged it with me beforehand, so I made sure they were alone, standing in front of a roaring fireplace at the 17Hundred90 Restaurant, which is an incredibly romantic place. He dropped to one knee, and she said, "You're joking." He shook his head, and she began to cry tears of joy. She was crying so hard that she could barely say yes. I led a toast to the new couple, and the entire restaurant and bar burst out into applause.

Another funny story was on a hot August night. If you've never been to Savannah in August, there's only one word to describe it: unbearable. And remember, my Confederate outfit is real wool! As I'm walking my sweltering group from one pub to the next, a car pulls up beside me, and inside were three little old ladies. I expected the obligatory picture, as the elderly ladies were peering at me and clearly discussing something about me. Finally the window rolled down, and one sweet lady inside the car said, "You're looking awful hot in those pants..." Needless to say, the pub tour erupted with laughter.

More of these stories to come...

Welcome to both haunted Savannah... and 'Haunted Savannah'

2005-06-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Savannah is truly a unique city. When I originally moved here nearly 13 years ago, I never expected my life to take the direction it did... but I have never been happier. My current status of tour owner and (recently) published author has led me to believe that I live in a truly magical place. I'm 32, and I love the work that I do and the place that I live.

My first book, Haunted Savannah, just had a premiere party that turned into quite an event. Thanks to the hard work of my publisher, Bonaventture Books, as well as some pavement-pounding by both myself and my partner-in-crime, Margaret, the party was an overwhelming success. Even with inclement weather the turn-out was around 150, many of whom bought multiple copies. I wound up signing books for most of the evening, and was so swamped with personalizing signatures that I didn't even get a chance to sample the food (amazingly, provided free of charge by Gene Beeco at Moon River Brewing Company). But I am definitely not complaining-- people showing that much interest was outstanding.

The party kicked off at 5:30 p.m. in the downstairs of Moon River, which was also provided gratis. The food smelled excellent, but since I was so busy talking with everyone I never even got near it, and it never occurred to me to ask someone to fix me up a plate. What was being thrust at me, however, was alcohol. After two beers and a shot of... something... I decided to switch to sweet tea just to maintain the power of stringing intelligible sentences together (no pub tour cracks, please). Liquor + empty stomach + speaking in front of a large crowd late in the evening = VERY bad idea! The ice in the tea melted under the lights and it resembled a beer anyway.

My publisher, Cristina, kept a steady flow of people moving in an organized fashion in front of the signing table. Other than a few snafus (uh, the guy who brought his OWN unpublished book and asked me a million technical questions about how to get it into the market springs to mind), the entire evening went off perfectly. I had several people approach me about getting their own story in a follow-up volume (this was an oft-asked question in the evening, along with "How long did this take you?").

I gave a short speech near the end, basically thanking everyone who helped me write the book by providing their time and personal stories. I led a round of applause for them, and it turned into a round of clapping for the book, and for me as well. It was at that moment I realized, I am a published author. My book is released after nearly four years. That is one of those feelings that I will savor for a long, long time.

I then revealed the surprise event: everyone at the party could join us on the pub tour if they so chose, free of charge. Many people opted for this, and I got some real positive feedback about Karl's tour later. But the real story of the evening was... are you ready? We actually had two out-of-the-ordinary things happen during the evening, oddities of a supernatural nature.

The first occurred at the party. As the event was winding down, leaving just a few friends and relatives in the downstairs, Cristina had an experience. She walked back into the basement of Moon River to check the stair access, and had a brush with some sort of presence back there. She was shaking, pale, and covered in goosebumps. I am about as paranormally-sensitive as an anvil, but even I could feel a presence down there.

The other occurred on the pub tour. The tourgoers saw a woman in a white dress and long black hair walking in the midst of Colonial Cemetery. She was witnessed by three people on the tour. Then she vanished from sight, leaving an amazed group standing open-mouthed at the fence. Of course, no one even thought of taking a photo.

I'll post pictures of the book-launch bash at a later time. I'll also be updating this site quite often, with sample stories, anecdotes, or interesting bits of trivia. For more info about my tours, you can visit my website:

http://ghostsavannah.com">ghostsavannah.com