Sunday, 6 March 2016

The ghosts of the Myrtles Plantation



The Myrtles Plantation, some 70 miles north of New Orleans, was built in 1794 by David Bradford. It is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in North America, and it attracts a constant stream of people who hope to see a ghost or two!

The most famous ghost on offer is that of Chloe, a governess who was hanged in 1820 for the murder of the wife and children of her employer and lover. It is said that she roams the mansion at night and will lift the mosquito net off the bed of anyone who is sleeping there.

You might also come across the ghost of William Winter, who was the Plantation’s owner in the 1860s. He was shot one night while on the porch of the mansion and tried to stagger upstairs to reach his wife. There were 20 stairs but he only reached the 17th before collapsing and dying. His ghost can apparently be heard climbing the stairs, but never further than the 17th!

Then there are the two girls who peer through a window, a Voodoo princess, and a Confederate soldier …

There are stories of at least ten murders having taken place at the Myrtles Plantation, although only one can be reliably attested to. That does not matter, as long as the tourists keep turning up!


© John Welford

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