The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-06
THE DISMAL SWAMP.

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Slave on the plantation hut had startling
experience 20 relate Of the ghosts that
haunted Graysville. one OF the most Ia
mons old plantations OF Louisiana Every
eave that ever trod southern soil is afraid
III praveyards. and the Graysville grave
,ard WAS indeed solemn old place, and
s,cesone enough 20 those minds super
..fiouslv inclined IL was not moro than
hundred yards from the back doorstep
.,3 i'm full range Of the little windows Of
Che room that had been the sitting room Of
I'm nv vrsndmothers for unnumbered gen
ertions.
twas not originally meant 90 be grave
r,rl One of the first Gray women had lost
q babe. and Il Wac her desire that the child
,.i-bf be buried somewhere in sight OF her
,,,ndow. where she might have the com
Cart of seeing rs little grave ut all times
aad knowing Is was not quite alone when
the wind blew at night and the snow fell
over Graysville>
Bat the little grave which held the dead
did not by any means help TO heal the
wound In the heart Of the living, and be-
fore the flowers bloomed again in the old
louisiana woods another grave was opened
beside the lonely little sleeper. and Grand
mother Gray went TO keen her child com
rany under the rustliug old liveoaks. OF
course grandfather was put to sleep beside
h. wife. aud so in time all the Grays were
laid there under those grim old oaks, and
ttc family graveyard" so TO speak, estab-
N.hcd within a stones throw Of the back
door.
Bgt it was not the graveyard which
made one afraid Of Graysyille. Beyond,
more than a mile, and cut of by one Of
those still, treacherous lagoons so common
en- Louisiana, stretched for several miles
.ow wet strip Of timber land known as the
Dismal Swamp.
The place was full OF uncanny associa-
rons- as the hiding place for runaway
slaves. the hotbed Of malaria and all man
rsr Of his and aches. At length the crown
inriu was put upon it when it became the
abode OF the Graysville ghost.
True. these stories of the ghost never,
fora long while at least, got beyond the
quarters. but there they were rehearsed
NIGHT after night with startling and blood
cur3tng variations.
Is was said that nothing ever came ont
of the swamp alive-even the cattle, wan
daruc within its deadly limits, were either
sang To- death by the poisonous reptiles
there or else broke their necks among the
tan1les 0i bamboo and rattan, crossyine
and swinging MOSES of the swamp.
YVES always mortally afraid Of the
swamp 4ad no human power could have
persuaded nc beyond the separating wa
ter, 81. the lagoon
Ot the ghosts | had no fear whatever,
histories Of the runaway slaves, the poi
s.r.as atmosphere and the unfortunate
cattle had filed my mind with horror of
Oh. place which to this day l have never
been able TO shake OF.
1lv first recollection Of it was the time
OIL. of the men came running in from the
tel. painting with fear and declaring that
something like "a big black shadow had
nun out Of the swamp and chased him
home
The something" proved to be Crazy
Dick an old slave who had disappeared
months before and was supposed 10 bedead
somewhere I'M the impenetrable depths Of
the Dismal Swamp. He had indeed been
there all the while. living upon the wild
plums and berries which grew there in
rank pr0fusion lie returned TO his hiding
place and died there. his dead body having
been discovered by seeing the buzzards cir
cling about it on the farther bank of the
lagoon
Literally torn 20 pieces by the witches"
they said IN the cabins Of the superstitious
o,acks. who repudiated the existence Of
the briers for the more thrilling idea Of
witches"
From that time forward the ghost Of
Crazy Dick was said to wander about the
swamp and could be seen almost any
night. "all in white" crossing the lagoon
and The rice field. and coming on across
The lawn TO the graveyard, where he disap-
peared lust at daylight" in his own grave
n the far corner of the lot, lover tOdes the
great house" The story was told until it
was believed by every negro on the planta-
r0l and when at last the overseer him
self. returning from the quarters after
midnight. where he had been 10 sit up with
a very sick slave. declared that he had
with his own eyes seen the ghost, there
was something of a panic IN and about
Graysvlle.
was a girl then Of about seventeen
years OF age, and my terror OF the swamp
became so intense that ! would stop my
ears and leave the room at the bare men
ton Of the place. 1t preyed upon my
thoughts day and night
AT night my dreams were full OF 1t. l
had wandered among all those mysterious
depths. trampled upon the nest Of the cop
perhead and adder, breathed the s0ft per-
fume of the wild magnolia and brushed
aside rs il trailed against my forehead,
the rank red blossoms of the poisonous
oak and the deadly ivy. In my dreams
had dipped my feet into the still, sleek
waters of the lagoon and followed the path
made by the ghost Of Crazy Dick across
THE rice field and the family graveyard,
aad lost myself in the depths OF its dull,
dense shadows.
I would wake at sunrise, nervous and
feyersh. and as weary as if had indeed
made the horrible journey. And even then
would creep under the bed covers and try
70 forget the kOrrors Of my dream
grew thin and pale and nervous. All
The cold in Louisiana could not tempt me
Lear the Dismal Swamp; my terror OF u In
creased rs |, night after night, roamed
thr,r,,b IRIS terrible tangles OF vine ana
brer iu my dreams
one morning the very climax OF wonder
Was reached when my father, returning
home lust before day from a meeting Oh
The rice planters at a village some fifteen
mile, distant, himself encountered the
Evansville ghost returning from It's MD
hight ramble through the Dismal swamp
lt WA only half visible IN the uncertain
neut. but still distinct enough Tor MN 10
Distinguish a supple willowy something
hon mo