Real Haunted House
The Battery
Charleston, South Carolina
By Shannon Reinbold-Gee
In a place known for Southern hospitality, it’s no wonder that some residents would want to linger. But the residents of some Charleston, South Carolina haunts seem unwilling to ever let go… Even after death.
Charleston’s Battery, also known as White Point Gardens, sits on the edge of the meeting place of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Long before the area became a scenic retreat and peaceful park, both Fort Broughton (established around 1735) and later Fort Wilkins occupied what was then known as White or Oyster Point, named for the eerie white and skeletal piles of bleached oyster shells covering the peninsula’s point. The Battery has been a place of conflict since its colonial beginnings. Frequented by pirates and later a key location as Charleston tried to defend itself from the Union’s invasion during the Civil War, Charleston’s Battery has seen enough death to explain it being haunted.
“Charleston’s Most Haunted Inn”
Behind the wrought iron gates of “No. 20,” known more popularly as the Battery Carriage House Inn, ghosts have continued on well beyond their expected stays. Built in 1843, the battery Carriage House is part of a larger, private home, but visitors who dare overnight are welcomed by the B&B’s staff. Heavy footsteps are heard on stairways where no one is seen walking. Strange glowing masses appear, change shape and fade away and cell phones act oddly in Room 3 of the Inn. Shutters open and close on their own and some visitors report seeing faces on one of the Inn’s beautiful mirrors.
Beginning in the early 1990s, reports started coming in about more oddities. People report feeling like they were being watched in the middle of the night, and perhaps most disturbing of all, some visitors claim to have seen a headless torso dressed in layers of clothing, overcoat on top haunting Room 8.
The strange headless torso is thought to be either the remnants of a colonial pirate or a man from the Civil War period. His overcoat is of a coarse material, which, depending on additional details could belong to a man of either historical period. Speculation rages over the figure’s identity and people get an uneasy feeling when he appears. He is possibly one of the many pirates and near-do-wells that met their end “dancing the hempen jig” in 1718 when Charleston tried and hanged nearly 50 pirates. Charleston was overrun by pirates and was one of Blackbeard’s favorite ports. Anne Cormac (later Anne Bonny, the famous female pirate) grew up in the area and met her husband, pirate James Bonny in Charleston. It was from Charleston that Blackbeard kidnapped Council member Samuel Wragg and his young son, holding them hostage until his crew received necessary medicines. Stede Bonnet, “the Gentleman Pirate” met his end at the end of a hangman’s noose after his pleas were ignored. He was buried on White Point Shoal (now the Battery Garden); although most pirates were dumped unceremoniously into the ocean. Is it possible Bonnet still roams the area, displaced and angry, threatening in a raspy, breathy way because his final words were useless?
The other frequent ghostly visitor is the “gentleman ghost.” It is believed that the gentleman ghost is the spirit of a well-bred well-educated young man whose family owned the house decades ago. A college student with a supposedly sensitive nature, the young gentleman jumped to his death, leaving his motivation a mystery to friends and family alike. Now he seems to frequent Room 10 of the Inn, ghosting by like little more than a shadow—sometimes with the scent of fresh soap as if he’s just bathed. Occasionally he is rumored to take a liking to certain members of the opposite sex, ghosting nearby them and giving the sensation he is lying beside them, his arm gently around them.
Whether you visit Charleston’s Battery for its history or the pleasant Southern hospitality and authentic warmth, be aware you may not be alone—even in your most private moments!
37 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »
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Bob says: |
October 25, 2006, 2:06 pm |
Ghost Pirates! Sweet!
car250 says: |
October 29, 2006, 8:57 am |
This story is nothing but a story I’ve tried it and nothing happend.
-Car250
talysc72 says: |
October 31, 2006, 12:26 pm |
Listen ya’ll, I have lived in Charleston area for like over 25 yrs and I have been in the huses, on the tours, hung out at the Battery, even sober! Only one time did I ever see anything freaky or creepy or whatever you wanna call it. It was on Tradd St. But the Battery was not hildin any spirits, pirate or otherwise. I am unbiased on the subject of hauntings, so i am not here for any other reason but curiosity!
YOU KNOW WHO I IZ says: |
January 29, 2007, 11:03 am |
Chucktown is indeed haunted…. by some people who be dressin up in pirate costumes and jumpin off the Battery when you see them sooo no one be on crack if you seen something and girl who was talkin earlier I’m sorry but your cousins be on crack fo real. and Sheniqua you ain’t no Chucktown O.G. so please girl just shut up! Go talk to your local dealer and visit this place for more details! Bye.
Teresa says: |
August 2, 2007, 4:23 pm |
W3LL TRY G0iNG 0N TH3 T0URS 0F CHARL3ST0N & Y0U WiLL S33 THAT TH3R3 AR3 GH0ST’S TH3R3 B//C iF Y0U G0 0N A T0UR & Y0U WiLL S33 & H3AR A W0MAN H0LDiNG H3R BABY./ & H3R & H3R BABY AR3 B0TH CRYING S0 iF Y0U THiNK THAT iSNT R3AL TH3 G0 S33 Y0URS3LF.
riz says: |
October 8, 2007, 1:58 pm |
OMG ya’ll make us Charlestonians sound so unintelligent. The stories of the ghosts are just that stories, Every year during Halloween, my daughter and I catch the haunted tours. We get a kick out of watching the faces of the tourists. It is all in the way YOU perciweve it. If you believe in ghosts then you will see them if not it’s a great history lesson.
vanessa lewis says: |
October 10, 2007, 3:06 am |
i lived in charleston for many years and i took several tours and the battery is certainly a haunted place there are several stories that are not mentioned on any sites that iv seen but i have been a 1 hand witness to and i dont touch drugs ty vm but it would scare you mindless freaks to even step foot there after dark!!! i have been to all points in the battery and surrounding areas and all of them have “hot spots” go and tell me then ok
vanessa lewis says: |
October 10, 2007, 3:10 am |
i lived in charleston for many years and i have been to the battery and surrounding areas and i tell you that you can not have the horrible history charleston has and not have residue left behind! number one do you not recall that charleston was the number one city that housed the slaves? hence the old slave market downtown charleston umm wake up peeps ok dont act like you have been there when you most likely are still in your mommas house. go and see for yoursleves and i do not do drugs ever!!!
suthernmom says: |
October 22, 2007, 12:11 pm |
Wow….I don’t know if I sould LOL or what. Sorry guys I want born and raised in Charleston and nope nothing on the battery. Now, if you want the **** scared of you then there is a place on sullivan’s that you are not a loud to enter nor does anyone talk about it anymore. There are a set of hills which has an old, I mean old as in the fort times, jail. It has a couple of interesting things going on there….if you try it remeber a couple of things…a big group..lots of back-up on lights..tell only a few people you are going there..for the just in case…and DON’T GET CAUGHT! (By the law because you are breaking the law.) Enjoy.
Glennda says: |
November 10, 2007, 1:27 pm |
all this is true. i go to the battery about once ayear and i have seen the ghosts myself when i was younger since then i refuse to go back.
PJ says: |
December 1, 2007, 1:54 pm |
I am a charlestonian and I am offended about how others talk about my city! There are in fact ghost and I have never spent a damn dime on any of those dumb tours. I went on a tour of the old jail house and yes it was pretty lame. If you want to see and hear real ghost you have to be open minded and know the right spots to go to in Charleston and the outskirts of Charleston. I have seen and heard plenty of things. I don’t smoke crack, as you can see and I am spelling correctly and using proper grammar unlike the rest of you who can’t not spell or speak proper english. There is a story of Edward Teach, Blackbeard! Hmmm! Look that up! Just so you know they chopped his head off and his buddy Bonnett was hung downtown Charleston! Many pirates came here, because we are right of the coast of atlanta and it was far enough away from the caribbean islands where they usually stole treasure from other pirates! Any their ghosts do infact exist!
Timmer says: |
February 11, 2008, 1:05 pm |
Wow, there are some interesting people responding to this!
I have lived in Charleston for several years and while there are many stories about hauntings, and there are ghost tours for the tourists, the truth is that Charleston is a beautiful city that has a lot of mystique surrounding it. The city is very old and many things have happened here over the years. It’s easy to believe that ghosts tour the city, and you really don’t have to believe it, but the city is conducive to tales from the crypt so it’s best to just have a little fun with it.
Chuck says: |
February 20, 2008, 4:26 pm |
i have to agree with Timmer on his point. people do tend to take little things and blow tehm out of proportion. i lived in charleston most of my live, so i spent a lot of time at the battery and surrounding areas. ive never had much of an experiance. i thought i heard footsteps once but thats about the extent of it.
Melissa van Niekerk says: |
March 30, 2008, 5:10 am |
Hi, I’m from South Africa and we have loads of ghosts. If anyone is interested in a few stories you can email me at tongringdrummer@gmail.com
Rachel says: |
June 3, 2008, 8:52 pm |
I live in Charleston and I took a ghost tour one night downtown. It was veryyyy scary! At one stopping point near the Battery, our guide stopped. We were at the front of an alleyway that had something to do w/ pirates. She said that when you walk down the alley, you feel something pushing on your chest,like it’s trying to make you leave. I was the only one who walked down it, and I will never EVER do it again!! The pushing was soo hard I could barely breath.
Tony says: |
August 28, 2008, 6:32 am |
Where exactly is this at?
chris says: |
September 2, 2008, 5:16 pm |
i live in lexington va and i see stonewall jackson in the cemeatary
Kirsten says: |
September 5, 2008, 3:19 pm |
Ive never been to South Carolina and after hearing that I want to go
MJ Thompson says: |
September 6, 2008, 9:14 pm |
We have visited Charleston many times(our favorite place to go..LOVE IT!!)We have taken 3 different Ghost tours.. The ones we went on were wonderful..We loved hearing the History and of the “GHOST”.. We stayed in an older Motel(Not The Mills House) My daughter and I heard footsteps all night long coming in and out of our room..We even looked into our hallway and did not see anyone walking..(about 1:00 a.m.) We do not drink,smoke pot or use any drugs.. We were scared to pieces.. But also excited, We will absolutely visit again.. and if you really want to be scared stay at “THE MILLS HOUSE” very haunted and lots of GREAT History!!!!!!
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Korey says:
October 10, 2006, 6:24 pm
I go to Charleston every year, I take tours and try to hear new things of the history. I have heard of the British hanging the pirates at the Battery…but I have not heard of hauntings out there. Charleston is a place to defnately go if you wanna learn about hauntings. But Even my aunt who grew up in Charleston has not recalled a story of pirate ghosts.
If anyone has more info on this….I’d like to read it.
moviefan116 at netscape dot com