Books in Haunted America series

On the historic streets of Charleston, where true life is stranger than fiction, narrators Ed Macy and Geordie Buxton leave embellishment by the wayside to let these stories--in ghastly and sometimes dreadful detail--tell themselves. Combing through the oft-forgotten enclaves of the Holy City, Macy and Buxton bring readers face to face with a group of orphans who haunt a College of Charleston dorm, a Citadel cadet who haunts a local hotel and the specter of William Drayton at Drayton Hall Plantation, to name just a few. Based on historic events and specific details that are often lost in most ghost stories, this collection of haunting tales sparks curiosity about what figure might still be lurking in the alleyways of Charleston's storied streets.

They walk beside the murky waters of the Chesapeake Bay, linger among the fetid swamps and roam the manor halls. These are the tormented souls who refuse to leave the sites of their demise. From pitiless smugglers to reluctant brides, the ghostly figures of the Eastern Shore are at once terrifying and tragic. Mindie Burgoyne takes readers on a spine-tingling journey as she recounts the grisly events at the Cosden Murder Farm and the infamous legend of Patty Cannon. Tread the foggy lanes of Kent Manor Inn and linger among Revolutionary War dead to discover the otherworldly occupants of Maryland's most haunted shore.

The town of Roswell is haunted by the lingering ghosts of generations long dead. In this historic Georgia town, spirits roam through ruined mills, antebellum mansions and slave cabins, searching for those lost in the battles of the Civil War.From the banks of the Chattahoochee to the streets of Roswell’s historic district, chilling specters remind us of this charming Southern town’s shocking past. Author Dianna Avena blends Roswell’s history with tales of the city’s most famous haunts ―from the slave quarters of Bulloch Hall to the cracked graves in Founder’s Cemetery―to send chills down the spines of locals and visitors alike.

Overview For thirty-one years, the RMS Queen Mary sailed the North Atlantic. It helped defeat Hitler and was the ship of choice for the world's rich and famous. Now in retirement in the Port of Long Beach, the "Stateliest Ship Afloat" plays host to tourists, travelers and more than six hundred spirits that roam her halls and passageways. These choice decks remain the floating home of a few regulars, including the oft-glimpsed White Lady, as well as Little Jackie, John Henry and, of course, Grumpy. Join paranormal investigators Brian Clune and Bob Davis as they take you to the hot spots of activity from port to starboard and relate tales from the dockside about the spirits that haunt the grandest liner ever built.

It is the home of one of the most famous railways in American history, the site of a historically vital trade route along the Tennessee River and the gateway to the Deep South. Chattanooga has a storied past, a past that still lives through the spirits that haunt the city. Whether it is the ghost of the Delta Queen still lingering from the days of the river trade, the porter who forever roams the grounds of the historic Terminal Station or the restless souls that haunt from beneath the city in its elaborate underground tunnel system, the specter of Chattanooga's past is everywhere. Join authors Jessica Penot and Amy Petulla as they survey the most historically haunted places in and around the Scenic City.

For more than half a century, the Franklin Castle's dark façade has lured curiosity seekers from around the world. Behind its iron gates, this Victorian-era structure harbors rumors of everything from insanity to mass murder. Disembodied voices echo from empty rooms, doors open and close of their own accord and cold spots drift about the manse. Witnesses swear to sightings of a woman in black and a young girl in white, believed to be the ghostly apparitions of the wife and daughter of the original owner, Hannes Tiedemann. Using previously unpublished photographs, interviews, family accounts, floor plans and nearly forty years of research, authors William G. Krejci and John W. Myers finally reveal the true and definitive history of Cleveland's notorious Franklin Castle.

Alcatraz is one of the most infamous prisons in the world. Evil spirits, unknown beasts, vicious murderers and an untold number of ghosts all are said to reside on this tiny island in San Francisco Bay. Rufus McCain, who died a brutal death at the hands of a fellow inmate, is said to roam the grounds, and the basement cells used for solitary confinement were rumored to be so frightening that inmates who endured one stint never wanted to go back. Multiple escape attempts were thwarted, including two attempts by Sam Shockley, who was later executed with fellow inmate Miran Thomson. Join Bob Davis and Brian Clune as they explore chilling tales of death, murder and savagery from America's Devil's Island.

The Golden Triangle is an institutional hub, but restless spirits of Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and slaves also wander this region. Tales of a mysterious watchman who patrols the railroad tracks between Artesia and Mayhew haunt curious locals. Ed Kuykendall Sr. is rumored to manage Columbus's Princess Theater from beyond the grave. A young girl who died while attempting to free her head from a stair banister is said to still wander the halls of Waverly. Author Alan Brown uncovers the eerie thrills and chills within Mississippi's Golden Triangle.

The ghostly woman of Summit Cut Bridge, a black hound that guards the Gates of Hell and the whispering dead entombed beneath the Black Crossthese are the spirits of southwestern Pennsylvania. Join local author Thomas White as he recounts such chilling stories as that of Revolutionary War witch Moll Derry and the phantom bride of White Rocks and the hair-raising tale of the angry specter of a steel millworker burned alive in a ladle of molten iron. Ascend the secret stairs of the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh and wander the dim stretch of Shades of Death Road in Washington County to encounter the otherworldly denizens of the Keystone State.

Beneath the statehouse dome and from the banks of the Severn River, the ghosts of Annapolis rise to roam the red-bricked streets of the old city. The capital of Maryland since 1694, the city hosts the restless dead who never left the narrow alleys, taverns and homes where they met their ends. Come dine with Mary Reynolds at the tavern she's been keeping since the 1760s, stand vigil at the sarcophagus of Admiral John Paul Jones and search for the figure of Thomas Dance, who plummeted from the heights of the statehouse dome in 1793. From headless men and ghostly soldiers to unlucky bootleggers and ominous gravediggers, Annapolis Ghost Tour founder Mike Carter and tour guide Julia Dray narrate the eerie tales of these and other supernatural residents of Annapolis.

Visitors and New England natives alike will see a new side of the region through Thomas D'Agostino's road trip guidebook. He captures the reader's imagination with folklore and anecdotes, plus recommendations useful for any traveler. This guide uncovers lingering spirits across all six states in the region, from the victims of alchemy gone awry in the White Mountains, to wraiths in the Berkshires, to the ghosts of drowned sailors in Mystic, Connecticut. Enjoy these retellings of classic New England ghost stories and discover obscure ones, and then go visit the spooky sights for yourself.