4th of July Fireworks are underway!

4th of July Fireworks for 2014 are underway!

4th of July fireworks are underway across the South!

Tonight (Saturday, 6/28/2014) is the first big night of the week-long celebration, with shows scheduled for Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. More shows continue tomorrow with the big weekend set to get underway on Wednesday, July 3rd.

As always, you can check out locations, times and dates for the best fireworks in each state in the South by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fireworks.

Some new Ghost Stories for Halloween 2013!

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge
Marianna, Florida

One of the most popular pages at ExploreSouthernHistory.com is our collection of stories about the Ghosts & Monsters of the South.

For Halloween 2013, we have added some new stories that you might enjoy.  From a headless horse in Southwest Georgia to a ghost ship crewed by pirates in the Everglades, I think you will enjoy these journeys into the folklore of the South!

New stories for 2013:

• Ghost Ship of the Everglades - A fascinating story of a pirate crew condemned to sail the winding passages of the Everglades for all eternity!  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/evergladesship
• Ghost of the Headless Horse - The ghost of a large headless horse is said to haunt the banks of the Flint River in Albany, Georgia.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/albanyhorse.
• Ghost of Deer Island & the Firewater Ghosts - Two new ghost stories from Biloxi, Mississippi, that have been told for over 100 years!  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/biloxighost.

Other favorites:

• The Hole that will not Stay Filled - One of Alabama's best known ghost stories, the legend of Bill Sketoe's ghost lives on in the Wiregrass Region.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sketoe.
• White River Monster - Many residents of the White River valley of Arkansas believe that a large water monster inhabits the depths of the river. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/whiteriver1.
• The Ozark Howler - A cat monster is said to roam the Ozark mountains of Arkansas and southern Missouri.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ozarkhowler.
• Ghost of Bellamy Bridge - Florida's best known ghost story about what one reporter has called the "world's most haunted bridge." www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.
• Ghost of the St. Simons Island Lighthouse - The historic Georgia lighthouse is said to be haunted by the restless spirit of a former keeper. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons2.
• Edgefield Ghost - One of the best recorded hauntings in American history took place in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in the early 1800s. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/edgefieldghost.
• The Bell Witch - Perhaps the best known haunting of all time, the Bell Witch of Tennessee has been the focus of books, movies and more! www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch1.

Don't forget you can access all of these stories and many others anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ghosts.

Fireworks across the South Tonight (7/3/2013)

4th of July Fireworks explode over the South
Courtesy Pine Bluff Festival

Fireworks are set to launch at locations all across the South tonight!  Weather conditions could cause issues in some areas, so be sure to check local conditions before heading out!

Here are some highlights of what is happening and where its happening tonight!


Alabama

Major fireworks displays are set for tonight - weather permitting - in Chelsea, Fort Rucker, Jacksonville and Montgomery! A major highlight is the Fort Rucker Freedom Fest. The post plans to go forward with its fireworks, even though many military bases in the South have cancelled their annual shows.

Please click here to see the full list of fireworks in Alabama for July 3rd and 4th with times and locations.


Arkansas

The skies of the Natural State will light up tonight with fireworks in Bella Vista, Calico Rock, De Queen, Hot Springs, Paris and Rogers. The Hot Springs event features a concert by Lee Greenwood of "I'm proud to be an American" fame.

Please click here for the full list of fireworks in Arkansas for July 3rd and 4th.


Florida

Florida's 4th of July fireworks for this year begin with the Old Apalachicola Independence Day in Apalachicola and fireworks in Aventura.  The Apalachicola event - weather permitting - will feature a parade, ice cream social, live music and more.

Please click here for Florida's fireworks for this July 3rd and 4th.


Georgia

Georgia's 4th of July celebrations launch into high gear tonight with events in Atlanta, Cumming, Dawsonville, Forsyth, McCaysville/Copperhill, Kennesaw, Tifton, Villa Rica and Woodbury. The Tifton event includes a variety of activites at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village!

Please click here for a full list of Georgia fireworks for July 3rd and 4th.


Kentucky

Fireworks launch tonight from locations all over Kentucky.  Events are set for Bowling Green, Dawson Springs, Gilbertsville, Louisville, Madisonville, Somerset and Winchester. Among the highlights are the first night of Louisville's two night Waterfront Independence Festival, the Kentucky Lake Big Bang in Gilbertsville and the Thunderfest Independence Day Celebration at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.

Please click here for a full list of Georgia fireworks for July 3rd and July 4th!


Louisiana

Four major fireworks shows are set for Louisiana tonight. Events are set in Jennings, Metarie, Ponchatoula and Youngsville. Highlights include the Uncle Sam Jam at Lafreniere Park in Metarie and Youngsville's Independence Day Celebration which will include both fireworks and hot air balloon rides!

See the full list of Louisiana fireworks for July 3rd and 4th by clicking here!


Mississippi

Fireworks take place in Pearl, Mississippi, tonight after the 7 p.m. baseball game between the Mississippi Braves and the Mobile Bay Bears.

Click here for the full list of Mississippi fireworks set for July 3rd and July 4th.


North Carolina

The Independence Day celebration gets underway in North Carolina with nearly one dozen events tonight (July 3rd).  Fireworks displays are set for Asheville, Carolina Beach, Charlotte, Cherryville, Harrisburg, Mooresville, Statesville and Wake Forest (the city, not the school).

Click here for 2013's list of North Carolina Fireworks set for July 3rd and 4th.


Oklahoma

Big fireworks events are set for Oklahoma tonight, including Red White & Boom in Oklahoma City.  Events are also set for Claremore, Talihina and Yukon, with more to come tomorrow!

Check out this year's list of Oklahoma Fireworks for July 3rd and 4th.


South Carolina

Fireworks will launch in Cheraw and Columbia tonight, with South Carolina's main list of 4th of July celebrations planned for tomorrow.

Click here for South Carolina's fireworks for July 3rd and July 4th.


Tennessee

There is a long list of fireworks set for Tennessee tonight, with more to follow tomorrow night!  Fireworks will launch tonight in Bartlett, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Collierville, Collegedale, Copperhill/McCaysville, Dandridge, Hendersonville, Millington and Waynesboro.

Please click here to see Tennessee's fireworks list for July 3rd and July 4th.


Texas

The Lone Star State kicks its 4th of July celebration into high gear tonight with music, events, airshows, fireworks and more!  The Atlanta Rhythm Section will perform live in Arlington, followed by fireworks, with events also taking place in Addison, Coppell, Farmers Branch, Fort Worth, Gilmer, Irving, Sachse and Sherman.

Click here to see the full list of Texas fireworks for July 3rd and July 4th.


Virginia

Fireworks start launching in Virginia shortly after dark tonight, with events scheduled for Chesapeake, Doswell, McGaheysville, Richmond, Ridgeway and South Hill.  More will follow tomorrow!

Click here to read the full list of Virginia fireworks for July 3 & 4, 2013!


Don't forget you can check the full list of fireworks from all Southern states online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fireworks.

4th of July Fireworks continue Tonight!

Fireworks over Arkansas
Courtesy Pine Bluff Festival Association

4th of July Fireworks continue around the South tonight, with a wide range of events scheduled for the next seven days.

My annual list of 4th of July Fireworks in the South is now online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fireworks, so check it out for a state by state guide to the best displays!

Here are some highlights for you from this weekend's planned events:

Alabama (June 29 & 30, 2013)

Boaz, Cedar Bluff, Columbiana, Thomasville and Tuscumbia will all host events on Saturday and Wilsonville's annual God & Country Celebration is set for Sunday.

To learn more about these and other 4th of July Fireworks Events in Alabama for 2013, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alabamafireworks.

Arkansas (June 29 & 30, 2013)

Texarkana's big Sparks in the Park will take place on Saturday night at Bobby Ferguson Park. Gates open at 4 p.m.for food, activities, contests and more. The fireworks will launch at 9:30 p.m.

Springdale will launch its Fireworks at the Cross at the CrossChurch Pinnacle Hills Campus on Sunday night.  Events begin at 5 p.m. with live music, outdoor baptisms and more. The fireworks go up at dark.

To learn more about this year's 4th of July Fireworks in Arkansas, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/arkansasfireworks.

Florida

Florida's events don't get started until July 3rd, but you can check out the schedule of planned fireworks for the Sunshine State at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/floridafireworks.

Georgia  (July 1, 2013)

Georgia's fireworks for this year get underway on Monday, July 1st, as Auburn (GA) hosts its annual fireworks in the downtown area. The skies light up at dark.

To learn more about the full list of this year's 4th of July fireworks in Georgia, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/georgiafireworks.

Kentucky (June 29, 2013)

Kentucky begins to light up its skies on Saturday night with the Briggs & Stratton Fireworks Extravaganza in Murray. Fireworks launch at 9:30 p.m. on the 29th in the area around Kroger, Wal-Mart and Lowes.

The full list of fireworks in Kentucky is available at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/kentuckyfireworks.

Louisiana (June 29, 2013)

Lake Arthur leads the way this year in Louisiana with its Lake Arthur Freedom Fest on Saturday (June 29th). The gates of Lake Arthur Park open at 8 a.m. for a day of fun.  The Blessing of the Fleet is set for 3 p.m., followed by music from Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin' Cajuns, Travis Matte & the Kingpins and the Bon Journeys.  The fireworks launch at 8:30 p.m.  Admission is $5 with kids 5 and under admitted free.

See the full list of this year's Louisiana fireworks at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/louisianafireworks.

Mississippi (June 30, 2013)

Mississippi's 4th of July Fireworks for 2013 get started on Sunday night in Hattiesburg and Brandon (Ross Barnett Reservoir).

Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg hosts Celebrate America on Sunday night (June 30th). The event begins with a community-wide picnic and fun at 6:30 p.m., followed by the fireworks at 9:00 p.m.

The Annual Independence Day Celebration at Ross Barnett Reservoir also takes place on Sunday. Events begin at 5 p.m. at Lakeshore Park and Old Trace Park in Brandon.  There will be live music at 6 p.m., a boat parade at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 9 .m.

Check out Mississippis's complete list of 4th of July Fireworks at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/mississippifireworks.

North Carolina 

Events don't get started in North Carolina until July 3rd, but you can check out the full list of events in the Tarheel State here:  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ncfireworks.

Oklahoma (June 29, 2013)

The skies over Oklahoma City come alive on Saturday night (June 29th) with the annual Stars & Stripes River Festival. Taking place in the Boathouse District, the event features river sports, games, activities and more throughout the day followed by fireworks at dark.

Check out the complete list of Oklahoma's fireworks for this year at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okfireworks.

South Carolina (June 29, 2013)

The big 4th of July Celebration and Boat Parade takes place at South Carolina's Lake Murray on Saturday (June 29th). A popular event in the Midlands, the boat parade takes place at 12 noon followed by the fireworks at dark.

See South Carolina's complete list of 4th of July Fireworks at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/scfireworks

Tennessee (June 29, 2013)

Tennessee's 4th of July Fireworks will begin with three events on Saturday night (June 29th).

Alcoa hosts its FreedomFest on Saturday with fireworks at dark. Andersonville's Sequoyah Marina on Norris Lake is home to Fire on the Water which features food, fun and fireworks. Byrdstown's Independence Day Celebration takes place in the parking lot across from Town Hall on Saturday night and begins with a benefit for Our Troops at 5 p.m., followed by music and games.  The fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

Check out the full list of 4th of July Fireworks in Tennessee this year at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tnfireworks.

Texas (June 29 & 30, 2013)

Texas begins its 4th of July Fireworks on Saturday and Sunday nights, June 29th and 30th.

Allen's annual Market Street Allen USA Celebration is set for Saturday at Celebration Park. Former Styx  lead singer Dennis DeYoung is among the performers set to entertain the crowds. Music, fun, activities, food and more begins at 4 p.m., followed by the fireworks at dark.

Parker's Celebrate Freedom event takes place at Southfork Ranch on Saturday. The gates open at 8 a.m. for activities, food, fun and more. Live music begins at 10 a.m. and the fireworks will launch at Dark.

Rockwall's Freedom Fest 2013 will take place on Sunday at The Harbor. Food, fun, entertainment and activities kick off at 4 p.m. and will be followed by the fireworks at dark.

Check out the full list of Texas 4th of July Fireworks for this year at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/texasfireworks.

Virginia 

Things don't get going in Virginia until July 3rd, but you can check out the full list of Virginia 4th of July Fireworks for 2013 at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/virginiafireworks.

Remember, you can access the full list for all states anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fireworks.

Battle of Shiloh - Shiloh, Tennessee

Editor: We are posting on Civil War sites in the South in recognition of Confederate History Month.

As bloody as the fighting was at places like Manassas and Pea Ridge during the first year of the Civil War, a battle that developed along the Tennessee River during the final days before the first anniversary of the bombardment of Fort Sumter stunned the nation with horror that surpassed anything ever seen on the North American continent.

It was called the Battle of Shiloh, the name taken from a small log church on the battleground, and by the time the guns went silent, nearly 25,000 men had been killed, wounded or were missing. As the stunning news spread North and South from Tennessee, it was difficult for many to believe. Until, that is, the casualty lists began to appear in the newspapers. The lists of names went on and on and on.

Shiloh came just one month after the bloody battle at Pea Ridge in Northwest Arkansas and the news was just as bad for the Confederacy. Moving north from Corinth, Mississippi, the Confederate army of General Albert Sidney Johnston struck the Union army of General Ulysses S. Grant. The Federals were camped around Shiloh Church and Pittsburg Landing and Johnston knew that their nearest reinforcements were at least a day away.

Appearing suddenly from across the Mississippi line, the Confederates attacked in three columns. The initial Union lines were shattered as Southern troops led by generals including Beauregard and Bragg drove through the woods and small fields in what must have seemed an attack from from all directions at once. The battle, however, would go on for two days and would end with the Confederate withdrawing from the field, now under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard due to the death in battle of General Johnston.

In the end, the butcher's bill was more than 23,476 in dead, wounded and missing. Nothing like it had been seen before, but more was to come. To learn more about the Battle of Shiloh and see photos of Shiloh National Military Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/shiloh1.

Gun from the C.S.S. Tennessee - Selma, Alabama

One of the most interesting naval artifacts in the South can be found not by the ocean, but far inland on the city hall lawn in Selma, Alabama.

Displayed there, through the courtesty of the Naval Historical Center, is one of the original 7-inch Brooke Rifles from the famed Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Tennessee. The gun weighs 15,300 pounds and had an effective range of 4 1/2 miles. It was one of the most powerful and advanced weapons of its day.

The gun on display in Selma was the stern pivot gun of the Tennessee. It was a critical part of the ironclad's armament during the Battle of Mobile Bay and it was at this gun that Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan was wounded.

The Tennessee was actually built in Selma, which was also the place where its guns were manufactured. Launched in February of 1863, it was commissioned one year later. On August 5, 1864, with only a few small wooden gunboats to help, the ironclad tackled the entire Union fleet that was storming its way into Mobile Bay. By the end of the battle, the Tennessee's steering chains had been shot away and the ironclad was surrounded by the ships of the Union fleet as they pounded it over and over with cannonballs. Unable to maneuver it surrendered after one of the most heroic fights ever waged by the Confederate navy.

Although the Tennessee was scrapped after the war, several of its cannon still survive. The one on display in Selma was returned to the city where it was cast in 1981. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/csstennessee.

Natchez Trace Parkway - Beautiful Drive through the Romantic Old South

Continuing our St. Valentine's Day look at some of the South's most romantic places, a drive down the Natchez Trace is an unforgettable experience.

The parkway shadows the route of the original Natchez Trace, a road deeply embedded in the romance of the Old South. It was blazed during the 1700s by "Kaintuck" boatmen making their way back home to the Cumberland and Ohio River Valleys from trips down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on flatboats. This was during the days before paddlewheel steamboats made their way up and down the great river.

Today's highway is a limited access national park that stretches from Natchez in Mississippi up to the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. As it winds its way through beautiful scenery in Mississippi, Alabama and tennessee, the Trace takes visitors past historic plantations, Indian mounds, the ruins of a school where John James Audubon once taught, battlefields, sites associated with the Trail of Tears, waterfalls, lakes, natural points of interest and much more. Visitors can even visit the grave of Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame and the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfast inns, campsites and other accommodations in the towns and parks along the parkway, which can be accessed at points all along its route. The National Park Service operates visitor centers and contact stations at multiple points on the parkway and rangers and staff are always available to answer questions.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natcheztrace1.

Battle of Chickamauga - Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia

On September 19-20, 1863, Confederate and Union armies collided in northern Georgia in one of the most violent battles in American history. By the time it was over, the Battle of Chickamauga had cost the two armies more than 34,000 men killed, wounded or missing in action.

The site of the massive engagement is now preserved as part of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, which is located in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Chickamauga Battlefield is the largest unit of the park and is located just south of Chattanooga at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

The battle developed when the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg, moved to intercept the Union Army of the Cumberland, led by General William S. Rosecrans. The two armies had waved a campaign of maneuver for several months as Rosecrans advanced on Bragg with an army of 60,000 men. The Confederate general had a much smaller force of 43,000, but held his army intact and withdrew down through Tennessee to North Georgia.

The tide of the campaign turned, however, when General James Longstreets Corps from the Army of Northern Virginia arrived in Georgia to reinforce Bragg. Now at the head of an army similar in size to that of Rosecrans, the Confederate general turned on the Federal army along the west bank of Chickamauga Creek.

The battle began on the morning of September 19, 1863, and for two days the two armies mauled each other on a battlefield that was heavily wooded in place. One the first day, Bragg pushed back the Union lines for more than one mile. Then, on the second day, he started a hammering attack on the Federal left flank that forced Rosecrans to begin shifting troops in that direction. In doing so, the Federals accidentally opened a gap in their lines. When Longstreet's Division attacked, Confederate soldiers led by General John Bell Hood stormed through the gap and pierced the Union lines. The Federal army crumbled and the Confederates won one of the most complete tactical victories of the war.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/chickamauga.

Shiloh Indian Mounds - Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee

The ground on which the Battle of Shiloh was fought was actually of great importance hundreds of years before that Civil War engagement.

Archaeologists believe that a section of the battlefield, overlooking the Tennessee River, was once the central town of a powerful Native American chiefdom that vanished an estimated 800 years ago. Because the Shiloh land was preserved as part of one of the country's first national military parks, the Shiloh Indian Mounds have also been protected from plowing, erosion, looting and other threats. As a result, it is one of the best preserved Mississippian era Native American sites in the country.

All but one of the mounds, which have been designated a National Historic Landmark, are pyramidal in form, with flat tops on which structures of various types once stood. The other mound, oval in shape, was used as a burial site for high status individuals. The entire site was surrounded by a strong palisade made of upright poles plastered with clay.

Surrounding the mounds, the villages of the town were built of "wattle and daub" construction, meaning basically that their walls were made by weaving smaller branches through stronger upright posts and then plastering the whole with clay. When the town was abandoned 800 years ago, the houses gradually collapsed, but the rings left by the falling walls can still be seen today. Shiloh is one of the few places where above ground traces of prehistoric Native American structures are visible.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/shiloh4.

Battle of Shiloh - Shiloh, Tennessee

In April of 1862, Confederate and Union forces mauled each other for two days around a small log church that gave the battle its name - Shiloh.

The Battle of Shiloh was so violent and deadly that it send shock waves across both North and South. The massive battle in the woods of Tennessee left more than 23,000 men and boys dead, wounded or missing. It forever changed the face of war and began to make clear the horrendous cost in blood that the nation would pay before the conflict was decided.

Shiloh today is one of the most pristine Civil War battlefields in the nation. Preserved as Shiloh National Military Park, the battlefield is still in fields and woods just as it was in 1862. Cannon and monuments dot the landscape and visitors can see such places as the Hornet's Nest, where more than 60 Confederate cannon destroyed a Union force of 6,000 men; Bloody Pond, where soldiers of both sides bathed their wounds and turned the water red with blood, and Pittsburg Landing, the objective point of the Confederate army.

To learn more, please visit our new series of pages on the Battle of Shiloh by clicking www.exploresouthernhistory.com/shiloh1. Be sure to check out the additional links at the bottom of the page.

The Bell Witch - Adams, Tennessee

One of the best known ghost stories in American history surrounds an old farm place near the Kentucky line northwest of Nashville, Tennessee.

The story of the Bell Witch has been loosely popularized in modern movies and literature (the movies "An American Haunting" and "The Blair Witch Project," for example). But the real story is much more interesting.

According to tradition in the Bell family, the haunting began in 1817 when strange incidents began to take place on the farm of John Bell. His family lived near the modern community of Adams, Tennessee, having settled there in 1804. As the story goes, the strange events started when Mr. Bell spotted a strange animal on the farm. It had the body of a dog and head of a rabbit, but escaped when he tried to kill it. Almost immediately, the family began to experience a series of strange and terrifying things.

As was the case with the Edgefield Ghost in South Carolina a few years later, the spirit terrorized the family with strange noises and voices and seemed to focus on John Bell and his young daughter, Betsy (Elizabeth). Unlike the Edgefield story, which was reported at the time of the events, the Bell Witch story does not seem to have appeared in print before the latter part of the 19th century, long after the alleged events.

To learn more about this unique Southern ghost story, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch1.

Summer Escapes #10 - Natchez Trace Parkway

From its starting point at Natchez, Mississippi, to its ending point near Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace Parkway is a winding drive through the history and natural wonders of the South.

A modern national park area, the drive roughly follows the route of the original Natchez Trace, an important frontier trail used by "Kaintuck" boatmen as they made their way back home after floating their crops, furs or other items down the Ohio and Mississippi River on flatboats and keelboats. The path originated in the years before the American Revolution and all but vanished with the arrival of paddlewheel steamboats on the Mississippi River during the early 1800s. Despite its brief existence as a major "highway" of its time, the Natchez Trace played a critical role in American history.

Today, the paved parkway provides a beautiful winding drive through three states and commemorates the original roadway. Stops along the way allow visitors to explore old plantations, battlefields, Indian mounds, natural wonders, cemeteries, ghost towns and more. The road is beautiful during the summer, when the vegetation is at its greenest.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natcheztrace1.

The Bell Witch appears in Alabama

The Bell Witch legend is one of the South's best known hauntings, but few people realize that there also have been reports that the witch was active in both Alabama and Mississippi as well as Tennessee.

The alleged Alabama sighting took place in Lauderdale County in 1912 and involved a strange dog-like animal similar to the one reported in the original Tennessee accounts of the Bell Witch haunting.

The incident was reported in Alabama newspapers that year and attracted considerable attention.

To read the original coverage of the Alabama "Bell Witch" sightings, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch2.

Southern Ghosts Part Twelve - The Bell Witch, Tennessee

The marker at right tells the story of what is probably America's best known haunting, the Bell Witch incident.

Strikingly similar to the much better documented Edgefield Ghost in South Carolina, the Bell Witch was the name given by residents in the Adams, Tennessee, area to a series of bizarre events that supposedly happened in the area beginning in 1817.

The manifestations targeted the family of John Bell, a farmer and prominent settler that moved to the area from North Carolina. The "witching" primarily focused on Bell and his daughter Elizabeth or "Betsy," then a teenager.

According to legend and the memories of a family member written down long after the fact, the haunting began with mysterious noises and sightings of a strange dog-like creature and grew over time to completely disrupt life in the Bell home. Numerous people claimed to have experienced the events and one legend even holds that Andrew Jackson went up from Nashville to investigate, although his personal papers mention nothing of it.

According to the legend, family members and neighbors finally concluded that the haunting came from the spells of an angry witch and much speculation revolved around another neighbor. There is no evidence, of course, that she was actually involved.

The haunting climaxed with the mysterious death of John Bell. It was determined that he had swallowed poison and family members were convinced that it was placed in the house by the witch. It has been claimed that this was the only incident of a spirit killing a human being in U.S. history, but there were other similar allegations in other locations during the same era.

In modern terms, the Bell Witch haunting could best be described as a "poltergeist event." These are usually associated with the presence of an adolescent in the house and many believe they are pyschic, not spiritual. Others, of course, don't believe in them at all.

Whether you believe in the legend or not, the Bell Witch story is an important part of Southern history and folklore. It is a particularly important part of the culture of Tennessee and, curiously, later carried over into other states. More on that in the next post.

If you are interested in reading more about the Bell Witch haunting from a historical perspective, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch1.

Spring Travel Part Nineteen: Natchez Trace Parkway

Stretching from Natchez, Mississippi up to the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace Parkway is one of America's premier national park areas.

The parkway commemorates the original Natchez Trace, an important roadway that linked Tennessee with Natchez on the Mississippi River.

To drive the parkway today is a leisurely and fascinating journey. The park setting stretches up through Mississippi and Alabama and into Tennessee and can be accessed at numerous points along the way. There are scores of historic sites along the parkway, and signs point out others in nearby communities. Among them can be seen Native American mounds and village sites, battlefields, historic homes, lost communities and a wide variety of other points of interest.

To learn more about the Natchez Trace Parkway, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natcheztrace1.

Please remember the tornado victims

Please take a few minutes today to think of the victims of last night's terrible tornadoes. More than fifty people have died, dozens of others are hurting and hundreds of people are homeless across much of the South.

The storms began in Arkansas and continued across the Mississippi River into Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.

Please remember the victims in your prayers and do what you can to help. One of the best ways to help in any disaster is to donate to the American Red Cross. You can do so by following this link: http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/profiles/disaster_profile_southerntornados.html.

The link also provides more information on the storms and has emergency information for the family and friends of victims.

Thank you.