Myrtles Plantation Ghosts
B&B Provides Lodging and Other Amenities Along with Resident Ghosts
Aug 30, 2007
History
The plantation mansion was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, the Whiskey Rebellion Leader, who fled from Pennsylvania to the Louisiana Territory after George Washington put a price on his head. He bought 650 acres of land in St. St. Francisville, near Baton Rouge. The house was constructed on the site of the old Tunica Indian burial ground.
Sara, Branford’s daughter, married Judge Clark Woodruff who bought the property from Bradford. He had a slave, Chloe, who was also his mistress. She was afraid that he would tire of her and make her work in the fields. She began to eavesdrop and was caught. Woodruff ordered her ear to be cut off and she was ordered to work in the kitchen. Chloe began to wear a green turban to hide her mutilation.
The slave thought of a plan to regain the judge’s favor. She baked a cake including poisonous oleander leaves in the ingredients thinking this would make the children sick so she could nurse them back to health. She used too many leaves. Two of the children and Sara died. When the slaves found out about this, they hung her and threw her body into the Mississippi.
During the Civil War, a wounded soldier died in the house.
Attorney William Winterwas a subsequent owner of the house. One night, a man called to him to come to the door. When Winter opened the door, the stranger shot him. The wounded attorney crawled up the stairs and died on the seventeenth step.
A daughter of one of the owners developed yellow fever. After conventional medicine failed to cure her, the parents asked a Vooduon priestess to help. When the girl died, the practitioner was hung from a chandelier.
A caretaker was murdered in a robbery attempt.
Otherwordly Beings
David Bradford was the first to see a ghost, the naked AmerIndian maiden who wanders on the grounds. Since then, others have also witnessed her.
Chloe’s spectre has been sighted, wearing the green turban, walking about the house. Sleeping guests have been startled by seeing her peering at them when they awaken. Sometimes her visits are accompanied by a baby’s cries.
The soldier’s cigar smoke has been smelled in the mansion. Smoking is banned inside the B&B.
Winter’s ghost has been perceived as stomping sounds across the vestibule and climbing the stairs. The footsteps stop when the seventeenth step is reached.
People have seen and heard the ghosts of young girls laughing and playing, perhaps the Woodruff daughters or the girl who died of yellow fever or all of them. One enjoys jumping on beds and is followed by a maid who smoothes the bedclothes.
Some claim to have seen the ghost of the Vooduon priestess hanging from the chandelier.
A khaki clad man has been witnessed informing visitors by the gate that the Myrtles isn’t opened for business. Many believe this is the ghost of the murdered caretaker.
Related topics:
Ghostly Residence: Whaley House
Source:
Historic Haunted America, Michael Norman & Beth Scott, (Tor, 1995)
