One place we haven’t written about much is down in the Pee Dee region of the state. The area is home to suspicious activity, especially the one- to one-and-a-half-mile stretch of road connecting South Gaillard Street to the old Florence Stockade.
According to H.P. Bradley in his book Haunted Florence, the Florence Stockade, formerly known as the Confederate States Military Prison, began operations in September 1864 but closed five months later due to horrific conditions. The Union soldiers imprisoned here faced a harsh life, with some estimates that three thousand met their untimely fate on these grounds out of eighteen thousand.
A forest of trees and swampland greeted the poor souls who tried to escape the torture. That is if they survived passing the deadline. “Deep trenches encircled the stockade, with a deadline established approximately ten to twelve feet away to discourage prisoners from even trying.” A deadline is the outer edge of a prison where inmates would be killed if they crossed it.
The Florence National Cemetery sits approximately a quarter of a mile away and served as a burial site for Civil War soldiers. The site was first designated as a cemetery in 1865 for Union soldiers who died at the prison, along with the remains of other soldiers from nearby burial sites who were moved to this new location.
One ghost said to haunt the grounds is a Union soldier who appears to be reliving the last moments of his life. The apparition seems gaunt, with open sores on its face. He attempts to stand and rise again from an area of trench that is still visible from the wooden walking trail. People have reported seeing multiple spirit orbs hovering over grave markers.
Just down the street is an old Queen Anne house that is also reportedly haunted by the Watcher. When people have passed the Sulzbacher’s House, they feel the presence of being watched from the old tower above. Some have claimed to see the apparition of an elderly man wearing a suit in this location when walking down the sidewalk of Gaillard Street.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: H.P. Bradley, Haunted Florence
