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This information
originally a booklet created for a group of people brought together by a
message board discussing their appreciation and fascination of a plantation
in
Many thanks and much appreciation to Mary and Sandra for their time searching libraries and to the Myrtles Ghost Club for all those hours of discussion and sharing of information gathered over the years.
Several years ago while watching a Travel Channel program featuring "One of America's Most Haunted Homes", I was intrigued by a Bed & Breakfast tucked away in a quiet little town on the East Bank of the Mississippi, where a majority of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places about an hour north of Baton Rouge.
The possibility of many ghosts roaming the house and grounds sounded very interesting for a long weekend getaway and a reservation was made that evening for an upcoming long weekend.
Never did I imagine that a mansion, modest in size when compared to many of the plantation homes along River Road would seduce me into returning again and again or spend hour after hour researching the families and history of this home, much less create a connection to a wonderful group of people drawn there just as I had been. Nor was I prepared for the overwhelming sense of deja’vu that left me dizzy as we drove past the gatehouse onto the property for the first time. This story of the Myrtles Plantation is my version of jambalaya, elements of legends, flavored with innuendo, filled with mystery, a dash of history, spiced with personal thoughts, speculation, local folklore, seasoned with conjecture and an abundance of unanswered questions.
Legend suggest that Ponce de Leon visited the Tunica Indian
Villages along east bank of the mighty Mississippi River – taken with the
flowing waters of the bayous, astounding flora and fauna, invigorating climate, he decided to name it “Nueva Feliciana”,
meaning “
In the early to mid 1700s, people of French and American descent began to arrive and settle along the bluffs and hills. Word of land grants offering fertile soil and flowing waters spread following the Revolutionary War and the Treaty of 1795, offers by Spanish authorities attracted emigrants from West Florida and the western states, as well as groups from the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia.
St. Francisville, the second oldest town originally chartered in
the David Bradford, a
successful lawyer, businessman, and Deputy Attorney General of
“General” Even though still referred to as General Bradford, it seems he may have come by this rank by way of an election by farmers and Militia during the Whiskey Rebellion rather than actually serving in Washington’s Continental Army.
The Tunica Indians
before his arrival had inhabited According to custom, a fire was lighted at the graveside to light the way for the soul at night for four nights – the length of time traditions taught was needed until the soul would reach the spirit world and a temple with a sacred fire and gods of the Sun, Thunder, Fire, Sky and Earth had been erected.
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General Bradford,
wishing to avoid the floodwaters, had chosen the land for the fertile soils
that would reward him with bountiful harvests and higher elevation to protect
the home when the river flooded its banks. The highest point of this tract chosen by Stories passed on
indicate that General Bradford having determined this was the spot to build,
unearthed the remains from this sacred ground, sweeping away generations of
Native American history, with little regard for the deceased piled the
bones and burned them. Folklore and
speculation tell us the Indians unable to defend the sacred resting place of
their ancestors called upon their spirits to curse
Today visitors are said to have had glimpse now and then of a nude, well-endowed Indian maiden wandering aimlessly near the gazebo on a small dry patch of land accessible only by bridge in the center of the pond.
When contemplating
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Visitor photos shared by the staff of the Myrtles includes one in this general area of what appears to be red-coated soldiers carrying a coffin.
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In 1796, construction began on what is called the “older” section of the house atop a rolling hill, nestled under centuries old Live Oaks, a home we have come to know as The Myrtles. The kitchen building pre-dates the house by two years. |
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The first half of the house, the “older” section, consisted of two floors, each with four large rooms. The ground level consisted of a Ladies’ Parlor, a Gentleman’s Parlor, a Dining Room and the Gaming Room divided by a walled stairway leading up the second level offering four large bedrooms, two on each side separated by a large cedar planked foyer.
According to The
National Register of Historic Places Bradford originally named the plantation
“
Because the plantation was a commercial enterprise, record keeping was essential. Many planters kept journals, crop books, overseers’ journals, and account books in remarkable detail. Family members often kept personal diaries and corresponded extensively with friends and relatives near and far, but if these records exist from Bradford’s time, they have been secured and not available leaving many details uncertain.
David and his wife, Elizabeth are thought to have had eleven,
possibly more children. Abelard, Jane,
Sophia, Sarah Mathilda (m. As you tour the home, the story unfolds and possibly the first known consequence of the curse of the plantation being built on the ancient Tunica burial ground, cursed the moment the a white man, Bradford took over, surround Sarah Mathilda said to be the youngest child and only female. But in letters written by Bradford to his friend in "Inform Madam Redick that Mrs. B has the most charming little girl we ever had. She is named Octavian. The 12th I intend on calling Duadeumon." Considering the possibility "Duadeumon" is a misspelling or alternate spelling of "duodenum", which, although it's modern usage is for part of the intestine, its roots are in Middle English by way of Medieval Latin and does refer to the number twelve. Octavia very well may have been the eleventh
child. Why would she be called the eighth child (Octavia) if she were
the eleventh? Could she have been the eighth girl and three previous
girls had died? If the statement about a child drowning on the trip
down the More conflict comes from statements in a collection of articles in the Observer - Reporter Newspaper of Washington, Pennsylvania, “David and Elizabeth Bradford had at least eleven children, six while in Washington Pennsylvania and five more after their arrival here in Louisiana in 1803” and “David and Elizabeth lived on the plantation with their daughter (Sarah Mathilda) and their ten (10) sons, one of which was David Bradford, Jr.”
There is much speculation that Elizabeth Bradford may have established a family cemetery on the grounds, exact location is unknown and unconfirmed. The grassy area lined with oaks to the left as you drive on to the property is thought to be the general vicinity, archeology students from LSU tend to think the location is behind the Carriage House, under what is now the Garden Rooms, locals say the Bradford Cemetery lies beneath a housing development in adjacent property once belonging to the plantation. Walking the grounds, myself and others are drawn to the grassy lane lined with moss draped oaks, scattered with Crepe Myrtles with a solitary statue placed at wood’s edge. The construction of the Garden Rooms was not an easy task. Numerous, unexplained delays and accidents plagued the construction, extending a one year project well beyond it’s projected completion date.
David Bradford’s letters to his friend lead us to believe that he
was in ill health for a long period of time.
An early February 1808,
The difference of eight years was due to legal problems with the will and his signature. It is said that the doctor, due to his weaken state held David’s hand, guiding his signature to the document and wife Elizabeth made adjustments to the will after it was signed.
The document below might be related to legal inquiries concerning
the validity of
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Documents on file at the LSU Library include a personal letter
written by David Bradford detailing the disbursement of his property in
Land records indicate that
In an article from Louisiana Life, it tells of a young man who had come to the Myrtle’s to study law under Bradford’s tutelage succumbed to the charms of the only daughter among his 11 children.
Clark Woodruff, born August 23, 1791 in
Litchfield,
The historical tours convey that Clark
Woodruff came to St. Francisville to study law with Research indicates that Woodruff may have
served with the
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Judge Clark Woodruff
August 23, 1791 to November 25, 1851
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The story goes that while studying law with
General Bradford,
It is suggested that like his father-in-law, Woodruff was also a lawyer. He rose to some prominence, and was a friend to many of the powerful of his time. Some say Clark and Sarah Mathilda spent their honeymoon at the Hermitage as guests of Andrew Jackson. Rumor has it that mention of a fire that destroyed part of the
home in the 1800s when both Bradford and Woodruff family members lived in the
home. What we have not confirmed is
the possibility that two children and possibly a mother died of smoke
inhalation in that fire, nor their names or relationship to either the
“A mother and her two children were killed in a fire when part of the plantation burned down.”
Might the two children referred to be
On a recent stay at the Myrtles as a guest in the William Winters or Peach Room, the odor of wood smoke was strong. While the rooms do have fireplaces, neither wood nor fire have been placed there in almost a hundred years.
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When Woodruff purchased the plantation from Mrs. Bradford for a mere $2.50 per acre, he added crops of indigo and cotton. Judge Clark Woodruff appears in the census for 1820 and 1830, Woodruff listed occupation as teacher, lawyer, judge and friend of Andrew Jackson.
Sarah Mathilda and Woodruff are said to have been very fruitful with their lives and their plantation; they had three young children, an estimated 5,000 acres, with 450 field slaves and fifty house servants.
Legend has it although Woodruff had a reputation in the region for integrity with men and with the law, he was also known for being promiscuous. Historical references of this era have shown us that the practice of intimate relationships between plantation owners and slaves was not uncommon. Clarke Woodruff is said to have participated in this practice much to his wife’s disapproval. Her age would have been approximated 13 years old when Chloe caught the eye of her master. Chloe was a household servant, caring for the children of Clark and Sarah Mathilda, Mary Octavia, James and Cornelia - a very treasured position on the plantation.
Preferring a place as a household servant, she feared being sent to work in the fields, the most brutal of the slave's work if she refused the sexual advances of the Judge. It is said she succumbed and became his mistress, thereby securing her place in the home.
Possibly feeling knowledge was power; Chloe often listened in business and family conversations, a dangerous practice which would eventually lead to disfigurement and being sent to work the fields, planting and harvesting the profitable cotton and indigo. Judge Woodruff, either due to his wife’s displeasure with his slave mistress or he eventually tired of Chloe and moved on to another. Chloe’s position in the home was extremely perilous at this point, Sarah Mathilda was not happy with her, the Judge no longer desired her.
Chloe desperate to maintain her place in the home began eavesdropping on the Woodruff family’s private conversations, fearing she would hear mention of her name and plans of possible dismissal to the fields.
She may have felt to preserve her influence and power; she foolishly collected information whenever she could – going so far as to monitor the Judge’s private business discussions with neighboring plantation owners, overseerers and planters. Chloe, from past efforts had learned to move the massive parlor door just enough to hear. On one dark day, hearing the Judge’s angry voice raised with a planter, Chloe allowed her urgent desire to hear more details, slide the door open too far – the Judge saw her.
Punishment was fierce, painful and disfiguring. The Judge ordered her left ear to be cut off and ordered that Chloe be cast out of the house and would be sent to the fields. Ichabod has been brought up on some tours as the Judge’s “nephew” and overseer of the plantation. Was this order was carried out by Woodruff’s relative Ichabod? Ichabod Woodruff
is listed in the funeral records of Grace Episcopal Church that lists the
funeral date as November 21, 1850, 61 years of age c. 1789, buried in
Chloe somehow managed to hold on to kitchen access for a time, wearing a green turban to hide the missing ear and a gold loop earring was placed in the remaining ear.
The ninth birthday of Mary Octavia gave Chloe an opportunity to try to win back her place, in the home with the children she had grown fond of. Chloe entered the kitchen and began to prepare a special cake for the birthday girl. Added to the ingredients for the cake batter she mixed the juices from the oleander leaf. Chloe was aware that the liquid from the leaf of the oleander in small measure would make everyone ill. With the family suffering illness, she planned to offer her services to care for the family and nurse them back to health with herbs. Chloe believed that the grateful Woodruffs would then see her as a powerful voodoo priestess, and she would be allowed to resume her former standing in the home.
One slight problem, Chloe evidently unfamiliar with poisons placed too much oleander in the cake.
Many say the Judge was away in New Orleans on business, others say he was seeing to the business of the plantation – either way the Judge did not partake of the cake, nor did the birthday girl, Mary Octavia, only Sarah Mathilda, Cornelia and James died after eating the cake.
The two younger children, James, Cornelia and their mother Sarah Mathilda, each had slices of the tainted cake. By the end of the day, all of them were very sick. If the oleander was indeed intended to make them ill, so that Chloe could tend to them and maintain her household status, she had miscalculated and sealed her fate … it was only hours before all three were dead.
Chloe’s inexperience with the herbal remedies may have caused the death of the Judge’s wife and two small children. Near hysteria, Chloe told either one or more of the other slaves what she had done, she had not intended to take the lives of Sarah Mathilda, Cornelia or James, she wanted only to make them sick so that she could nurse them back to health, imagining the family would be ever grateful and dependant on her skills of healing.
The word spread
like wildfire among the household and field slaves of Chloe’s crime. Some say it was born of fear, others feel it
was out of respect and consideration for the Judge and the motherless
daughter left behind … either way to avoid punishment themselves, a group of
slaves took the distraught Chloe to a nearby massive oak tree on the
plantation grounds, they secured a rope to a gnarled limb. Chloe’s young life came to an end that
night, by the hands of the other slaves.
The folklore tells us that it was much later when Chloe’s lifeless
body was cut down from the tree, the body was weighted with large rocks and
thrown into the
Chloe’s human form may have been tossed into the currents of the river, but it is said that her spirit remains with the house – protecting the children that visit. One account has it that Chloe poisoned the cake out of revenge intending to kill the family, either due to the Judge tiring of her and taking on a new mistress or angry that he ordered her ear severed and being banished to the fields. Yet another version states that (Mary) Octavia was the illegitimate daughter of Chloe and Clark – guesstimate would have Chloe between ten (10) and twelve (12) years of age when she gave birth. No records of Chloe’s actual age have been located, but it is told that she was about sixteen (16) years when she was hung. Supposedly the story of Chloe is documented in a journal of a neighboring plantation, but this is unconfirmed. Local historians indicate that no record of a slave by the name Chloe exists.
A local historian calls the poisoning “hogwash”’, saying it is more likely that Judge Woodruff’s wife died during childbirth and the girls passed away in a yellow fever epidemic more than a year apart. Yet a docent of the Myrtles stated that copies of the death certificates reflect the same date of death, but that a newspaper article cited the deaths to be of yellow fever and on dates separated by many months. Without reviewing the actual certificates, this cannot be confirmed. The official records are unclear and oral histories passed down are considered to be factually unreliable.
A consistent discrepancy is that two little girls died from the poisoned cake, but research indicates differently. Even the tour guides at the Myrtles comment on this issue, stating maybe the confusing comes from the fact that in this era young males were attired in clothing that would resemble a dress. The most common reported sightings of two children dressed in white are noted as females, indicating long curls and white dresses. It would be difficult to determine if the sightings are a result of the legend or if two female children of different families choose to "play" together.
On a visit in 2003, two members of the MGC
opted not to join the Haunted tour that evening, the opted to leave their
door open so that they could hear the docent as she told the tour group the
history of the Myrtles. Their room for that evening, the
Not once or twice, but several times an employee of the Myrtles ventured up those stairs looking around and not appearing to be very happy. One the last trip up to the second floor the employee asked the two if they had children with them, the ladies responded "no". When asked if the two had seen children running in the upper foyer, they again responded "no". The guests inquired as to why the questions were asked, according to the employee, the sounds of children running on the second floor interrupted the docent's narrative as the tour moved through the lower level of the house. The last visit to the second floor had been prompted by the sound of a loud crash from the second floor.
These two guests were the only people on the second floor during the tour. Other than employee's venture to the second floor and the sounds of the tour group, the reported noises had not been heard.
Records indicate that Mary Octavia survived, married and had
children of her own. An original letter written by Octavia eluded that
she pledged An Oath of Allegiance to save the plantation where she resided as
an adult in the Another lady who
also shares a passion for The Myrtles recalls during a tour while in
Over the years, some feel that due to her horrible punishment and death, that Chloe’s ghost remains behind, refusing to leave. Often visitors allege to “feel” the presence of Chloe. To this day, Chloe is blamed for missing objects, most notable the loss of one earring. A long time employee and tour guide at The Myrtles has been part of the daily routines through three successive owners, agrees. It is said that she feels that Chloe is the one plucking hair ornaments off the heads of unsuspecting young ladies enjoying the tour of the home. Frequently hair ribbons and clips are in place when the girls enter the home, but by the tour’s end the hair ornaments are missing. Retracing their paths and searches of the rooms, do not locate the lost articles.
And yet one more theory contends that at The Myrtles that the vengeful Chloe may be trying to get back at the Judge’s children for causing her so much grief by eating too much of the poisoned cake; Chloe only picks on the girls on tour-never the boys. The gaming room also served as the children’s dining room, this is the room where the fatal dessert was served. When the Judge learned of the circumstances of the death of his wife and small children, he ordered the room closed and sealed never to be used again as long as he lived in the house.
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Southern custom was to cover all mirrors in a home when a death(s) had occurred, a tradition normally carried out by the lady of the house. Mary Octavia was only nine years old and probably not aware of the tradition, even if she had been instructed of such custom, she had lost her mother and two siblings on her birthday – their deaths brought about by a cake, baked to celebrate her special day. The large gilded mirror that hung in the main dining room was not covered that fateful day and according to legend has trapped the spirits of the mother and her children.
Today that mirror hangs in the main foyer. |
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While those see eerie handprints and faces in the glass that tour the home lend to the atmosphere of the mystery and legends.
Considering that two hundred years ago the glass used would not have been perfect, the flaws would be apparent in waves or ripples in the glass, being porous enough to soak up and hold the natural oils from the glassmakers hands as they applied the silvering for reflective purposes could possibly explain the appearance of the imperfections. Several versions of how the images in the mirror have evolved are very intriguing.
The first being that the mirror glass was resilvered in one of the several restorations of the house, only to have the images reappear; another that the glass was replaced entirely and the mirror was stored in the basement for many months waiting to take it’s place in the grand foyer. When the newly replaced mirror was retrieved, the owners were stunned to find the very same impressions in the new glass that had existed in the old.
A clarification is required here, unless a well-guarded secret, the house has no basement and access to the attic space would be too small to have stored such a large piece.
For now it is my thought that the original glass was left intact, possibly resilvered which might explain the reoccurrence of the images. As to the images themselves, they are intriguing – could it be the spirits of Sarah Mathilda, Cornelia and James trapped in the glass that was left uncovered on the day of their deaths?
This infamous mirror is photographed hundreds of times each week, photographs with reflections of men in uniform in the doorway or ladies in full skirted gowns midway up the staircase, others with down right creepy images have been shared by visitors over the years.
From the book, The Haunting of For added emphasis, Hester lays her hand on the mirror, index finger pointing to dark discolorations in the glass bearing a marked resemblance to small handprints. The Clarence Darrow of tour guides slowly traces the mirror’s evolution step by step. “This is the original frame; the glass looks very old, but it’s not. It was replaced eight years ago, and each time a new glass has been placed back into that frame, the handprints reappear.”
Chloe's ghost has been reported at the Myrtles and may have been photographed by the current owner. Photos taken by the current owner not long after moving in to document the proximity of adjacent buildings to the home for a fire code rating from the courtyard of the house shows a shadowy figure in a turban standing near the building. A shadowy, turbaned female shape was captured in the passageway between the main house and the old kitchen building. The figure in the photo appears to be transparent; the clapboard siding of the house is seen through the shape of the body. Thinking this only a photographic flaw or light casting shadow, the collection of photos was carefully reviewed. It is suggested that photos taken from many different angles each contained the same shadowy image. There were so many requests to see the turbaned ghost that the photo is now sold in the gift shop in postcard form.
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At the end of the Mystery Tour held on the weekends at The Myrtles, photographs are shared. A large photograph is presented to the group, the photograph is the same as the postcard, and only this version has markings and measurements depicting the details of the shadowy form. Depending on the guide, an FBI agent or a National Geographic photographer once a guest at the bed and breakfast studied this photo; the markings were a scientific approach to determine if indeed this could be a human like form. The conclusion being that it was a female form, listing what they determined to be the dimensions, height and weight of a small woman.
Some articles suggest that a Mammy was brought in to care for the surviving child, Mary Octavia following the deaths of her Mother and Chloe and that this slave like Chloe wore a green turban, possibly to cover her ears disfigured either by frostbite or punishment by a previous master, leaving the identity of the mysterious female shadow is uncertain.
You may hear innuendo that Judge Woodruff had a daughter by Chloe, but there is absolutely no evidence of this. However, he and Sarah Bradford Woodruff did have a third daughter who lived to adulthood.
Is it possible that there were two Octavia’s? Or were Mary and Octavia twins or
sisters. One account mentions the
“Twin Room” in the house, but the available genealogy does not account for
twins in the
An article from Travel, D magazine states “Later, during an impromptu tour, the guide mentioned that psychics say the figure flitting about that room (the French day room) is Woodruff’s eldest daughter, Octavia, killed because she was the illegitimate spawn of the judge and Chloe, a black governess to Woodruff’s children as well as his mistress.”
Another frequent
visitor to The Myrtles recalls a tour while in
An Internet search
did locate Octavia House;
One account has it
that Octavia Woodruff was betrothed to
The local historians remain skeptical about the presence of ghosts at The Myrtles; they agree the house has a sad history, citing bizarre incidents and unnatural deaths that have occurred in the home.
On May 23, 1825,
Records do indicate
that Mary Octavia moved to New Orleans with Judge Woodruff and that she
married Lorenzo Augustus Besancon of Copperstown, New York on May 10th,
1838. Records also tell us that two of
their children were born in Natchez, which is about 60 miles north of St.
Francisville – giving me pause to wonder, why would she have traveled over a
hundred miles from to New Orleans to Natchez for the birth? Transportation would have been by steamboat
up the Clark Woodruff died Nov 25
1851, at Oaklawn Plantation,
near Carrollton, Louisiana and was interred at Girod Cemetery in New Orleans
– but his remains were not to rest in the Crescent City. Approximately thirty five years ago
surviving family members were contacted and told that the cemetery residents
would have to be moved to make way for the Employees and visitors feel that the spirit of Sarah Mathilda still lingers. The sweet aroma - like honeysuckle or roses is said to announce Sarah Mathilda’s presence. Possibly her favorite perfume or flowers she chose to have throughout the house –the fragrances are most often accompanied by the sound of crying – yet the neither the fresh flowers nor small children are present. From an issue of the October, 1984 Wall
Street Journal there is mention of The Myrtles; “Yet longtime neighbors
who have seen firsthand the strange happenings at the Myrtles are loath to
attribute them to ghosts. Mamie Thompson, an eightyish Southern belle who
sips sherry and who likes gentlemen callers to present flowers, says,
"As a child, we always heard about the little Negro girl with no
ears." Miss Thompson recalls that she once saw the lights at the
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Property records indicate that in January of 1834 Woodruff sold it to Ruffin Gray Stirling for $46,853.
The
When Ruffin Gray
Stirling purchased the plantation, a wing was added on to the house, it is
thought that he changed the name from
An article from the
February 1990 issue of Soon the place was
lost by a
Ruffin was married to
Mary Catherine Cobb, their children are listed as Ruffin, Henry, Lewis, Mary
Ann, Stephen, William and Sarah Mulford.
Once again we find different accounts as to the number and gender of
children, some researchers say that The
Another source list
nine children; going on to say that only four lived to marry. There are references that Lewis was the
only one of seven sons to survive the Civil War, but this statement leads to
unresolved discrepancies. The
Ruffin, Sr. died of consumption in 1854; burial records at Grace Episcopal Church list that son Lewis died the same year of yellow fever. Some rumors indicate that Lewis Stirling was also a gambler; The Myrtles was well known for its parties and grand celebrations from journals at nearby plantations. There are questions concerning whether Lewis Stirling may have been shot in dining room rather than the death of yellow fever as told by descendants.
The
An excerpt from the July 2001 edition of the
“As you look around the mansion, you can see the effort that went into protecting the family. It is particularly apparent in the downstairs “morning room” where a chandelier with angels sits high in the center as if stretching out an arm of protection. It is said that all the keyholes in the doors were turned upside down, and had covers added, in order to keep out the evil spirits. In the plasterwork, leafs have been molded, symbolizing safety and friendship. Much effort went into warding off the wickedness that had befallen throughout the homes history, yet the tragedies continued.”
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And from The National Parks Service, “The house itself is a broad, low, rambling
frame mansion with a clapboard exterior and was built in two halves. The
first half, which was built in 1796, forms the western six bays of the main
façade. These were increased in size due to mid-19th-century restoration,
when the house also received a southward extension that almost doubled its
size. An exceptional cast-iron railing of elaborate grape-cluster design
supports the unusually long gallery. It is the interior detailing, however,
which is perhaps the most important feature of the Myrtles
“A
period of residency with a surviving daughter in the
A Tourist’s Guide to West Feliciana Parish
references, “In 1834 The Myrtles was purchased by Ruffin Gray Stirling
whose extensive remodeling in the 1850s added a large central hallway and
southern section of the home as well as additional double and single dormers
upstairs. It was
The front gallery with its grape-cluster
grillwork extends an incredible 107 feet.
From it, an entrance door boasting 1875 Cross of
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Ruffin
During the Stirlings residency the acreage was increased to approximately five thousand acres, possibly extending the property to Bayou Sara as well as suggesting the purchase of several hundred more slaves to work the land and as household servants. For a time the
Sarah Stirling met and fell in love with
William Drew Winter, an attorney from This union lead to
the birth of their children listed as Mary Stirling, Sarah Bowman, Kate Lyle,
Ruffin
Winters a graduate of Harvard Law in 1839, as his predecessors at the Myrtles, practiced law. Assuming the war had a major impact on his law practice and the plantations productivity, records indicate that William Winter was declared bankrupt on December 23, 1867.
In 1864 the War Between the States erupted.
The Yankees annihilated ill-prepared southern river communities. Messages of
horror were reported from nearby
Stories passed down say that seven of the
eight
Some say a year later Lewis was gunned down in the dining room as the family watched in horror.
Even though a doctor
lived at nearby Rosedown Plantation, legend suggest that William and Sarah’s
daughter, Kate was suffering from yellow fever and
that Sarah desperate to save her child, begged one of the slaves to contact
another plantation and have a slave known for her voodoo come to save
Kate. “That night after dark, the
frantic, rhythmic beat of drums by the slaves sent an urgent message to
slaves at neighboring Solitude
If on your visit to the Myrtles you happen to be a guest in the Caretaker’s Cabin, you may awaken to the rhythmic vibrations and sounds that could be associated to drums. No need to get up and venture out to determine the source, it is only felt and heard inside the cabin.
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The voodoo priestess, Cleo arrived at the Myrtle’s to try to save the child. Her Gris Gris or medicine did not work and Kate succumbed to the fever and died in what is now called the William Winters or the Peach Room. Overcome with grief, anger and devastation of the loss of her child, that it has been said that Sarah ordered Cleo be hung from the chandelier in the very room that young Kate was lost to the ravages of yellow fever. As with Chloe before her, Cleo’s body was thrown into the river. The photo below is the chandelier from that room. From Kermeen's book concerning the ghosts of the Myrtles there is confusion with Cleo and Chloe. The book refers to Chloe as Cleo. From our research we feel that Chloe and Cleo were two different people and involved with different family deaths. |
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The OxBow Carriage House Restaurant is in close proximity to the house, over looking the courtyard and pond and as the name indicates was originally the carriage house.
In 2005 The Oxbow relocated into St. Francisville, another restaurant escaping the effects of Katrina now resides in the old carriage house. |
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On our visit to The Myrtles in November we were told of an experience of an employee that had occurred recently. A waitress encountered a woman standing in the bar area, this woman was distressed and asking “why do they not speak of me any longer?” The waitress, not understanding the question or cause of distress, asked this woman to wait a moment allowing her to call for the manager. When the employee turned to go in search of the manager, he was approaching the waitress and the woman. As the waitress tried to explain to the manager that the woman was upset and asking questions, the manager looked around the employee and asked, “what woman?”
He had seen no one but the lone employee standing in the room.
A description by the employee, was a heavy framed, black woman – could this have been Cleo? Unfortunately the “story” of the voodoo priestess being called to save Kate is no longer part of the ‘Haunted Tour program’ due to unwanted occult interest and issues that this particular story drew. While the employees of the Oxbow would not discuss the possibilities of ghosts at the Myrtles, the current staff has stories of their own since they've come to the plantation.
If while visiting the Myrtles you are a guest in the William Winters Room you may wake up feeling feverish and push the covers away. Don’t be surprised if you wake again to find yourself tucked in gently by unseen hands. Some guests have reported the sounds of a child’s voice or that of a woman reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Even a playful bounce has been experienced, as if a small child is jumping on the bed.
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On January 26th, 1871 at 7:30pm, someone rode up on horseback and called out that they required the help of a lawyer. William Winters is said to have walked out of the house on to the veranda to see who was calling for an attorney and was hit in the chest by a shot gun blast. The guides go on to tell that Winters struggled making his way to his wife who was on the second floor. Sarah hearing the gunshot had come out of her room to find William as he reached the seventeenth step, only to die in her arms. It is doubtful that Winters made it into the house, the consensus is that he died on the verandah where he was shot. Family notes disagree - one stating he was teaching a Sunday School class, the other that he was involved in a card game. Due to the time of day, it is more likely a game of cards was in play when he was called out. Even though opinion leads away from the seventeenth step, the stairway in the main foyer over the years has consistently high EMF readings - with multiple cameras, both still and video can track orbs in motion moving up the staircase. Many over night guests have shared that they can hear a lady’s voice cry there, that they heard footsteps go up those stairs, but not back down. Guests at the Myrtles sometimes hear seventeen, heavy footfalls on the stairs at night. In January 2005 an evening without any guests other than our group proved interesting. A distinct knock at the front door at the bottom of the main stair case was heard, then the sound of that door opening and closing began about 9:00pm, the same sounds repeated throughout the night only to cease at day break. A video monitor allowed us to keep a visual on the door, while the doors never actually opened or closed - the audible sounds were unmistakable. January of 2006 lent another unexplained event in the same area. About 4:00am from the upper landing the sound of an interior door opening and closing was heard - followed by flashes of light. First assumption was of course that someone had gained access to the house and was taking photos. A group search of the foyer found both exterior doors secured, but the interior door to the French Day Room at the foot of the stairs was standing open - a door that was locked by the staff the night before. Armed with flash lights, we ventured into the French Day Room fully expecting an encounter with a living person or an open door that would have allowed access to the main foyer. The room was empty, the doors were latched from the inside. No reasonable explanation was found for the sounds or the flashes of light.
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The Myrtles plantation is no stranger to media attention, it has been featured in New York Times, Forbes, Gourmet, Veranda, Travel and Leisure, Country Inns, Colonial Homes, Delta SKY, and on the Oprah Show, A & E, The History Channel, The Travel Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, National Geographic Explorer, Good Morning America. From an article in
the "They never could ever get that bloodstain out," Mrs. Bankston says. "They could sand it, paint over it - whatever they did, the blood kept reappearing. I think one of the owners finally replaced the board.” It is our thought that this bloodstain would have been from the shooting death of William Winter, but some stories relate the stain to a wounded Confederate soldier who took refuge at the Myrtles.
An account of William’s death as told in Family History Book of Alexander Stirling and Ann Alston, “The death of William as told by Amanda Smith, wife of Stephen Sterling: Amanda had the floor in the game room shaved to remove the bloodstains. Lucile Lawrason and other family members dispute the tale of William dying on the 17th step in his wife’s arms. They say that he was teaching Sunday school, when a man rode up on horseback and shot Winter. They also state that he died right there in the game room/study.”
It is said that
following William’s death, Sarah retired to her room and would not come out
until her own death. Friends would
travel form
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A benign spirit purportedly seen at The Myrtles is thought to be Sarah. She is sometimes seen straightening things and generally inspecting the house as she walks the halls. Some feel this may be Sarah Woodruff others say it is the spirit of Sarah Winter. Both Sarah’s were mistresses of the grand house; both experienced tragedy and deaths of their young children in this home and could naturally lead one to assume that either of the Sarah’s ghosts might remain. An emotional imprint so strong that would allow employees and guests to encounter one or the other, maybe even both.
Not every one who experienced an untimely death at the Myrtles is thought to be a ghost, but many of the wandering spirits can be associated with documented historical references. There are references to ghostly activity in particular rooms and those that make themselves known on certain calendar dates which may relate to their time and life at the plantation.
All the efforts put forth by Mrs. Ruffin Stirling did not protect the family, not the chandelier with angels with outstretched arms, not the faces of nuns, not the acanthus leaves woven into the frieze plasterwork, leaves molded, symbolizing safety and friendship and not the keyholes installed in the doors - turned upside down with covers added, in order to keep out the evil spirits.
The tragedies continued to plague the residents of The Myrtles As an example, the entry hall. Throughout the house the thick cypress floors, in order to maintain the high luster sheen on the floors, required an employee, once a week to polish and buff the floors. This had been the task of an employee who had worked at the Myrtles for many years. One particular spot on the shining planks, just outside the dining room, was always dull and hazy. No matter how hard the employee persisted, she could not get the buffer to go over that one spot. Even if she got a good running start, placing her entire weight behind it, the buffer would stop dead, "like running into a wall." When the history of the house was researched and archived newspaper articles were scoured, it was revealed that when Lewis Stirling was shot, he died outside the dining room, on that very location.
In May and June, a young Confederate soldier often visits The Myrtles. He has been seen lying on one of the beds as unseen hands dress a wound on his leg. There are also the spirits of three Yankee soldiers haunting the place. They appear at various times, but most often near the steps of the front veranda, and among the moss-draped oaks.
The guides confirm there was a Confederate soldier who lived here for awhile, and often the smell of cigar smoke in the house is reported, real pungent cigar smoke-and there’s no smoking allowed at The Myrtles.
From the October 31, 1984 article in The Wall Street Journal, “Ms. Kermeen doesn't help matters when she tells me I will be sleeping in the Green Room. "It's pretty safe this time of year," she says. "In May and June, a Confederate soldier stays there.
As other stories about the plantation unfold, courtesy of the
Myrtles' "Someone was
murdered right where you're standing," says Bill Pohlmann, the Myrtles'
22-year-old curator.” "Sometimes you feel them walking by, a whiff of
air," he says. (By midnight, I have apologized to several
air-conditioning vents.)
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Several stories have circulated concerning the death of a Confederate soldier in the foyer – was this John W. Leake, Private 1st Lieutenant of Company C, 1st Louisiana Cavalry En.? Is he the soldier that supposedly hid in the walls to avoid going back to the front?
During research I came across a comment that a member or members
of the family at Rosedown Plantation were so appalled that they notified a
Confederate unit at Port A room in the older section of the house is called the Leake Room. Multiple guests have encountered things leading us to believe the room is named appropriately.
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One couple unaware and uninterested in the possible ghosts of the Myrtles left the plantation without staying the night. The wife settled in to read a book while her husband showered.
Hearing sounds she could not account for, she called to her husband, only to be shushed. Irritated that her husband would tell her to shush, she argued the point of contention – the noise. Once again “shushed”, she got up to speak to him about this – only to find he was still in the shower and unable to hear her, much less “shush” her. She picked up her purse and left the room. When the husband finally located his wife, she refused to return to the room, leaving him to go back up and gather their luggage. He walked over to the chifforobe, opened the door to remove the hanging clothes only to find a single gray, uniform in place of his own clothing. Confused, he closed the door - opened it again and the uniform was gone. Turning to leave the room he encountered an apparition of a soldier, dressed in a gray uniform standing in the doorway.
A photograph taken from the doorway looking into the John Leake room, a transparent shadowy image of a man in what looks like a uniform is seen in the corner of the room. |
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Property records indicate that Stephen Stirling purchased the Myrtle’s for $3000 in 1881, then the plantation was sold once again to Oran Brooks in 1886 for $10,000
Property split and sold 1889, Aaron Shlessinger and Harrison Williams
In 1891 Harrison Milton Williams purchased the plantation. He had a son, Harry when he married his
second wife, Fannie Lintot Haralson.
Harrison and Fannie are said to have had seven children. Harrison
spent 15 years as a Confederate From a copy of the
February issue of
In another article it is said that Katie’s commanding voice issuing directives throughout the household earned her the nickname.
Fannie’s brother,
Eddie lived in a small house on the plantation, records indicate he was
killed during a robbery at his home.
The
Eddie’s date of death conflicts with the stories told of a caretaker stabbed to death in 1927 on the porch of his cabin. The Caretaker’s Cabin is a guest room, behind the main house. While it is not the original cabin, it seems to not be exempt from unusual happenings. The walk to the cabin at night can be extremely dark, even with the lights on in the cabin. Our night in the cabin was basically uneventful, although we did wake almost every hour to a “booming” sound and finding a neat rearrangement of clothing not recalled. In the night, not once did either of us ever pick up a camera, which was within easy reach, but would fall right back in to a deep sleep.
The
“Some folks meet them before they even reach the door. According to Eby, guests sometimes arrive to report “a white man in overalls and a straw hat has met them at the front gate.” This fellow can be a bit testy. Guest complains, “He’s been quite rude and will not let them in,” she says.
As for the surly overseer who greets guests at the gate, he occupied the caretaker’s cottage until 1927, when someone stabbed him. “No one reported seeing him until the 1960s, Eby says, noting that the ghost began walking after workers tore his cottage down. A new cottage went up in its place. “It’s an overnight guest room now, and some people say they see the shape of a man looking out the windows in their photographs.” Some people react strongly to the cottage and ask for other accommodations.
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“In 1927, an overseer of the property was killed and robbed and the crime was never solved. Many, who visit, complain of a rude man at the front gate, dressed in a straw hat and overalls, who has tried to turn them away from venturing on to the main house. The Myrtles management claim to have no such man employed but do admit to the knowledge that the murdered overseer was dressed in overalls and a straw hat often while working on the grounds.” The Myrtles is featured in Clarence John Laughlin's picture book on Southern architecture, Ghosts Along the Mississippi, published in 1948. At the time Laughlin visited and photographed The Myrtles, it was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Surget Williams. Laughlin indicates the house was constructed "about 1830." He mentions the lack of information about the Woodruff family, and of the ghosts, writes: "A number of ghost stories have been associated with The Myrtles. One of these concerns an infant who, throughout the night, cries in its former death chamber. Another is that of an old French lady who wanders, sometimes at night, from room to room, lifting mosquito biers, and searching, evidently, for some unknown person she never finds." An unusual record noted was where the property was transferred to M & E Wolf on June 16, 1909 and was purchased by the Widow Williams the same day, June 6, 1909 for $7,313.
In 1950 the
surrounding plantation acreage was divided among the William’s heirs and the
Myrtle’s home was sold to Marjorie Munson of
Mrs. Munson was a widow whose wealth was in chicken farms. According to Fannie Williams’s granddaughter, Lucille Lawrason is quoted as saying, “My aunts used to talk about an old woman in a green bonnet- it was a joke about a ghost-and everybody in the family would laugh about it. Nobody believed in her. But someone must have repeated the story to Mrs. Munson.” Mrs. Munson penned a song about the ghost of the Myrtles, a woman in a green beret. It is said the song may have been the connection for her to meet and marry Dolor Michaud, an elderly Hollywood violinist-composer whom she hired to set her song to music. |
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Mrs. Michaud spent 16 years in historical research for The Myrtles. The room on the ground floor we know as the gentleman’s parlor was the Music Room during the Michaud’s time at the Myrtle’s. The music room featured a Steinway piano, a collection of 12 violins dating back to the 17th century, a cello and several small harps. Mrs. Michaud was an artist and owned an antique shop. |
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The Ladies Parlor pictured above in an old postcard is said to be the” heart” of the house. Kermeen writes about Mrs. Michaud in Ghostly Encounters by
Francis Kermeen, “I made a welcome
trip to of meeting this couple, themselves an integral part of the history of the home, I looked them up, and called them. They invited us over that very day. My first shock came when I realized that they lived exactly six blocks to the number behind the house where I grew up. Very odd. Mr. Michaud greeted us at the door. He ushered us into the living room, explaining that Mrs. Michaud was ill, but that she would be out to visit shortly. My eyes bounced around the room, fixing on an old photograph on the étagère. I felt my chest tighten, and I couldn't breathe. The lady in the photograph was the same lady who had been dancing in the French Bedroom. My mind boggled as I tried to comprehend this. "Who's that," I was finally able to squeak out. "Oh, that's Mrs. Michaud. She's coming out now." Michaud. After all, we are socialized to be polite. So I sat there, petrified, waiting. She was much older than she had appeared in the French Bedroom, and obviously at death's door. As terrifying as the meeting was, I also felt so grateful that she had even gotten up to receive us. We spent several hours visiting with the couple that once owned our house, prodding them for every bit of information they could remember. They finally opened up about the ghosts, with whom they had many encounters. I wanted to run away. I was terrified to come face to face with the woman who had been a ghost in my house just a few days before. The only thing that kept me sitting there on the couch was the sweet openness displayed by Mr. I could hardly wait to get back to my parents' house and call Charles. I knew he would be blown away by this startling revelation. "Charles, you'll never guess who the dancing ghost was!" I shouted into the phone. "Mrs. Michaud," he replied. "What? How did you know?" I asked. "I found some old postcards and saw her. I wanted to say it first, since I knew you had visited them and you knew too." This unexplainable experience kept me up at night for quite some time. How could Mrs. Michaud be alive, yet be a ghost at the Myrtles? Months later, I watched a television show where Gary Collins interviewed some expert guests from UCLA, who were doing a study about life after death. They explained how people in nursing homes sometimes leave their bodies and do the things they loved to do when their bodies were intact-walk, run, or even dance! Sometimes these elderly souls sported huge smiles, with their eyes shut tight. They talk about going to a party, or talking to deceased friends. That would explain
how Mrs. Michaud could be in
As the guides take you through the house, the guide stands behind a sofa in order to face the group. Several guides shared that during their spiel, they feel a tug at their clothing, as if a small child is vying for their attention. Documents concerning genealogy indicate that Munson may have had a family connection to St. Francisville and possibly to the the Myrtles.
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This is also the room where a local television station set up one Halloween for a morning program for a live segment. The equipment, crew and host were all in place – each joking about the “ghosts” joining them for the program. As the host began telling the television audiences of the Myrtles and history, he was upbeat, full of energy, enticing the ghosts to make an appearance when suddenly his voice became very monotone, his face drained of color and then all the equipment failed. All attempts to continue the program in the Ladies Parlor met with resistance, the telecast was continued from the front veranda. Supposedly, what the viewers saw was very interesting. Just before the host’s voice changed, a ball of light came from one side of the room and through the host and then to the loss of transmission.
The Myrtles and its 10 remaining acres changed ownership several more times. Restoration conducted by Arlin Dease and Mr. And Mrs. Robert F. Ward in the 1970s.
The Wall Street Journal October 31, 1984 “Not everyone shares this belief. A former owner attributes the mansion's bizarre movements and noises to a sagging foundation. Although he admits feeling "strange vibrations" in the house, he says that tales of one-eared ghosts and other spooks "are a bunch of malarkey."
Even though Pearce is mentioned as a previous owner, this transfer was not located in the property records.
James and Frances Kermeen Meyers passed through St. Francisville in the 1980s on a riverboat cruise and while visiting purchased the Myrtles. The Meyers ownership coincided neatly with the then-current fad of “Murder Mystery Weekends” in which local historians and surviving family members say that history was rewritten in a manner they consider “disgraceful”.
It is plausible that the scripts written for the weekend adventures at the Myrtles may be the very source of many of the ghost related stories now told.
From the book, Ghostly Encounters by Francis Kermeen,
“Unexplained sights and sounds have been
observed by everyone from psychics to local officials, and since the Myrtles
was converted into a six-bedroom inn four years ago, the owner says, many
tourists have been so spooked in the night that they have vowed never to
return. As for me, in the words of the "Ghostbusters" movie theme
song, "I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts."
In Kermeen’s book, she speaks of a black clad, small-framed woman dancing about the French Day room like a ballerina, an empty antique wheelchair moving through a garden right up to her bedroom window, feeling a sudden drop in temperature, looking up to see a candelabra “aglow with candles” making it’s way up the main stair case – just the candelabra, nothing more. |
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Evidently restful slumber was not common during Kermeen’s residence, she tells of repeatedly waking to find all the lights ablaze in the house and the sound of footsteps and a large, black woman in a green turban standing over her with a tin candle holder, the flame of the candle glinting off a single gold, loop earring. Also of being locked in the house, unable to open any of the many doors or windows as she tried to leave for a few days.
An Internet search
found www.louisiana.edu/Academic
article, “The Myrtles' grisly past has inspired some of the ghost stories.
So many murder victims have been dragged from its halls, in fact, that the
locals have lost count. But Frances Kermeen, the current owner, is more than
happy to talk about the home's non-paying boarders, realizing it makes for
good business. In fact, the ethereal
guests are discussed as matter-of-factly as regular guests, and Ms. Kermeen
even is the guide for a Halloween candlelight tour for local school kids. Kermeen’s book tells us, “a warning about the ghosts at the Myrtles was found in a book published in 1882. "The lights are never extinguished at the plantation," it admonishes. "When the lights are all out, something always happens." To this day, a light is always left on inside the mansion at night.” And, yes, on each
visit the lights in the three hundred pound, baccarat crystal chandelier that
Mrs. Stirling had purchased in
The Wall Street Journal October 31, 1984, “In the 1980s the Myrtles string ensemble, and feasted on foie gras and whole roast pig. The weekend progressed as guests relived major events in the Winters' lives. Saturday night, January 24, 1985, the production climaxed with an eerie reenactment of William's murder, played to the exact day, hour, and minute of the real event 114 years earlier. Caught off guard, guests scurried to the gentlemen's parlor as a voice called out from the darkness beyond, "A visitor to see the lawyer."
Kermeen mentions her friend John L. in her book and that she discussed ghosts with him and he is quoted in the 1984 Wall Street Journal as saying, "If there's such a thing as a haunted house on this earth, the Myrtles is it." – but six years later in a magazine article he disputes ghosts at The Myrtles. It is possible that John L. Pearce was either the manager or owner following Kermeen, but property records searched did not confirm a purchase of the Myrtles. From
“The Myrtles plantation has a new owner, and he’s determined to forever rid the historic home of all the ghosts that once were conjured up to lure the curious.” John L Pearce, former
curator at
An article in the
“Arlin Dease, a prominent local preservationist, purchased the property days before it was to go on the block at a sheriff's sale recently, and has sunk part of his fortune, which he made buying antebellum homes and restoring them, into nursing the structure back to health.
Mr. Dease started his illustrious career at the Myrtles, purchasing and restoring it more than a decade ago before misfit Yankees bought the place and proceeded to spoil it. He says he went into the project a second time intending to persuade others to appreciate the house for its charm and beauty rather than its dark history.” “Arlin Dease, a prominent local preservationist, purchased the property days before it was to go on the block at a sheriff's sale recently, and has sunk part of his fortune, which he made buying antebellum homes and restoring them, into nursing the structure back to health.
Mr. Dease started his illustrious career at the Myrtles, purchasing and restoring it more than a decade ago before misfit Yankees bought the place and proceeded to spoil it. He says he went into the project a second time intending to persuade others to appreciate the house for its charm and beauty rather than its dark history.
"That was the plan. That's not what happened at all," he says. "There were so many strange and unexplained things that happened on a daily basis here that we just couldn't ignore them."
Of late, guests in a certain room report the smell of cigar smoke, especially at night. Mr. Dease says it is believed a wounded Confederate soldier died in that room. That kind of tame experience is typical, he says.
"This house is not Hollywood. It's not 'The Amityville Horror.' People aren't pushed down the stairs at night. Blood doesn't run down the walls," he says, laughing. Mr. Dease is not disturbed by his elusive lodgers. "The little girls, the old man - there's plenty of room for us all here." A book, The Haunting
of In French
“Another inexplicable
incident she fondly recalls occurred when a friend and her two small children
arrived for a visit with the mosses’ two young sons. They all decided to share the same upstairs
bedroom. “Around 10:30 that night, the
room filled with a sweet, sweet, perfume smell, like jungle gardenia, that
sweet. Of course I thought it was my
friend playing a joke, and I accused her of spraying perfume. She said, ‘No, I promise I didn’t. I thought it was you.’ Then the room just became frigid, like a
freezer, that cold. This was August of
1994.” Underscoring the obvious, Teeta
adds with eyebrows raised, “Nothing is frigid in August in
“Teeta Moss also mentions times when, “you’ll hear your name called by a familiar voice. I’ll think my husband is calling me, and when “I’ll ask the staff where he is, and they’ll say, ‘Why, Miss Teeta, Johnny went to the bank. He’s not here.’” In the book, Haunting of Louisiana, you will find Teeta’s account of feeling that she should check on her youngest child, she walked out through the courtyard thinking this child was safely asleep upstairs only to find him about thirty feet from the pond. “According to Teeta, in that terrifying instant as she envisioned her young son drowning before her eyes, incredibly her fears vanished.” “It was all sensation, but it was so real. I could almost hear a voice saying, you’ll never have to worry-your children, your family-you will always be safe here.”
She goes on to describe her other son asking her “to come and get the little girl off the chandelier”. In response to his mother’s questions, the child described a pretty girl, with “wellow” hair in a wedding dress swinging on the chandelier. On another occasion, this same child mentioned that his friend was in the courtyard. His description was similar to that of an elderly caretaker that had been murdered on the grounds in the 1920s. “What the staff also noted was that as he walked and happily chatted with “his friend” J.G. always cocked his head upwards and lifted his hand in the air as if he was holding on to a tall adult figure.”
There is an accounting of long time employee, Hester’s daughter,
“This perplexed mother (Teeta) can only conclude that spirits from the past-a little girl on the chandelier, an elderly gentleman in the courtyard, a playmate in need of a coat-for reasons far beyond the everyday order of things, did indeed make themselves known to the children. Teeta also chooses to look on spirits who have an affinity for children as guardian angels-ghostly lagniappe of the best kind.” |
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The room known as the Judge Clark Woodruff Suite or Bridal Suite once belonged to Sarah and William Winter. That room seems to be active most of the time. From a thud both heard and felt, leaving an impression on the bedding leaving one occupant sleeping soundly and the other wide awake for the rest of the night. |
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A single strand of long brown hair pressed in to the thigh hard enough to leave an indention in the skin – none of the guests had long hair, even if they had – a single stand of hair, felt strong enough to draw the attention and leaving a visible imprint in the flesh is a bit uncommon. On several of the tours, we have been told that a producer for the Oprah Winfrey Show came to visit the Myrtles for an upcoming Halloween program. Crew and producer toured the home; made notes for an evening taping to be added to the footage they had from earlier in the day. The producer went up to the Woodruff Suite, closed the door and placed her 35mm camera on a dresser. As she walked across the room, the camera flashed. She found this unnerving, and rushed quickly to the door – which refused to open. As she struggled with the door, she is said to have felt icy cold fingers grip her shoulder, which provoked a scream from the producer and the immediate release of the door. The long time guide for the Myrtles goes on to tell us that the producer ran down the stairs, and on her way out the door announced to the crew that the program was complete and they would be leaving – immediately. This story changes with each tour, some guides say this situation was Oprah, others say it was a producer for the program. The response to an email inquiry to the Oprah Winfrey indicates that Oprah did not visit the Myrtles, but those who had viewed the segment that aired concerning the Myrtles indicate that Oprah speaks about the Myrtles as if she did visit. Voices, footsteps, and the scent of perfume are common throughout the house. In the spring and fall, the ball seasons, guests hear parties going on at night. But if you try to find the source of the merriment, it seems to move.
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During a November visit, four or five of the group were sitting quietly in the wee hours just before daybreak. Considering the possibility of being tired, one asked another if they heard quiet conversation, more like a hushed mumbling. This caused each of them to tune into the sounds of the house for approximately the next hour. Said to sound like general conversation, also heard was a sound that was related to clinking glasses and music coming from the Ladies and Gentleman’s Parlors below. On a more recent visit again the sounds of muted conversation were heard by a group of guests sitting in the foyer repeatedly though no source could be located. The time was approximately 3:00am and continued for approximately thirty minutes.
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Some of the rooms
were previously described by color, but now have been named for previous
occupants. The Peach Room is now known
as the William Winters Room, the Green Room now the Ruffin Stirling Room, the
Blue Room now the On the lower level,
the General David Bradford Suite. On most visits, we have found that
guests in the |
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Behind the Restaurant there are four Garden Rooms - the Azalea, Camellia, Magnolia and Oleander. The Caretakers Cottage – a private fenced cottage is located behind The General Bradford House. |
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The Green Room
was where the |
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Rumor and speculation indicate when neighbors from Rosedown Plantation discovered the lad hidden away, they were angry that he hadn't gone right back to the front lines after his leg healed. Supposedly they broke down the back door of the Myrtles and chased him down to the bayou, where they lynched him for deserting. Most men who sleep in this room have strange, vivid dreams about war, or of being chased. These hallucinations escalate in May and June, the months the soldier hid out. Sometimes you can actually catch a glimpse of the frightened soldier lounging on the bed or crouching in the corner, looking as solid as you or me.
The Blue Room, now known as the Fannie Williams room is located upstairs in the middle wing of the house, is said to be directly over the "heart of the house." A Tour Guide told of a young couple with a baby occupying this room, had not experienced any activity - until they discovered over breakfast that The Myrtles was known for it’s ghosts. The young mother needed to return to the room and insisted that an employee accompany her. While tending to the baby’s needs, the crystals attached to the chandelier began to spin independently and wildly. |
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Many guests in the main house find themselves awakened exactly at 2:00 am without any explanations. The musical sounds of a piano, distant conversation, footsteps, sweet smelling flowers, cigar smoke and the scent of perfume are common throughout the house. In the spring and fall, the ball seasons, The Myrtles was known for it’s grand galas - could it be that guests hear remnants of the long ago parties going on at night? |
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The staircase in the main foyer most often has extremely high readings with EMF meters and some interesting photos. On one visit, yet one more person drawn to this house and I stood at the foot of the stairs with digital cameras. We alternated taking photos. As we took the still pictures, we tracked an orb’s movement up the stairway – near the seventeenth step the orb veered off over the banister. |
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Following that first visit to the Myrtles in a tropical storm did nothing to dampen my curiosity for the plantation and it’s history of mystery and intrigue, but rather fueled it. While some of the events may not have taken place exactly as the legends are told, I have no doubt that ghosts and spirits roam the house and grounds. Their emotional imprints so strong you can often feel them and sometimes hear them.
When you visit the
Myrtles
Visiting the Myrtles is like stepping back in time. You can enjoy some southern hospitality as you relax in the rockers on the 120-foot verandah. The old brick courtyard provides wrought iron chairs and tables that offer a view of the pond as you enjoy a Chloe’s Nightcap or Stirling’s Kiss from the Oxbow Carriage House Restaurant. The grounds will entice you take a walk around the lush ten acres filled with majestic, moss draped live oaks and a multitude of Crepe Myrtle trees. Since that first
introduction several years ago to the Myrtles so many new doors have opened
relating to people, places, thoughts and feelings - a new awareness so to
speak. While the research led me to realize most probably all the stories surrounding the
Myrtles may not be historically correct, but too many parallels exist to
totally discount the legends. |
Sources:
LSU Digital Library
The Historic Indian Tribes of
National Register of Historic
Places
Tunica Archaeology by Jeffery P. Brain 1988
Census records, death indices and property records of Louisiana
World Family Tree
Ancestry.com
Family History Book of Alexander Stirling and Ann Alston
Haunted Inns of the Southeast by Sheila Turnage
The Haunting of
Ghostly Encounters by Francis Kermeen
West Feliciana Historical Society
and A Tourist Guide to
The
The Wall Street Journal October 31, 1984
Observer - Reporter Newspaper of
Unidentified magazine article