Agnes of Glasgow

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Agnes of Glasgow (1760–1780) was a Scottish woman who became a figure of American folklore.

Agnes of Glasgow
GroupingGhosts
Similar entities The Witch of Saratoga, similar tale of a woman who followed her British soldier lover to New York and reportedly haunts the area of Saratoga Springs
First attested1780s
CountryUnited States
RegionSouth Carolina

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Agnes followed her lover, Lt. Angus McPherson, who was a British Army officer, to America during the American Revolution. [1] She stowed away on a ship bound from England to America, arriving in Charleston, South Carolina. [2] Believing his unit was assigned near Camden, in Kershaw County, South Carolina, and having heard that he may have been wounded, she wandered through towns and the wilderness hoping to make contact with him or someone who knew him. [3] However, she became ill and died in 1780 before she could find him. As legend goes, she was buried under cover of darkness by Wateree American Indian King Hagler, who had befriended her.

Local legend maintains that she searches for her lover still, and that her ghost haunts the Bethesda Presbyterian Church where she was buried, and the surrounding wooded area to present day. [4] The legend is such that it has received media attention in South Carolina, as well as ghost hunters from around the country. Local historians confirm that the British Army did arrive and fight the Battle of Camden during that year, but since her tombstone reads she died on 12 February, they would not have been in Camden at the time of her death. Also, Hagler died in 1763, at which time Agnes was still a child in Scotland.

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References

  1. "Agnes Of Glasgow: A Ghost Story". gabnewsonline.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  2. "Agnes of Glasgow 1760 ~ 1780 Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  3. Hull, Edward Boltwood (1918). Guide-book of Camden,containing description of points of interest, together with an historical sketch, pioneer and revolutionary scenes, battle of Camden, battle of Hobkirk Hill. Camden, S.C. p. 33. hdl:2027/loc.ark:/13960/t6nz8fv8g.
  4. Camilla, Jess (2008). "Where the spirits still walk". hdl:10827/12002.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)