The Ghost of Droop Mountain

 

The sources tell the story of a headless soldier who haunts Droop Mountain. A Confederate soldier was stationed on Droop Mountain during the Civil War. One evening, an enemy soldier spied the Confederate soldier and attacked him, grabbing him by the hair and slicing his head off. The enemy soldier then threw the Confederate soldier's head into a muddy pond.

The soldier's body was buried by his comrades, who marked the grave with a stone. However, his head was never found. From that day forward, the headless soldier was said to haunt the area, appearing as a "headless soldier dark stark." He would appear by the bridle bit of horses passing by.

One story tells of a pioneer transporting salt by wagon train who encountered the ghost. The ghost grabbed his bridle bit and would not let go. The pioneer was forced to stop his journey until dawn. Another pioneer, driving a four-horse team, also encountered the ghost. The ghost stopped his team. The pioneer tried to urge them on, but they wouldn't move. He eventually walked on, leaving the team behind with the ghost.

The pioneer was so frightened that he threw his coattails outward "as though transported by aerogram." His buddies rescued him, and they also recovered his team. They found a blacksnake whip at the stump where the ghost had been standing. After this encounter, travelers could pass in peace, and the ghost was never seen again. The story concludes by noting that a moss-covered marker can still be seen near the spot where the headless soldier was buried.

 

The wagon train in the story stopped at several locations:

• Camping sites along the way: Pioneers transporting salt would stop at designated camping sites, spaced a day's travel apart. These sites provided a safe place to rest overnight.
• Droop Mountain: The wagon train stopped near Droop Mountain, where they encountered the ghost of the headless soldier.
• The old pond fountain: The wagon train paused at a location described as the "old pond fountain." This spot was across the pike from the grave of an unknown soldier who died in the Civil War.
• A blacksmith's shop: When one of the horses in the wagon train went lame, the teamster took it to a blacksmith to be shod.

The sources also describe other places the wagon train passed, including:

• The salt mines in Kanawha: This was the starting point of the journey.
• Tyke: The wagon train passed through a place called Tyke, where they were greeted by a pioneer sitting on a rail fence.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ghost story focuses on the experiences of two pioneers encountering the headless soldier on Droop Mountain. These encounters occurred after the wagon train had passed several key locations, including the salt mines in Kanawha, the town of Tyke, and a blacksmith's shop where a lame horse was shod.

The first pioneer is only briefly mentioned. The ghost appeared beside his horse and grabbed his bridle bit, forcing the pioneer to halt his journey until dawn. This detail highlights the ghost's ability to physically interact with travelers and disrupt their journeys.

The second pioneer is described in more detail. He was driving a four-horse team when the ghost appeared, causing his horses to stop. Unlike the first pioneer who waited until dawn, this pioneer tried to urge his team onward but "to no avail". The horses refused to move, as though they were made of wood. Defeated, the pioneer abandoned his team and continued on foot, leaving his horses with the ghost. He was so terrified that he flung his coattails outward "as though transported by aerogram".

The story emphasizes that both encounters took place after the wagon train had already passed the old pond fountain and the unknown soldier's grave, locations specifically mentioned earlier in the narrative. This suggests that the ghost was not confined to a single location but roamed Droop Mountain, posing a threat to travelers passing through.