Halloween is a great time for telling ghost stories, and Camden has more than a few. Our town's most famous is that of Agnes of Glasgow, whose spirit is said to still wander the streets today.
Perhaps one reason the tale of Agnes endures is that it has all the elements a good story requires:
A character, place and time:
During the American Revolution, a woman named Agnes, born in Glasgow, Scotland, crosses the ocean on a journey to Camden.
A motive:
Agnes makes the long trip across the sea because she is madly in love with Lt. Angus McPherson, her fiance, who has been sent to the colonies to battle the patriots.
Conflict:
Agnes encounters plenty of problems along the way. First, Agnes makes the trip as a stowaway. When she arrives in Charleston, she discovers that Lt. McPherson is no longer there. She then travels across the South Carolina wilderness to Camden, because she's heard her true love has been sent there--and is wounded. She is befriended by King Haigler, the Catawba tribe leader (now considered the patron saint of Camden). All this traveling causes Agnes to become seriously ill. Despite King Haigler's help, Agnes can not find Lt. McPherson.
A resolution, with a twist:
She dies of her illness, never finding the man who inspired her journey. King Haigler buries Agnes in Camden's Quaker Cemetery in the dark of night. Denied success during her life, Agnes continues searching the streets of Camden to this day, as a ghost, hoping to find her true love.
For business stories, we always say your purpose must be clear: "I'm telling you this because ______."
We're not sure exactly what point we'd make telling the story of Agnes of Glasgow, other than Camden's been a colorful and quirky place for many years.
Every October, Louise C. Proctor Hall organizes a tour of Camden's haunted places, and we hear this year's tour included a fantastic portrayal of Agnes.
You can visit Quaker Cemetery any time of the year. In this beautiful and historic spot, you'll find memorials to a host of interesting people, including The Buckley School's founder Reid Buckley.
And if you're in the mood for more ghost stories, we found this video from some local ghostbusters that investigates four spooky sites in Camden. Hmm....
