The Oldest Ghost Story in America: Blue Dog Legend
Everyone loves a good ghost story and there’s no better time to tell one than Halloween. The Blue Dog Legend is said to be the oldest ghost story in American history. It’s a tale of treasure, betrayal and murder. The legend’s origins go back to the 1700s.
The Beginning
Retired Revolutionary War soldier, Charles Thomas Simms, had a bluetick coon hound. His name has been lost to the passing centuries, but he was a very good. boy. One night Simms went to the local tavern for a night of drinking. The more he drank, the more vocal he became. Simms boasted that he had a bag of gold and the deed to some highly desirable property.
Murder Most Foul
A group of unscrupulous local men who were also in the tavern decided to make Simms fortune their own. One of the men, Henry Hanos, led a small group of men that followed Simms when he departed the tavern for home. They accosted Simms, who was killed in the encounter. Simms faithful coon hound tried to protect his human friend, but was also killed during the fight.
Ill-Gotten Gains
The group decided to bury the gold and the deed under the rock where Simms and his faithful companion fell on Rose Hill Road. They planned to go back for their newly acquired wealth after suspicion and investigation into Simms murder died down.
Ghost Dog
The time came to retrieve the treasure, but the brigands found it guarded by the ghost of Simms dog. The Blue Dog howled and charged Hanos, who fled. He was so terrified by the encounter, he became ill and died the next day.
The gold nor the deed were ever seen again. However, numerous accounts from people who have seen the big blue hound have been reported throughout the centuries. The last sighting of the Blue Dog was in the 1970s.
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