This South Carolina Legend Will Send Chills Down Your Spine

Revolutionary War ghost stories are often bloody, but there's one fateful killing that resulted in a haunting that lasted more than 100 years. Have you heard the South Carolina legend of the headless sentry? It might just be one of the weirdest, creepiest South Carolina ghost stories that you'll ever hear.

During the Revolutionary War, General Francis Marion was an unlikely hero.

Known as "The Swamp Fox," Marion used some pretty unconventional tactics to help defeat the British. He was also involved in an operation to retrieve a prisoner of war that resulted in a haunting that plagued the Georgetown, South Carolina area for more than 100 years.

General Marion had many spies, including one young girl whose wealthy father was a Tory. After the British had captured some of Marion's men, the young girl wrote the General a note, telling him that the men were being held at her home - the Wedgefield Plantation. The entire family was going to a party at the nearby Mansfield Plantation, and the prisoners would be left alone with only a sentry.

General Marion and his men rode up to Wedgefield, and sure enough, there was only one sentry posted to guard the prisoners.

The young sentry called out, "Who goes there?" and one of Marion's men swiftly beheaded the man, who never even saw the sword that killed him. The rescue mission was successful, but the young soldier's death wasn't the end of his story.

Just a few nights later, a servant at Wedgefield Plantation saw a headless man staggering up the drive.

He was dressed in his uniform, blood dripping from his neck. The servant fled, and at first, no one believed what she had seen. But just a few nights later, the plantation owner's daughter heard hoofbeats in the drive. She looked out her window to see the headless sentry climbing off his horse. He stumbled toward the veranda and disappeared. Over the years, many other sightings of the ghost were reported.

Wedgefield Plantation burned to the ground in the 1930s. It was later rebuilt and serves as a country club and golf course today.

While no recent sightings of the headless sentry have been reported, his body is supposedly buried somewhere on the property. If you visit this area, stay alert for the sound of hoofbeats...and watch out for the headless sentry.

Ready to explore some haunted places around South Carolina? Take a look at this list of the 13 most disturbing places in the state.