The Ghost Pirate of Morris Island

One Union survivor of the Battle for Morris Island had an interesting story to tell that was unrelated to the Battle. According to Nancy Roberts in Ghosts of the Carolinas, Francis M. Moore was stationed on Folly during the Civil War. He wrote that, prior to an ensuing battle for Charleston, an Army soldier named Yokum was ordered to move any Negroes living on Morris Island to Port Royal. When speaking with an old black woman, Yokum learned of six treasure chests which had been buried on the island by pirates. She told him the chests had been buried between two old oak trees in her yard. She said that the pirate leader ruthlessly stabbed one of his men and let the body fall on top of the chests before covering them.

Yokum asked if the chests were still there and she answered

Around midnight that night, Yokum and Lt. Hatcher left camp with shovels to visit the old oak trees. Though it was a windless night, as the men began to dig the tops of the trees started to sway as if in a hurricane. Lightning flashed, but no thunder followed. They continued to dig. Lightning flashed again and lingered. The men realized they were not alone. In the strange prolonged lightning they saw the clear figure of the pirate. They dropped their shovels and ran.

The next day the attack on Morris Island began and they were never able to return to the treasure site. It wasn’t until 50 years later that Yokum retold his story at a veterans’ reunion where it was recorded by Mr. Moore.