The Haunting Of Hannah Creek: A Johnston County Ghost Story (Part 4 of 4)

This is the final installment in a four-part series of Johnston County ghost stories leading up to Halloween.

Editor’s Note: This story is presented as local folklore and as a Halloween ghost tale. The events, supernatural claims, identities and circumstances described in the story have been passed down, repeated or reported over the years and have not been independently verified as factual. Some details may have changed through retelling. References to real people, places or historical events should not be interpreted as confirmation that the supernatural events or other unverified portions of the tale actually occurred.

JOHNSTON COUNTY – Deep in the shadows of Hannah Creek Swamp, an old Johnston County ghost story tells of murder, revenge and men whose spirits may have never left the place where they died.

The tale has been passed down for generations, its details blurred by time and retelling.

But as Halloween approaches, the story of the Marauders of Hannah Creek Swamp remains one of Johnston County’s darker legends.

According to the old tale, a band of rogue soldiers roamed the area during the closing days of the Civil War, plundering homes and terrorizing families.

The men were said to have ignored orders meant to protect civilians, instead leaving destruction behind as they moved through the countryside.

The group was reportedly led by a man known as Col. David Fanning.

Among the families said to have crossed paths with the marauders was that of Col. John Saunders and his wife, who lived near Smithfield.

According to the legend, both were killed.

Their son, Lt. John Saunders Jr., vowed revenge.

For weeks, Saunders and his men searched for those responsible without success.

Then word came that a group of soldiers believed to be the marauders had taken refuge on a small island deep inside Hannah Creek Swamp.

A plan was devised.

Local residents reportedly loaned Saunders and his men civilian clothing so they could approach without immediately being recognized as soldiers.

They made their way through the swamp and surrounded the island.

By the time the men realized what was happening, the legend says, there was nowhere to run.

Saunders ordered the prisoners searched.

When Fanning was searched, Saunders reportedly discovered a small gold crucifix that had belonged to his mother.

For Saunders, it was proof he had found the men he had been hunting.

What followed became the darkest part of the story.

According to the legend, Fanning was forced to watch as his men were hanged one by one from trees on the island.

Then Saunders reportedly took Fanning back toward Smithfield, to the place where his parents had lived and died.

There, according to the tale, Fanning met the same fate.

He was hanged in the family graveyard near the graves of Saunders’ mother and father.

The story might have ended there. But ghost stories rarely do.

The Haunting

Over the years, visitors to Hannah Creek Swamp have reportedly described strange experiences they could not explain.

Some have told of sudden cold spots, even when the surrounding air was warm.

Others have described an uneasy feeling — the sensation that someone, or something, was nearby.

The most chilling stories involve voices.

Men’s voices.

According to the legend, some visitors have heard faint cries coming from somewhere within the swamp, as though men were pleading for their lives.

Others claim to have heard another sound drifting through the trees.

The slow creaking of rope.

No one knows exactly where the Hannah Creek story began or how much of it is history and how much is folklore.

The names, places and details may have changed as the story passed from one storyteller to another.

Perhaps something terrible really did happen on an island in Hannah Creek Swamp.

Perhaps the story grew from another event long forgotten.

Or perhaps it is simply an old ghost tale meant to be told when the nights grow longer and Halloween draws near.

Whatever happened there, the legend has survived.

And if the old stories are true, the marauders of Hannah Creek may still be waiting in the swamp.

Listening carefully, some say, you might even hear the ropes.

If you enjoyed this four-part Johnston County Ghost Stories series, let us know. We’ll continue researching local legends, unexplained tales and ghost stories from across Johnston County for a possible new ghost story series in 2027. If you have a Johnston County ghost story to share, email us at johnstoncountyreport@gmail.com.

Part 1: The Stranger At The Railroad Crossing
Part 2: The Battlefield That Never Went Silent
Part 3: The Haunting Of Mill Creek Bridge