Nestled between the small town of Jesup, and the even smaller town of Screven, is a long, curvy dirt road, GA 38, better
known to locals as Bennett Road. The reason that this dirt road is significant to others is the fact that if you follow
it deep into the woods, you will eventually arrive at Milligan's Crossing. A quaint little railroad crossing with
no lights or crossing arms. This stretch of track is part of the old Seaboard Coast Line. The impressive
characteristic of this small crossing in the middle of the woods is the fact that for over a century, it has been haunted
by none other that what the locals in this area call the "Spook Light". There are many stories that accompany the light's
existence, but the most popular is the one told of a flagman who was hit and decapitated by an oncoming train as he was
walking along the tracks with his lantern. He is said to walk the tracks to this day, swinging his lantern from side
to side, in search of his lost head. Although this is just a theory, there has never been a scientific explanation for
this eerie light, which predates the Civil War. It is usually seen near, or after midnight, coming from the direction
of Jesup, sometimes after a rainstorm. It appears as a big bright ball of light that hovers just over the tracks and floats
from side to side getting brighter then dim then bright again, and sometimes disappearing and reappearing again. From
personal experience, I can attest that it does favor the motion of a swinging lantern, and the light is almost so bright,
that it surpasses description. It is truly a sight that one must see for himself in order to appreciate.
Daytime at the Spook Light location |
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Taken on a clear, haze free day, with nothing visibly present on tracks at time of photo |
The Spook Light, caught on film |
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Although the light appears as a bright ball of light to the naked eye, this is how it looks on film |
The train image is clearly visible when magified |
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photos reveal what is unmistakably a misty figure of an old fashioned steam locomotive on the tracks |
Some have seen a possible headless figure in front of the train image,
which would explain the light's original theory. Photos have not been altered or tampered with in any form or fashion,
only magnified to increase visibility.
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