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| George Buster Singleton |
(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Community of Narrow Gap has
history and spirits” was originally published in the Feb. 11, 1993 edition of
The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)
Very few Monroe County citizens know where the community of
Narrow Gap is located. But, take it from me, there is such a place. I have been
there. I also had the opportunity to spend almost an entire day with one of
Narrow Gap’s more well-known citizens.
I had received an invitation some time ago to visit the
community of Narrow Gap from Arthur Reed, a 76-year-old man who has forgotten
more history about this area than most people will ever know.
In talking with this very fine gentleman, I was amazed at
his ability to remember exact dates and times and where certain events took
place. I found myself wishing that my memory was as sharp as his, even though
he was some years my senior. Two local friends, who accompanied me on this
venture, also was amazed at Mr. Reed’s ability to remember with such exactness
and detail.
As I have stated earlier, this citizen of Narrow Gap was in
very familiar surroundings. He knew every pig trail and every old home place
along the back roads that we traveled. He knew the history of the families who
had settled the old farms, some now abandoned, and others where the old homes
were falling in decay.
Our first stop was near the old home place of the Qualls
family. Andrew Jackson Qualls had homesteaded here in the early 1800s. Down the
road a ways, was a small cemetery, a place that we would visit later. Andrew J.
Qualls had been laid to rest in this small cemetery in 1846.
Out in the front yard of the Qualls’ home place stood a very
large oak tree. The huge tree was about six or seven feet in diameter. With one
glance, I could tell that this old oak had been around for many, many years.
Looking up at the huge bare limbs of the giant oak tree, a certain air of
mystery seem to cling there.
“I have traveled this old road many, many times,” Mr. Reed
said. “One night as I was passing this old tree, I was amazed to see a huge
ball of light resting on the ground near the tree trunk. Not believing my eyes,
I stopped to get a better look at this ball of light. As I stood and watched,
the huge ball slowly started moving toward the large oak. Upon reaching the
tree trunk, the ball of light slowly began to move up the old tree as though it
was climbing it.
“Very slowly this large ball of light moved up among the
large limbs of the old tree. As I watched with great excitement, the light
continued to move up, ever so slowly, toward the top of the large oak. The glow
from the light was bright enough that the entire tree top could be seen.
“Finally, upon reaching the top of the tree, the large ball
of light began to descend toward the ground. Upon reaching the ground, the
light moved slowly out into the narrow road about 30 feet away.
“Here, it began to move down the narrow dirt road toward the
small abandoned cemetery about 150 yards from the old oak tree. As it reached
the cemetery, the large ball of light seemed to roll off in and among the few
graves found there; here it disappeared.”
I asked Mr. Reed if this was the only time that he had seen
this strange phenomena. He stated that he had witnessed it several other times
when coming this way. He stated that it always was seen in the same manner;
first, near and in the large old tree, and then moving to the cemetery where it
disappeared from sight.
As we discussed the mystery light, I asked Mr. Reed if he
had ever seen anything else in this vicinity.
“One day, my wife and I were coming along this same road
between the old home place and the cemetery when we spotted a woman in a long
dress wearing a bonnet.
“She was walking along the road in the direction of the
cemetery. I was going to stop and ask her if she needed help; she didn’t look
like anyone that we knew around here. My wife didn’t want me to stop; she said
it was a spirit or ghost.
“She was walking in the same direction that we were going.
Just about the time we got up to her, she just stepped off the road and
disappeared in thin air. My wife worried about seeing that woman a lot. I have
seen her a couple of times since my wife died.” (Mr. Reed’s wife passed away
since the first sighting of the woman in the bonnet.) “Each time I see her,” Mr.
Reed said. “She is always walking toward the cemetery.”
Upon entering the small cemetery, I saw the tombstone of
Andrew Jackson Qualls, who died in 1846. Perhaps the lady in the long dress and
bonnet was the ghost of the wife of Andrew J. Qualls. Perhaps, too, she was on
her way to visit the final resting place of her departed husband there in the
small, abandoned cemetery.
As I searched the few remaining grave markers, I spotted one
of a Confederate soldier. Upon examining it closely, I read the name of
Randolph Reed, Co. A, 21st Alabama Regiment; Born Nov. 20, 1847;
Died Jan. 4, 1930.
When I asked Mr. Reed if he was related to this man, he
said:
“That’s my father; he went off to war at the early age of
14. He was 74 years old when I was born; my mother was about 33.
“He used to talk a lot about the war; he was held prisoner
by the Yankees, but he managed to escape. While he was held prisoner by the
Yankees, an officer would make my father carry him on his back. One day when
carrying the officer near a deep ravine, my father threw the Yankee off his
back and into the deep ravine. This was when he ran away and escaped. Later, he
managed to return to his unit.”
Without realizing it, the shadows of the evening had slowly
crept in upon us. Looking across the vast countryside, the glowing sun was
nearing the distant horizon.
The time had come for us to depart the community of Narrow
Gap and head for home. The day had been wonderful; I assured Mr. Reed that soon
I would return for another day of exploration and another walk through the
early history of lower Monroe County. Such a pity that days like this have to
end.
(Singleton, the
author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the
age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on
Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served
in the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in 1961 and served as the
administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For
years, Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal,
and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in
Alabama Life magazine. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The
column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public
through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in
Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and
scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory
alive.)
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