“Va doky va doky” A chilling cry echoes through the night. It’s a phrase whispered on River Street in Savannah. It’s a haunting reminder of a dark past.
Savannah Georgia. This city breathes history. It’s a place where stories whisper from cobblestone streets and moss-draped oaks. It’s a city steeped in both beauty and sorrow. A city with secrets buried deep beneath its charm. This is Savannah the oldest city in Georgia. Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe. It was once a bustling port city. A strategic location during the American Revolution and the Civil War.
The Shrimp Factory on River Street. Today it’s a popular restaurant. But this building held a darker purpose in the past. It was once a cotton warehouse. Many enslaved Africans were held there. They toiled during the day. At night they were chained to the walls. The cries of “Va doky va doky” meaning “to kill the devil” are said to be heard even now. Some believe the spirits of those enslaved people remain. Trapped in the building’s shadows. Their anguish a constant murmur in the dark.
The Marshall House another haunted site in Savannah. Built in 1851. It served as a Union hospital during the Civil War. 1864 was an exceptionally harsh winter. The ground froze solid. Doctors couldn’t bury the amputated limbs. Instead they buried them under the floorboards. During renovations in 1999. Workers uncovered these remains. A grim reminder of the war’s brutality. Today ghostly apparitions are reported. A one-armed Union soldier searches for a surgeon. Amputated limbs litter the basement floor. The sounds of a typewriter echo from the room where Joel Chandler Harris once wrote Uncle Remus. A ghostly woman haunts the ladies’ restroom. Her presence a chilling testament to Savannah’s tormented past.
These are just a few of Savannah’s ghost stories. Tales of tragedy loss and injustice. These stories linger in the city’s streets cemeteries and historic homes. They’re woven into the very fabric of Savannah. They remind us that the past is never truly forgotten. That the spirits of those who came before continue to haunt the streets of Savannah. They are a part of the city’s soul. And they will continue to whisper their tales for generations to come. Take a moment. Listen closely. Can you hear them?