In my time at the University of Alabama, I’ve seen many, many tour groups strolling across the quad, each led by a cheerful tour guide walking backwards and telling stories. I’ve encountered these groups so often that I know several of the tales and jokes by heart (“Isn’t it funny that the Women’s Studies classes are held in Manly Hall?”), but there’s a certain story that has always stood out to me as especially impressive. It’s the story of the university president’s wife during the attack on the campus at the end of the Civil War, which is actually only a small part of a few very interesting days in Tuscaloosa.

​The month of October is upon us. Leering jack-o-lanterns will soon appear on every corner. Ordinary homes will become terrifying, fog-filled spectacles designed to frighten the trick-or-treaters, and many people will test their courage at haunted houses. At this time of year, we turn to the supernatural and legendary for a thrill, but the thrill becomes more chilling when we consider that some of our favorite ghost stories are based on real historical events.