Battletown Witch: Leah Smock, the Evolution of Witchcraft, and the Last Witch Burning in America (Hardcover)

For more than 175 years, many folks who wander the woods near Battletown, Kentucky have seen the ghost of Leah Smock, who was burned as a witch at the age of 22 in August 1840. Enveloped in a purple glow, her spirit stands beside her grave, wearing a long white robe...her black hair flowing as if in blown by the wind. Battletown Witch tells the story of Leah Smock, the legend of her supernatural powers and death at the hands of neighboring families. It also tells about the socioeconomic environment of the area in which she lived and died, and as much as is known about her family, death and afterlife. The book also explores the evolution of witchcraft from early beliefs, superstitions and cultures across the world, primarily in Europe, and how these beliefs influenced life in the early American colonies. Battletown Witch is a fascinating look at how fear of witchcraft and community gossip led to the death of a country girl nearly two centuries ago, and how her legend still lives today.