My folks live in the mountains of Tennessee I was raised their even though I have lost my southern accent I still have part of me in Tennessee. My folks home is old it consists of a house barn some out buildings and a lot of woods and property. As kids we use to play a lot in the woods. On the southern part of my folks property there is an old home stead the house has sense been destroyed by age and weather but the old rock foundation is still their along with the old well. About 200 yards to the east of the old foundation is a cave we use to explore. We have found all kinds of stuff in this cave from arrow heads to old furniture that was left in the cave. It was believed that the people that lived in the old home Stead first lived in the cave until they had their house built. All around the old farm is some of the oldest oak trees in the state. One afternoon after we had got finished messing around in the cave we were sitting under one of these old oak trees resting and just talking. When Dora Lee asked me if I heard that I said what? Listen so I sat real quiet listing for what ever it was she heard. .

I could hear the breeze blowing through the trees. Then I heard what sounded like crying it was real faint I had to really strain to hear it. I looked at Dora Lee and said what is that I don't know she replied. We stated to walk around to see if we could locate were it was coming from. We were not able to figure out the location of the sound. Then it just faded away well we went home and mom had supper ready so we cleaned up and sat down to dinner. During dinner we started talking about the old home stead. My dad said us young ones should not be in that part of the property. He has said that before but we always end up their. Dora Lee then told him about the crying sound we heard. My Mom acted like she was some what upset by all the talk. So I attempted to change the subject as I can remember. But my Sister was determined to tell them about it. .

That evening My dad told me we should not be going to the old home Stead that is not a good place to be. I asked him why. He never did give me a good answer just that it was too far from the house and the cave in the area. The next morning I was outside doing what ever you do at the age of 14 and my Sister came over to me and said lets go back to the cave. I said Dad does not like us over their he feels we could get hurt she just looked at me He's at work he will never know. Well I was easy so I said ok we headed out down the path that leads to the old home stead. As we approached the cave on the way I could smell hickory wood burning as if some one was cooking. Dora Lee smelled it too we went past the cave and on to the old home stead. It was a calm day no wind and not real hot. We just walked around looking at different things on the ground looking for old stuff. Then we heard the crying once more. Dora Lee said it sounds like it is coming from over here. I walked over to were she was at and the rock of the Old well was still their I looked down the old well and I could hear crying coming from the well. I about came out of my skin Dora Lee thought perhaps some one had fallen in the old well. So we ran back to the house to get my mom and tell her about this. Our mom was out side hanging up cloths we told her about the crying and it was coming from the old well at the home stead. She got a startled look on her face and said show me. We took her back to the old home stead. As we got closer we could hear the crying . Our mother could hear it too. She looked into the old well and said good heavens some one is in the old well. She yelled down to let who ever it was we would go get help. .

We all ran back to the house and my mom called the fire dept it took about 30 minutes for them to get out to us. As the truck pulled up mom was telling them about the old well the problem was their was no roads going back to the old home stead. So they had to bring ladders and ropes and what ever else with them. As we made our way up the path the smell of hickory was very strong now. The one fireman that was walking with mom asked if their was a fire back here or if any one lived back here. She told him no that we own all the property back here. As we got closer to the old home stead every one started walking faster we got to the old well. And sure enough you could hear a very faint cry coming out of the well. The fireman then asked my mom how old is the well. She told him the abstract on the property puts this section around the early 1800's so it would be well over 100 years old. They put a scaffold up to hang a rope on and lowered a fireman into the well with lights and medical equipment. The well was dry has been for a many years as the fire man got to the bottom of the well. They called to him on the radio. Their was no answer so they tried again. This time he answered but was very upset. He told them to get him out of their now he was yelling over the radio. .

They pulled the fireman out of the well you could tell he was very upset once he cleared the well and they got him unhooked. He came over to where my mom was at with the Fire Captain and told them their was nothing down their except the remains of a young girl. A skull and a few bones but part of the dress was still their. The Fire Captain then called for the state patrol they arrived about 40 mins later. The Captain told them what they had found. After every one arrived and they removed the remains from the well. They were able to date the remains to the mid 1800's It seems that some one had killed the young girl and threw her body into the well. It was not clear if this was done by whom ever lived in the home stead but in any case we never hard the crying from the well again. In fact once every thing was done my dad had the well filled in. My Mom asked the county office if she could have the remains of the little girl and burred them next to the old Home Stead with a nice Stone marker. We named her Sarah we never did find out any other information on her. .