Burgwin-Wright Presents...

Wars were fought on the battlefield, but they were won in the shadows. Spies and counterintelligence efforts on both sides of the American Revolution were a key component of the war, and led to seismic shifts in power as America fought for its independence. Joining the show to talk about the life and legacies of colonial spies is Cheney J. Schopieray, Curator of Manuscripts for the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, which is home to the Sir Henry Clinton Collection. Additional resources mentioned in the episode: 1. For more information about the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan or to connect with our guest, visit https://clements.umich.edu. 2. To see the "Spy Letters of the American Revolution" online exhibit, visit https://clements.umich.edu/exhibit/spy-letters-of-the-american-revolution/ 3. For a look at the original July 17, 1777 "quill pen" letter from British Army Commander-in-Chief William Howe to John Burgoyne, featured in "Outlander" Season 7, visit https://clements.umich.edu/exhibit/spy-letters-of-the-american-revolution/stories-of-spies/howe-goes-his-own-way/ For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the "Outlander" story moves around the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War, we take a moment to return to the homefront to talk about what Wilmington would have looked like during the war. The town's port made it an invaluable commodity during the conflict, but how did its citizens fare as fighting raged on? What impact did the revolution have on Wilmington's ascension as a jewel in North Carolina's crown? Joining the episode is Jack E. Fryar, a historian and author of the new book, "When the British Came: Revolution in the Cape Fear, 1765-1782." Fryar is the publisher behind Dram Tree Books, the extensive local history catalogue for which can be found at DramTreeBooks.com. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most formative events in the "Outlander" story happens far from the Cape Fear region back in Scotland when thousands took up arms against the British throne in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. But what brought Scotland to war with its monarch? What did it mean for the average Scot, and how did it impact the American Revolution decades later? This episode, we are joined by Professor Murray Pittock, a historian and author with the University of Glasgow in Scotland to talk about the age of the Jacobites and how that uprising left scars that would be brought to the American Colonies on the eve of its own war. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. For more information on Murray Pittock and his published works, you can find him at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/critical/staff/murraypittock/. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Return to the world of “Outlander” with a deep dive into the realities and risks of battlefield medicine. As the series moves through the Revolutionary War, historical medicine interpreter Charles Brett discusses how physicians, nurses and healers were the saving grace of those wounded in battle or ravaged by the diseases that plagued regiments from battle to battle. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Battleships bear witness to the worst side of the human condition. They share in the triumphs of war and bear the scars of defeat in equal measure. It is no wonder that the Battleship North Carolina, the most decorated American vessel from World War II, garners a lot of interest for its ghost stories. But are they true? Joining the episode to answer that question is Danielle Wallace, the programs director for the Battleship North Carolina. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you see an old home from outside its iron gates, your mind makes up stories of what could possibly be hidden behind the front door. In many cases, that air of mystery conjures stories of ghosts and unexplained occurrences. At the Bellamy Mansion, life-long residents just out of reach led locals to wonder if the antebellum home at Fifth and Market Street may have more residents than those among the living. Decades later, those stories persist, but are they true? Joining the episode to talk about the house's history is Leslie Randle Morton, the associate director of the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts has been an icon of Wilmington since it first opened its doors in 1858. From world-class productions on its stage to vitally important work done inside the city hall under the same roof, few structures have been as consequential to Wilmington's history as Thalian Hall. But a century and a half of indelible experiences has also left behind stories of unexplained presences and ghostly helping hands. Joining the episode to talk about this haunted history is Shane Fernando, the CEO of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poplar Grove Plantation has seen progress sweep past it on all sides since it first started producing peanuts in the late 1700s. Over the past two centuries, it served as a home and a haven for the Foy family, and has become an important vessel for talking about Gullah Geechee history in the Southeastern United States. But has all that life spawned any ghost stories on the site? Joining the episode to talk about the history, evolving narrative and haunted happenings of Poplar Grove Plantation is executive director Caroline Lewis. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A house isn't a home without the stories and experiences of the families that live under its roof. But lives leave behind more than just stories. In the case of The Latimer House, some reckon with the tremendous loss associated with its namesake family by telling stories of children lingering in the windows and racing across the floors long after they are gone. But is it true? And what does the Latimer House teach us about life and death in the 19th century? Joining the episode to talk about history and hauntings is Dr. Ginger Davis, the executive director of the Latimer House, the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society and the Ida B. Kellum Archives. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The origins of the Cape Fear region as we know it began at Brunswick Town, the first permanent settlement established in 1726. It wouldn't survive past the Revolutionary War, but its few decades of life have inspired tales of life and loss, success and failure –– all of which fuel the ghost stories that continue to live on its shores. Joining the episode to talk about the sightings at Brunswick Town and the ways in which these haunted tales get started is Jim McKee, the site manager of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Winnabow. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wilmington Railroad Museum tells the story of the Cape Fear's century-long history as a pioneer of the railroad in the United States. But it also tells the stories of the people who kept the lines running, who gave their blood, sweat and tears to the job. It is those real experiences that have helped inspire ghost stories at the museum, which sits on the former site of the Atlantic Coastline Railroad. Joining the episode to talk those persistent stories and the misinformation associated with the railroad industry is Wilmington Railroad Museum director Holli Saperstein. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This season on Burgwin-Wright Presents..., we are chasing down the Haunted Tales of the Cape Fear and talking about the history behind these persistent stories. What gives a good ghost story its credibility? There's no better place to start than at home with the Burgwin-Wright House. With museum director Christine Lamberton, we look at how the dual history of the city's first jail and its grandest Colonial home has come to inform centuries of spooky encounters and what they say about the house's history. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the mid-season finale episode, we are retracing our steps to Brunswick Town and the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge to talk about what audiences are missing when they don’t see these landmark Cape Fear Colonial sites depicted in the “Outlander” TV series. Joining the episode are two returning guests –– Jim McKee, site manager for Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, and Jason Howell with Moores Creek National Battlefield. This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company and Fraser's Ridge Homecoming, presented by Outlander North Carolina. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The "Outlander" story travels up north in the thick of the American Revolution and witnesses fighting in places like New York. But would the war, the fighting and the experience of living through a revolution look differently in New York versus North Carolina? And how did 13 separate colonies come together to fight for the same cause when they did not yet have a shared identity? Hint: it wasn't easy. Joining the episode is Dr. David Houpt, an assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company and Fraser's Ridge Homecoming, presented by Outlander North Carolina. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Colonial era, traveling between North Carolina and Virginia almost certainly required engagement with the Great Dismal Swamp, a million-acre natural wildlife habitat that remains a central part of the East Coast’s ecology today. A character in “Outlander” finds out firsthand the dangers of the thick wilderness during the American Revolution. But what is the history of this natural wonder and what is it like working with in it today? Joining the episode is Chris Lowie, who has served as the manager of the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, Virginia for 17 years. This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company and Fraser's Ridge Homecoming, presented by Outlander North Carolina. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Healing is a core tenet of who Claire Fraser is in "Outlander," but what was medicine and healthcare really like in the Colonial era? From surgery to medicine to home remedies, surviving in a time before modern practices took work and the right knowledge. Joining this episode is Charles Brett, a volunteer medical interpreter at Tryon Palace in New Bern, who shares the challenges of medical care 200 years ago –– and what methods and instruments they pioneered that we still use today. This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company and Fraser's Ridge Homecoming, presented by Outlander North Carolina. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Season 7 premiere of "Outlander," Claire Fraser finds herself in the crosshairs of Royal Governor Josiah Martin, who is battling for control of Fort Johnston on the Cape Fear River in the opening months of the American Revolution. Joining this week's podcast is local historian and author Chris E. Fonvielle Jr., who guides us through the intertwined history of Martin, the final royal-appointed governor of North Carolina, and Fort Johnston, the fiery fate of which will mark the beginning of the end of British control in the colony. "Outlander in the Cape Fear" will air new episodes every two weeks this summer! This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And we're back! The new season of "Outlander in the Cape Fear" begins with a single question: What would it have been like to travel on the Cape Fear River 250 years ago like Claire and Jamie Fraser? Joining the episode is Doug Springer, the co-founder and captain of Wilmington Water Tours, who talks about how the river has changed as development took hold in North Carolina and just how different an experience it would have been when the river was the only way in and out. Plus, he talks about the little pockets that still offer a glimpse into the past lives of the river. "Outlander in the Cape Fear" will air new episode every two weeks this summer! This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever heard of the Suicide Club in Colonial Wilmington? If you haven't, you aren't alone. According to Louis T. Moore, the bizarre and grim story would have sent shockwaves through a young Wilmington. But the strange tradition also reveals the intricacies of the culture of religion at the heart of the American Colonies. Joining the episode is Dr. Jamie Brummitt, an associate professor of philosophy and American religion at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Be sure to come grab your copy of Louis T. Moore's "Stories Old and New of the Cape Fear Region," on which this season is based, in the Burgwin-Wright House gift shop today! This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wilmington is known for many things, but perhaps one of its most unique features is its historic performing arts center that doubles as city hall. The harmonious convergence of entertainment and government inside an iconic building has been among the Cape Fear's most impressive traits over the past century and a half. But how did it happen? And how is it all connected to what some say is the oldest theater association in the United States? Joining the episode is Travis Gilbert, the executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation and a member of The Board of Trustees for Thalian Hall. Be sure to come grab your copy of Louis T. Moore's "Stories Old and New of the Cape Fear Region," on which this season is based, in the Burgwin-Wright House gift shop today! This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company. For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com. Cover art design by Rachel Ross. Support the podcast and donate!: https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/donate1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.