Abstract:
The story of the mysterious hoof prints near Bath in Beaufort County has been told for over 200 years. Sometime between 1802 and 1812, depending on the version of the story, Jesse Elliott, a profane, hard-drinking man, challenged someone to a horserace. The race took place on Sunday, and it was sinful to race on the Sabbath day. During the race, Elliott's horse, Fury, dug his hoofs into the soil and reared, throwing Elliott against a tree and killing him. The hoof prints remain to this day. Anything placed in them - sticks, stones, dirt, even sticks pushed deep into the ground - will be gone the next day.