Girl in the rum barrel: Old NC cemetery has grave of little girl who died at sea in 1700s

The little girl's name is not etched across her headstone – a fading slab of wood sticking up from a stone grave covering – so her true identity is a mystery to many. However, her story is known to many, and hundreds of people from across the state visit her each year, leaving small toys to decorate her grave.

Walking among the vaulted stone graves and ornate headstones, her old wooden marker is hard to miss. Covered in teddy bears, dinosaurs, dolls and necklaces – many of them faded and worn from years or even decades in the elements – it's clear the little girl has had many visitors over the centuries.

Walking through The Old Burying Ground in Beaufort is like stepping back in time – to an era of pirates, ship captains and mysteries.

During those days, safety in a seaport town was not guaranteed. Entire towns were abandoned and destroyed, leaving ghost towns and ruins dotting the North Carolina coast.

According to the stories, the Girl in the Rum Keg was the daughter of a ship captain. The little girl's mother and father often told her stories about the grand architecture and history of Europe. Growing up hearing these tales, the little girl often begged her father to take her along on one of his trips when he sailed to England. However, given the innate danger of sailing across the ocean, which could take months, the mother always forbade her daughter from going along.

When the little girl was old enough, her father finally decided to allow her to come along, despite her mother's concerns. According to the tales, he made a promise to his wife: I will bring her home. No matter what.

With that assurance as comfort, her mother decided to let her daughter live her dream of visiting England.

The captain and his daughter arrived safely in England. The little girl eagerly took in the incredible sights, sounds and flavors of her homeland.

Sadly, as her mother had feared, the treacherous and long ride home was too much for her daughter. She fell ill during the voyage and, without real access to doctors or medicine, her father watched in horror as she passed away.

As captain of the ship, he should have traditionally cast her body into the ocean, burying her at sea. However, he couldn't break the promise he'd made to his wife. He bought an entire keg of rum and stored her body inside it for the long trip – likely hoping to preserve it or at least kill off any remaining germs.

When they arrived home, her mother would have likely rushed to greet her – and seen the keg of rum being unloaded and carried towards the graveyard. The little girl was not removed from the keg. Instead, she was buried while still inside. The keg was buried whole and is still under the old wooden grave marker today.

Although she lived and died around 300 years ago, her grave is covered in toys from the hundreds of visitors who have been moved by her story.

Some who visit the burying ground late at night have even claimed to see the ghost of a young child wandering through the gnarled trees and antique graves. Some also say they've heard a young girl humming when no one else is around.

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