The Jersey Devil
In 1735, a witch known as Mother Leeds learned that she was pregnant for the 13th time. In the midst of child-birthing pain, she cried out in agony “Oh, let this one be a devil!” When the child was born, everyone in attendance noticed that there was something wrong about the child. It emerged with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, wings like a bat, horns and a tail. It’s often described as a kangaroo-like creature. The devil child gave a horrendous screech, unfurled its wings, and flew out of the house into a nearby swamp.
The Jersey Devil Lives On
The Jersey Devil has been spotted on numerous occasions. One of the first sightings on record was in 1812 when a man name Joseph Bonaparte (the older brother of the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte) claimed to have seen the Jersey Devil while he was out hunting near his estate in Bordentown. As more sightings occurred, the legends grew. Often, when animals were attacked or strange footprints were found, it would be chalked up to the Jersey Devil.
Newspaper Headline of the Leeds Devil
A Trenton Times story on a string of Jersey Devil sightings in January 1909.
Kelly Roncace | For NJ.com
While eyewitnesses were still filing reports, the numbers were dwindling. That is until January of 1909 when upwards of 1,000 reports came in throughout South Jersey. One story of note is about a navy commander. Navy Commander Stephen Decatur was testing cannon balls at the Hanover Mills Works in the Pine Barrens. He reportedly saw the creature and shot a cannon ball at it. True to its aim, the cannon ball blew a hole through the devil, but it wasn’t even fazed. Afterwards, strange tracks were found throughout the fields and bloodhounds were brought in to track the creature that left them. However, the bloodhounds allegedly refused to follow the tracks. Following this occurrence, all the schools in the Pine Barrens area were closed.
Fast-forward to the 1960s when several residents of Mays Landing started to hear disturbing screams in the dark hours of the morning. Try as they might, no one could find an explanation for the sounds. And, as you would expect, people began to panic. Shorty after, police begun hanging flyers to reassure the residents of Mays Landing that the Jersey Devil was just a hoax and not to panic. Then, countering the appeal of the police department, a circus owner began offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who could capture the Jersey Devil. But, unsurprisingly, the reward was never given to anyone. No one in their right mind would go out after the Jersey Devil.
While there is still no proof of the Jersey Devil, I’m inclined to believe that there is something out there. If you happen to be in the Pine Barrens and hear a piercing, horrifying scream, chances are you’ve just heard the Jersey Devil. So, when you go out into the woods, keep your eyes open and listen carefully. You don’t want the Devil to sneak up behind you. Who knows what it’s capable of?
Works Cited
Alliance, P. P. (n.d.). The Jersey Devil and Folklore. Retrieved from Pinelands Preservation Alliance: https://pinelandsalliance.org/learn-about-the-pinelands/pinelands-history-and-culture/the-jersey-devil-and-folklore/
Regal, B., & Esposito, F. J. (2018). The Secret History of the Jersey Devil. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Roncace, K. (2019, may 16). 13 Times the Jersey Devil has been Spotted in the Garden State. Retrieved from nj.com: https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2016/10/13_places_the_jersey_devil_has_been_spotted_in_the.html
