Battletown Witch ─ Leah Smock, the Evolution of Witchcraft, and the Last Witch Burning in America

"For more than 175 years, many folks who wander the woods near Battletown, Kentucky have seen the ghost of Leah Smock, who was burned as a witch at the age of 22 in August 1840. Enveloped in a purple glow, her spirit stands beside her grave, wearing a long white robe…her black hair flowing as if in blown by the wind.Battletown Witch tells the story of Leah Smock, the legend of her supernatural powers and death at the hands of neighboring families. It also tells about the socio-economic environment of the area in which she lived and died, and as much as is known about her family, death and afterlife.The book also explores the evolution of witchcraft from early beliefs, superstitions and cultures across the world, primarily in Europe, and how these beliefs influenced life in the early American colonies.Battletown Witch is a fascinating look at how fear of witchcraft and community gossip led to the death of a country girl nearly two centuries ago, and how her legend still lives today. "

"Gerald Fischer was born in Kentucky in January 1945. He studied history, cultural anthropology, and archaeology at the University of Louisville, acquiring an Associate of Arts in Anthropology in 1977 and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree in Anthropology and History in 1981. In 2002, he graduated with honors from Catherine Spalding University with a Master of Arts in Teaching. He taught school in Florida and at St. Simon and Jude Catholic School in Louisville.Fischer authored Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Kentucky, co-authored Meade County, Kentucky History & Families, writes for the Meade County Messenger, the former Meade County News Standard, The Kentucky Explorer Magazine, and other freelance articles. He has authored numerous articles on pioneer Kentucky, the Civil War, and guerrilla activity in Kentucky. He currently writes a Meade County Area Chamber of Commerce history blog entitled “Fischer’s Features.” While doing archaeology and presenting papers at the University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, and Western Kentucky University, he made presentations on historical and archaeological topics to schools, colleges, and historical and archaeological societies. A current member of the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society, he was first President of the Meade County Archaeological Society and the Meade County Historical and Archaeological Preservation Society (MCHAPS), first Vice President of the Kentucky Archaeological Association, and Secretary and Activities Director of the Louisville Archaeological Society. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of MCHAPS. Fischer has been interviewed on talk radio shows, television, and in 2013, he was interviewed on the History Channel’s America Unearthed.Frances and Gerald Fischer have two daughters, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. They reside in a cabin on their Meade County farm with their two dogs and cat. "