Blockade runner, businessman, historian and philanthropist - James Sprunt led a remarkable life. When he made his home along the brown waters of the Cape Fear in southeastern North Carolina, he fell in love with the rich history of the only river in the state with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. That geographical fact made the Cape Fear and the towns that lined its banks the scenes of some of North Carolina's most dramatic moments. James Sprunt witnessed much of that exciting history himself, and knew many of the characters who participated in those events. The things that happened before he came along, Sprunt learned of and embraced through his love of history. That love is evident in the pages of the books he wrote about the Cape Fear's colorful past. When you read a James Sprunt book, you can't help but feel the devotion he had to the people and places along his beloved river. It is our pleasure to bring together for the first time in one volume, two of James Sprunt's most popular but hard to find books about the river he loved. We've also included a delightful ghost story by Sprunt that teaches about the Cape Fear's colonial past while chilling your blood, and an essay by Dr. John Hampden Hill that delves into the history of the many plantations that once lined the Cape Fear. Nobody does Cape Fear history the way James Sprunt did!