Rachel Harris

The case of Rachel Harris happened during the 18th Century, it is one of the rare American Vampire Case. The story started in 1790, A naval officer named Isaac Burton married Rachel Harris, who is Esquire Powell’s step daughter.  Not long after they got married, Rachel Harris was contaminated with tuberculosis and dies after less than a year.

After Rachel Harris death, Burton married another daughter of Esquire Powell named Hulda Powell.  Same thing happened with Hulda, shortly after their wedding she also contracted tuberculosis.  Before she died, Hulda showed signs that an unknown entity is sucking her blood.  And that they should exhume the body of Rachel.  They believe that the only way that they can cure Hulda of her disease is to burn the vital organs of Rachel Harris and let Hulda drink it.

Burton did not waste any time and quickly held a ceremony on the cemetery where Rachel Harris was buried.  Around 500-1000 people flocked around the burial site excited to witness the exorcism that is going to happen.  If the estimated amount of people was accurate, it is said that the whole Manchester went out to witness the eerie event.  Just like the other suspected dead with an undead manifestation, Rachel Harris’ vital organs like her, heart kidney and liver was removed, taken to the blacksmith, turned it into ashes, they mixed it into a liquid and gave it to Hulda.  A sacrifice was also given to the suspected “Vampire”.

Similar to what happened to the other people supposedly infected with the vampirism, Hudla also died.  The measures that her loved ones took failed to save her. She died on the 6th of September, 1793.  There are other versions of the story where Harris’ death was blamed to witchcraft.