Alice Riley: The Ghost of Savannah's Wright Square

Alice Riley was a young Irish indentured servant who was hanged in Savannah, Georgia on January 19, 1735, after she and another servant were convicted of murdering their master. She's often described as the first woman executed in the colony of Georgia, and the legend says her ghost still wanders Wright Square, searching for the baby she gave birth to just before she died.

It's one of Savannah's oldest ghost stories, and one of its saddest.

Who Was Alice Riley?

Savannah was barely two years old when Alice Riley's story began. Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, the young colony relied heavily on indentured servants, people who traded years of labor for their passage across the Atlantic. Alice came from Ireland as a teenager, bound to work off her debt.

Life as an indentured servant in early Georgia was hard. Servants had few rights, could be punished harshly, and had little recourse against a cruel master. That context matters, because it shapes how many people view what happened next.

She was assigned, along with another servant named Richard White, to a colonist named William Wise, who was sent to raise cattle on Hutchinson Island across the river from town. The colony already considered Wise a man of bad character, and accounts describe him as abusive toward his servants.

The Murder of William Wise

In 1734, William Wise was killed. The most common account says Alice and Richard White drowned him by holding his head underwater, with some versions saying it happened in a bucket and others while he was bathing. His body was later found in the Savannah River.

The details are where the story gets slippery. Some tellings say Alice and Richard planned it together. Others suggest White acted after hearing Alice cry out during a beating. At trial, Alice blamed White, and she maintained her innocence until the end. Historians note that the relationships between the three people involved aren't well documented, and that a lot of what gets repeated today is embellishment.

What is clear is that both servants were convicted and sentenced to hang. It's also been suggested that being Irish and Catholic in a colony wary of both did Alice no favors, though that's a belief rather than a proven fact.

The Execution in Wright Square

Alice had one thing that delayed her fate: she was pregnant. Her execution was postponed until after she gave birth to a son, named James. Richard White was hanged first.

On January 19, 1735, Alice Riley was hanged publicly in the square then known as Percival Square, which was renamed Wright Square around 1763. According to the story, she protested her innocence to the end and begged to see her child. Her body is said to have been left hanging for three days as a warning.

The heartbreak didn't end there. Her baby, James, is reported to have died within weeks of his mother's execution.

The Ghost of Alice Riley

Savannah says Alice never left the square where she died. The legend describes a young woman, sometimes ragged and distraught, wandering Wright Square after dark. Some say she approaches people to ask if they've seen her baby. Others describe only a figure that seems frantic, searching, and then gone.

There's another local legend tied to her: that Spanish moss won't grow on the trees in Wright Square because the moss refuses to hang where an innocent person was hanged. It's a lovely, eerie bit of folklore, but it's folklore, so look up and judge the trees for yourself.

What about the Alice Riley ghost picture? Images circulating online that claim to show her ghost haven't been verified, and there's no authenticated photo of Alice Riley's ghost. Any picture you see should be taken with a generous grain of Savannah salt.

Wright Square Today

For all its grim history, Wright Square is one of Savannah's prettiest squares. Laid out in 1733, it holds the monument to William Washington Gordon, founder of Georgia's first railroad, completed in 1883. It's also where Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraw, was buried in 1739, with Oglethorpe among his pallbearers.

Alice's story has outlived the colony that condemned her. It's been told on porches and in books for generations, and it even inspired an opera by the composer Michael Ching.

Visiting Today

Wright Square is a public park on Bull Street between State and York Streets in Savannah's historic district, open to everyone, day or night. It's an easy walk from Broughton Street and City Market. Visit during the day to read the markers, then come back after sunset if you want to feel the atmosphere for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Alice Riley in Savannah, GA?

Alice Riley was an Irish indentured servant convicted, along with Richard White, of murdering their master, William Wise. She was hanged in Savannah on January 19, 1735.

Where was Alice Riley hanged?

She was hanged in what is now Wright Square, then called Percival Square, in Savannah's historic district.

Is there a real Alice Riley ghost picture?

No photo of her ghost has ever been verified. Images shared online claiming to show her should be treated as unconfirmed.

Why is Wright Square said to be haunted?

Because of Alice's execution there and the legend that her ghost still searches the square for her baby. Some locals also say Spanish moss won't grow on its trees, though that's folklore.

Savannah has a story waiting under every oak. Hear more of them after dark on a Nightly Spirits ghost tour in Savannah.