The Tombigbee River near Pennington is haunted by the phantom steamboat, the Eliza Battle, which is said to appear on cold, stormy winter nights as a burning ship foretelling impending disaster for river-men. This legend stems from the real 1858 sinking of the Eliza Battle, a steamboat carrying cotton that caught fire and sank, killing many. Sightings occur near the site where the ship came to rest, an area now located above Kemp's Landing near the modern Alabama State Route 114 bridge in Pennington. The ghost of the Eliza Battle, a steamboat that sank in the Tombigbee River in March 1858. The phantom ship is often described as fully engulfed in flames. Sightings are said to occur on cold, windy, or stormy winter nights. It is considered an ill omen and is believed to warn of impending disaster for those who see it. The Eliza Battle was a side-wheel paddle steamer that began service in 1852, transporting people and cargo between Columbus, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama. In March 1858, the ship caught fire and sank with 60 passengers and 45 crewmen on board, along with a load of cotton bales. The sinking was a major calamity, with some accounts estimating the loss of life at as many as 90 people. The legend ties the haunting to the specific area of the Tombigbee River near Pennington, where the Eliza Battle came to rest after its sinking. Rivermen who worked on the Tombigbee River were said to have seen the phantom steamboat and understood its significance as a warning.