Fort Delaware became a State Park in 1951. Dating back to 1859, the Fort was originally used to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia and served as a Union fortress and a Confederate prison. Many of Fort Delaware’s first Confederate prisoners were brought from the Battle of Kernstown in 1862 and the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. A total of thirty-two thousand prisoners were kept at Fort Delaware. The state of Delaware obtained the Fort from the United States Federal government in 1947.
Visitors can access Fort Delaware from Delaware City to Pea Patch Island via a ½ mile ferry ride across the Delaware River. Historically dressed tour guides take visitors on a journey through Fort Delaware that includes hands-on activities that date back to the times when Fort Delaware served as a Union fortress and Confederate prison.
Ghost Sightings at Fort Delaware
During the Civil War, the Fort was known as the Fort Delaware Death Pen and was also called the most dreaded Union prison. Almost 13,000 Confederate prisoners were housed in an area meant to hold only 10,000 men. Many prisoners attempted to escape and were caught. Over 2,700 men died in the Fort during the Civil War. According to an article by James A. Cox in the Civil War Times for July-August 1993, Fort Delaware “had the highest death rate of any Union prison, and through a combination of dreadful location, official mismanagement, and political malice and vengeance, it managed to develop its own style of shocking, inhuman treatment.”
Apparitions have been spotted during tours, by visitors, park officials and by re-enactors. Alleged paranormal activity that has occurred in recent years includes loud bangs with no known source, disembodied voices, objects moving and full-bodied apparitions. One of Fort Delaware’s most well known specters turns out to be a woman who frequents an officer’s kitchen. No one knows who she is exactly but she seems to think she owns the kitchen and made an appearance to female re-enactors who use the room. She’s also called out names and moved objects.
Others have reported witnessing the spirits of Confederate soldiers in and around the Fort. Paranormal activity associated with prisoners includes moaning and unexplained voices. The ghost of a woman and child supposedly haunt one of the buildings at the Fort. Paranormal activity associated with the mother and child includes tugging on hair and clothing, children’s laughter, a woman’s sobbing, books falling and candlesticks moving. In other areas of the Fort, a harmonica has been heard as well as the sound of a man swearing. People have reported to have been touched, tugged and spoken to by unseen entities.
Paranormal Investigations at Fort Delaware
Several ghost-hunting groups have visited Fort Delaware including Sci-Fi Channel’s Ghost Hunters Grant Wilson, Jason Hawes and team. The Ghost Hunters caught some amazing evidence during their two trips to Fort Delaware in 2008, some of which included thermal video of an alleged apparition in a tunnel, several clear electronic voice recordings and video evidence of something unseen grabbing the hood of Wilson’s jacket several times in a row.
Ghost Tours at Fort Delaware
During the summer and early fall, Fort Delaware offers walking candlelight history and ghost tours. Visitors can find more information on tours and make reservations for camping at the DNREC website.
Sources:
Civil War Living History & Ghost Hunters Visit Fort Delaware. http://www.destateparks.com/fdsp/
Okonowitz, Ed. Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware. Myst and Lace Publishing.
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