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Delaware

 Haunted Fort Delaware

Given the history of Fort Delaware, located in Delaware River's Pear Patch Island, it's no surprise to see that it's stuffed to the brim with paranormal legends. The now-abandoned fort was once a prison during the Civil War, and roughly 2,700 prisoners were said to have died on the property.

Fort Delaware at Pea Patch Island, Delaware, was a US military Fort and later POW prison. It is presently inactive and reportedly haunted by several ghosts.

Background

Pea Patch Island had been owned by the US military since the 1810s. They had seized it of a doctor named Gale who had been using it as a private hunting ground and had refused to sell it. Construction of Fort Delaware was started in 1817 in order to protect the Delaware river from enemies.

The Fort was built with a moat and its location meant that it was unable to reach by any means other then boat. During the second civil war it became prisoner of war prison for Confederates (Including most of the troops captured at Gettysburg). The fort was not made to hold such large numbers of prisoners. Even after they started building wooden barracks around the island, many fights took place among prisoners and there were food shortages. As a result. whilst Fort Delaware housed 40,000 prisoners in its lifetime, a total of 2,900 prisoners died at the fort.

After the Civil War and after the prisoners had all been released, the fort was used to organize the Ahl's Heavy Artillery Company, an organization that trained troops who could specialize in artillery. After this the fort became inactive. In 1947 the US Government declared that Fort Delaware and Pea Patch Island would be a national park, and thus so the fort and the island have been preserved perfectly.

James Archer

General James Archer, Was a Confederate General during the American Civil War, Between the Northern Unionists, and the Southern Confederates. He was the General who led such successful battles against the North, Such as the Battle of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. After these however, Due to exhaustion, Archer became quite ill.

Archer Became so ill, that By the time he arrived at Gettysburg. He was Unable to lead his men into battle, Witch is why they were lead by Major Henry Heth instead, Although Archer watched from a distance. When his men started to retreat however, the battle led to where he was, and so to avoid detection from Unionist's, He hid under some dead grass. He was found however, By a unionist soldier named Patrick Maloney. Archer had become a Prisoner of war and so was sent to Fort Delaware.

Because of his Illness, and his Respectable position. Archer made a deal with the Unionists, this deal was that, James Archer would be aloud to Wander the Fort and its Grounds freely, As long as he did not escape (Or try to escape). This was Agreed upon and Archer was aloud to go wherever he wanted, However, Because the number of Prisoners, far outnumbered the number of Guards, And the fact that most of the Prisoners where Archer's men. Archer started making plans to organize an overthrowing of the fort, and an escape plan.

However, James Archer was found out, and was Summoned by the Fort Owner. The Unionists where shocked and worried by Archer's Promise-Breaking. And so as a Punishment. They Locked Archer in the Tunnels that ran under the fort, And left him there for many year's, (Although they did supply food to the man). When He was Finally let out, It was rumored that the Experience had driven Archer completely mad. Unable to Return to the military because of this, James Archer retired, And would later die in Virginia, aged 46.

Hauntings

The Ghost of James Archer is said to wander around Fort Delaware, especially in the tunnels below the Fort. His ghost is mostly heard or even felt. Considered rather shy, he plays hiding from people. Whilst it is reported that he does manifest, he is rarely seen.

Private Stefano

The Ghost known as Private Stefano is the ghost of an Italian immigrant who had joined the Union Army. Stefano was one of the fort's many guards. There is a flight of stairs near the entrance to the fort that gets wet and slippery during humid weather. One time Private Stefano was summoned and he ran and slipped on the stairs and fell over. He fell down several feet's of stairs and broke his neck in the process and cracked his skull open when he hit the bottom of the stairs. He died there and then.

Since then people have reported banging noises coming from that particular flight of stairs. This haunting typically happens if someone is reciting Stefano's story near the bottom of the stairs. People say that you are also able to provoke this haunting by standing at the bottom of the stairs and calling Private Stefano's name. Occasionally (but rarely) a figure is seen at the bottom of the stairs, though this figure usually only briefly appears then disappears.

The Cleaner

In the Mess Hall it is reported that the ghost of a cleaner often walks into the mess hall and cleans where the mantle place once was. The ghost then walks through a door that has been bricked up and now leads to nowhere. This ghost is a typical record skip ghost. It will not react to anyone. Nobody knows the exact name or identity of this ghost but it can be presumed that this ghost was a servant.

The Kitchen Ghost

Another unnamed ghost is that of the Kitchen Ghost. In what was the officers' kitchen, it has been reported that a female ghost often walks in and checks the cooking equipment. Once during a Re-enactment, the reenactors were reenacting life as a kitchen workers by preparing soup in the kitchen. The ghost suddenly appeared once they started cooking and checked the soup, and even picked up the equipment and helped stirred the soup for a while, smiled at the reenactors. Then she walked through a wall.

It can be presumed that this ghost is the ghost of a cook. She seems particularly connected to the kitchen, only ever appearing in the kitchen or if someone is talking about the kitchen.

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