The Ghostly History of Fort Delaware

Happy Halloween to you all! I do hope you have enjoyed our little jaunt this last week or so to bring you the many haunts found around the United States. We are going to wrap up our Halloween coverage with something a little more along the lines of what you are used to in our little blog with a visit to the Fort Delaware State Park. While they do not offer a Halloween haunted attraction as has been our theme this week, they are still topical because this very location will be the site of a seven-hour paranormal investigation by the members of TAPS tonight on Sci-Fi's Ghost Hunters Live.

Before you see what the team finds in their investigation, we bring you the very dark history of the site. Fort Delaware served as a prisoner of war camp in the American Civil War between the years of 1861 through 1865. During that time, it is estimated that over 32,000 Confederate soldiers and southern sympathizers were incarcerated in the camp and 2,500 never left. While the prison was fairly notorious for its conditions and the treatment of its prisoners, surprisingly it was not the worst. However, it did not stop the inmates from giving the Union commander that oversaw the camp the name of "General Terror" nor from dubbing the place "The Fort Delaware Death Pen."

During its time as a prison camp, Fort Delaware saw many tragic and some heroic stories. It was home to the unusual Union battery comprised mostly of former-Confederate prisoners called Ahl's Heavy Artillery Company, as well as 600 Confederate officers and soldiers that would forever be remembered as The Immortal Six Hundred. It saw countless escape attempts (some of which were successful while others were not), prisoner abuse, a seemingly unprovoked murder, and all around deplorable conditions.

Not surprisingly, Fort Delaware today has a growing reputation for the amount of ghosts and other paranormal activity that is witnessed by unsuspecting visitors. It would seem that those souls that never made it out of the prison are still stuck there to this day - some still trying to escape. During some months of the year, the site even plays host to candlelight tours where the hosts relay on the ghostly legends to the curious tourists that pass through the doors.

From us at Dark Destinations - Have a very happy and safe Halloween!

To get in the mood, check out the dark history and legends of the Fort Delaware State Park.

-Casey H.