The Haunted Fort Delaware of Delaware - 3rd Palm Paranormal Places
- NICHOLAS DODGE
- Aug 7
- 6 min read
Imagine for a moment you're trapped, surrounded by stone walls that bleed with rust, with only a small window looking over a moat and towards freedom. A kind of freedom that isn't expended for you. Hungry, just like your fellow cell mates, you each fight one another for the opportunity to catch and consume whatever rats have infested your cell block that night. Otherwise, you'll be left starved, cold, and afraid, with only the hollow echoes of screams and sobs to comfort you.
This was a reality for many who had been kept captive at Fort Delaware.
Although you couldn't distinguish these horrors from the historically renovated island and park today, there was a time when Fort Delaware was shrouded in suffering. Used as an internment camp for Confederate POW's (Prisoners of War) during the Civil War era in America, what has been turned into a fun educational experience had at one time been the last light for others nearly a century and a half ago.
Presently:
Currently, the Delaware Fort, like many other historical sites, has rejuvenated its location for a friendlier, more modernized aesthetic. On an island in the center of the Delaware River, this site hosts numerous events including Civil War reenactments, canon firings (the Columbiad Firing), as well as hiking trails complete with terrific views of the island's prestigious birds and wildlife. They even accommodate other events, such as weddings and the like, with their newly renovated and constructed pavilion.
From a dark history, the Delaware Fort has erected itself again as a place of memory, of history, and now of comfort. The area surrounding the fort has been transformed into a family friendly park for visitors of all types, including the Pea Patch Nature Reserve and a ferry ride to and from its island.
There's even a wide amenity of cabins, campgrounds, yurts, and cottages to stay within during your visit. And with added activities such as a playground, hunting sites, marinas, and more, it seems as though this hundred-year-old Civil War Fort (which hosted a number of POW's) now hosts endless merriment and fun for the whole family.
But things weren't always so simple...
A Time of Death, Disease, and Escapes:
In 1794 the French examined the island and found it to be the perfect strategic defensive point along the Delaware River, with Charles L'Enfant nicknaming the island "Pip Ash", which was later referred to by locals as "Pea Patch Island". It was mainly left outside of human reach, all except for one individual who used the land as his own personal hunting grounds and stay. This man was a New Jersey resident by the name of Dr. Henry Gale.
Eventually the United States Government had offered Gale $30,000, around $795,000 USD today, for the island. Unfortunately for Gale he refused the governments offer, only for his land to be seized by the U.S. government sometime before 1820. While various sources state that the island had been used during the War of 1821, with a wooden fort having been erected and standing between 1814 till 1824, it wasn't until after the War of 1821 that a Star Fort had been scripted.
Then between 1815 and up until 1831 the Star Fort design, as well as the wooden fortress and the island itself had undergone numerous military command issues and complications with the future fort's design. But in February of 1831 a fire broke out, destroying most of what was being constructed as the Star Fort. Replacement actions took place and much of what was the Star Fort was used as the reinforcements to the seawall, with rubble from the original fort being seen within the sandstone remnants today.
In 1836 a "Polygon Fort" had begun construction, but due to various legal issues with the government the project was abandoned around 1848. Next came the idea of a Pentagonal Fort, which eventually was constructed between 1848 to 1860, with an actual militarized and defensive structure now becoming solidified on the island. And from 1861 to 1865 Fort Delaware was utilized as a POW camp for around 33,000 Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
Needless to say, this fort was not meant to house such a large degree of POW's or any other types of personnel within its boundaries. Aside from Major Sanders, who died on 1858 during the fort's construction, more than 2,500 prisoners had passed away between the fort's completion, until the end of the Civil War.
Most of these deaths were due to cramped living spaces, and numerous diseases including smallpox, dysentery, and scurvy. It's also estimated that 215 prisoners died of typhoid or malaria. Diseases became rampant, and so many chose to attempt to escape the fort, swimming across freezing cold waters or hiding within coffins or sewage privies until they found their peace. Many did not survive these conditions, however.
There are other tales, such as the "Immortal 600" and troops of the Spanish-American War who have stories to tell here. But this location has so much history behind it that unfortunately we have to skip ahead. During both World Wars men had been stationed at this fort, but by 1947 the state of Delaware had acquired Fort Delaware again. And it wasn't until 2018 when transportation was finally made available to the public to visit the fort during its seasonal timeframe.
Although a lot of history has been left out, I'm sure you'll appreciate the paranormal upbringings that Fort Delaware has to offer.
Dungeons, Apparitions, and Oppression:
Although 33,000 soldiers had been held captive here in total, at its peak around 12,000 soldiers were imprisoned at one time. And for those who disobeyed the rules or acted out in Fort Delaware, they were sent to what's known as the "Dungeon". The dungeon was the lowest level holding-area of the fort and was known to be pitch black inside, with cold stone architecture surrounding them, as water from the outside crept in creating a damp and uncomfortable living space to say the least. In fact, "living space" is far from the correct terminology to describe one's conditions.
Aside from the dungeon, there are a few notable hotspots and specters to be found roaming certain areas of the fort. The most notorious would be Miss Susan, also known as the "Lady in Black". She's a malevolent spirit that haunts the kitchen and adjacent cafeteria spaces, who clearly dislikes men according to sightings. Legend has it that she was a woman in the 1900's who had accidentally killed her husband while attempting to free him from his cell. She'll commonly appear, only to nod in approval of the space then leave. But if she does not approve, she may end up following you throughout the remainder of your journey through Fort Delaware...
The Blue Man, not to be confused with the famous Las Vegas trio (the Blue Man Group) is a walking specter dressed in a blue uniform who wanders the cell blocks and hallways in search of wrongdoers and misbehaved guests. Many investigators, visitors, and volunteers on the island have come to the conclusion that the Blue Man is the apparition of a Confederate General by the name of James Archer who had passed away while in captivity. Photographs, such as the one below, depict this specific specter.
Aside from these prior two phenomenon, many visitors and volunteers at Fort Delaware have mentioned disembodied voices coming from cells and other rooms throughout the fort. And a selective few have witnessed sightings of full body apparitions appearing in certain rooms, only to disappear through the brick walls entirely.
Regardless of what you believe, it's apparent that Fort Delaware is not only a very active paranormal place, but it earns its title as being the most haunted location within the state of Delaware. And with a history as extensive and frightening as its own, we have no doubt that much of that history (through the negative energy provided by the prisoners, guards, and wardens alike) have manifested into something that is hard to erase.
But the state of Delaware and its historical society are attempting to not only move forward but also provide insight into this once terrifying history. So, as haunted as this fortress may be, there's been a lot of good done across the area to make it a safe, friendly, and affirmative place for locals, tourists, friends, and families alike.
The Haunted Fort Delaware of Delaware - 3rd Palm Paranormal Places
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