View from the Vault: Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware

Photos from the book Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware

Photos from Ed Okonowicz's book Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware: History, Mystery, Legend, and Lore.

Library, Museums and Press Staff

October 11, 2023

By Arline Wilson, Special Collections

“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different work and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about any work showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.

An open spread of a book. The left page shows a kitchen doorway and the right page has the chapter heading, "More Unusual Events in the Haunted Kitchen."

An excerpt from Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware: History, Mystery, Legend, and Lore.

Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware: History, Mystery, Legend, and Lore

By Ed Okonowicz

Delaware Collection – BF1472.U6 O35x

Interested in Delaware’s haunted history? Ed Okownowicz’s book Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware details the titillating histories of the state’s most haunted places. Fort Delaware, which became a state park in 1951, was originally built in 1815 by the United States Army near the end of the War of 1812. During the Civil War, the 288-acre military fort located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River was used as a prison of war for Confederate soldiers, especially those captured during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Civil War Ghosts at Fort Delaware details the dark and notorious history of the prison, its horrible conditions and its brutal treatment of prisoners, all of which gave rise to the fort’s haunted and ghostly folklore. Known as “one of the most haunted sites in the United States near water,” Fort Delaware has many ghost stories to its name. There are tales of apparitions walking the grounds, ghostly sightings of confederate soldiers in the prison barracks, and frightening staff encounters with a “Lady in Black” who stalks the kitchen. The book also provides a history of hauntings in Fort DuPont and Old New Castle, including those along the shores of Battery Park.

The book would be a great read for those interested in Delaware history and especially those planning to go on a Paranormal Adventure tour of Fort Delaware during Halloween season.