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Fort Henry History

Our Experience :: History :: Past Activity

Location: Kingston, Ontario
Date: August , 2007
Members: Amanda, Rachel, Paula, Crystal, Donny, Jay, Jeff & Dan
Equipment: 4 Digital cameras, 2 camcorders, 3 voice recorders, 1 digital thermometer, 1 EMF detector, 1 audio enhancer, 1 Infrared Camera

Ghost Stories/Reports

Deadmans Bay:

In the 1940’s, Irish Stonemasons built the gunnery known as Cathcart Tower on Cedar Island.  Robert James was a young mason hired for the job.  He soon met a young woman named Elizabeth.  The two fell in love and Robert soon requested Elizabeth’s hand in marriage.

While finishing work on the island, the men noticed an approaching storm.  Unwisely, they all jammed into one boat and headed for shore.  The waters were rough and the small, overloaded boat could not make it.  The boat capsized, killing most of the men on board, including Robert James.

Elizabeth was devastated.  She refused to eat and accept that Robert was gone.  Elizabeth died shortly after.

Even though this tragic event had taken place, the work on the tower still need to be completed.  A new crew was assembled and sent back to the island.  It was then that the strange sightings began.  Workers on the island began to see a woman around the tower, who appeared to be searching for something.  Soldiers stationed at For Henry have claimed to have seen a woman staring out into the bay.  These sightings have continued into the present day.  Other sightings include a group of campers on Cedar Island reported seeing a man and woman, walking hand in hand towards the tower.

Other legends of Deadmans Bay revolve around the ships that were sunk there.  These legends claim that the crews now haunt these ships and occasionally navigate their ghost ships around the bay, possibly hunting for real vessels to press into service of their ghost fleet.

Fort Henry:

Though a vital link in Canada’s defense. Fort Henry never actually saw one shot fired in anger.  However, harsh conditions, disease, and punishment took their toll on those who were stationed there.  Many ghosts still walk the halls of the Fort.  One spirit seems to dominate in death, and he did in life.  Nils Von Schoultz was a traitorous leader of an American invasion into Canada.  This rebellion failed and Von Schoultz was taken to Fort Henry.  Here, he was convicted of treason and hanged.  Soon after the hanging, strange manifestations began to occur.  Even to this very day, guides report seeing the gallows were Von Schoultz was hung, even though it was removed over 100 years earlier.  Many tourists and employees of Fort Henry have reported a man fitting Von Schoultz description, roaming the Fort, only to vanish before their eyes.

In other areas of the Fort, strange events still occur that cannot be attributed to Von Schoultz.  The Bakery and the Schoolroom has been the scene of numerous poltergeist activity reports.  Woman and children spent much of their time in these areas, which is, perhaps where this energy is coming from.