The Haunted Commonwealth

You could travel from Abingdon to Alexandria to Hampton and not find a more haunted place than Fort Monroe.  Perhaps, there are more active locations but the amount of "celebrity" sitings at the fort outnumber any other location in the Commonwealth.  Pick any famous Virginian from the early 18th century and even up until the Civil War and their ghost has probably been seen somewhere inside this fort.

If you want a full rundown of all the hauntings then you can click through the links I've posted at the bottom of this article.  For this article's purposes, I'm going to touch on a few of the more prominent vistitors that for some reason, refuse to leave this Fort.

First up, is something Joshua Gates and his Destination Truth team would investigate. Outside of the fort lies a large moat used in the olden days as a defense mechanism.  Back when the Fort was still a home to many American soldiers, there was a story of a large moat monster that lived in the moat.  A soldier even chased after it until it disappeared under one of the main bridges that leads to the compound.  For me, I just can't see anything that large living in such a tiny space without somebody noticing it.  Sure it's a nice story but the odds of it being remotely factual are slim to none. 

On to the ghosts.  If you ever visit this fort, you'll probably hear some stories about Abraham Lincoln's, Edgar Allen Poe's, and Jefferson Davis's ghost still lingering on the property.  Lincoln's apparition has been seen in one of the officers quarters.  Those who have seen the apparition state that he appears to be deep in thought and is often sitting at a desk with a look of concern on his face. 

Edgar Allen Poe's ghost is one of the more frequent visitors to the fort, showing up in different places throughout the compound.  The strange thing about this claim is that Poe only spent a brief four months at the fort, before leaving to pursue his dream of being a writer. Still, his apparition has been seen throughout the fort. 

Jefferson Davis is said to haunt the stone prisons of Fort Monroe, which is where he was kept after the Civil War ended.  Davis remained shackled to the floor for about a week and was given very little food or water.  However, with his wife's, Varina Davis, help he eventually was moved to a room with better living conditions.  After a few weeks, bail was posted and Davis promptly fled the country for Europe.  Of course, Davis died in New Orleans in 1889, which is where he is buried.  But, there are claims that both Jefferson and his wife Varina's spirits still haunt the cold, damp stone prisons of Fort Monroe.

There are many more apparitions that are spotted within this fort but at this point, it's almost too many to list.  The good news is that the Army is set to vacate the premise in 2011 and the fort will open up to public use giving paranormal teams access to the fort.  With so much history occurring here, this is one place that could use a thorough investigation by a well educated paranormal group. 

Links
The Hauntings of Fort Monroe
A Soldiers Account of the Hauntings at the Fort
Future of the Fort
Article on Fort Monroe Hauntings
Fort Monroe - Ghost of America post