In Boston's Harbor is Ft. Warren on Georges Island, which is linked to a ghost legend about 'The Lady in Black' who haunts the grounds.
Fort Warren is a complete fort at the entrance to Boston Harbor, about midway between Deer Island to the north and the north end of the town of Hull to the south. It was completed in 1850 and served as a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. There were many prisoners held here, including the Vice President of the Confederacy, Alexander Hamilton Stephens. The legend, centers around one of these soldiers and his wife who attempted to break him from it. The web site, Celebrate Boston, relates the legend:
"The Lady in Black is supposedly an apparition on George's Island; a young woman in black robes that wanders about the grounds. She is Mrs. Andrew Lanier, wife of a Confederate soldier that was imprisoned there in 1861. Edward Rowe Snow, a 20th century local historian, had popularized the myth, and the following is a description of his version of the story:
Mrs. Lanier received a letter from her husband that he had been imprisoned at Fort Warren. She was compelled to free him, making an epic journey from Georgia to Hull, Massachusetts and the home of a Confederate sympathizer. Hull is only about a mile away from George's Island. Mrs. Lanier systematically observed the fort with a spy-glass, and on a stormy night in January 1862, had rowed across to George's Island and went ashore. She cut her hair short and dressed as a man, and brought with her an old pistol and small pick-axe.
She made her way to the dungeon cells, and from outside the fort signaled to her husband by whistling an obscure southern tune, to which he signaled back. Mrs. Lanier was able to squeeze through the slit-window of his cell, and was then hidden by the Confederate soldiers.
With the use of the pick-axe, the soldiers contrived to tunnel to the center of the fort, and then overtake the guards and obtain weapons. The tunnel took several weeks to dig, and on the eve of finishing the tunnel, a sharp blow of the pick had alerted a guard. The alarm was sounded, and the tunnel quickly discovered. As each of the Confederate soldiers was removed from the tunnel, a tally was taken. When all the prisoners were accounted for, Mrs. Lanier was to spring from the tunnel and capture a Union officer with the old pistol.
Mrs. Lanier succeeded in surprising the officer, but he slapped the pistol from her hand. The pistol went off and the bullet struck and killed her husband. As punishment for her deeds, Mrs. Lanier was condemned to death by hanging. Her final request was to be given female clothing, and a search of the fort produced nothing but some old black robes. She was executed in these robes and buried on George's Island."
The site went on:
According to King's Handbook of Boston Harbor by M.F. Sweetser (1883), the only notable prison escapes occurred after 1862. In 1863, a daring escape was made by six Confederate soldiers. They squeezed through slit-holes in the granite walls and made their way to the beach. Two of the soldiers attempted to swim to Lovell's Island, but the tide was going out and they were swept out to sea. A second notable escape was of two soldiers that constructed a crude raft and did make it to Lovell's. From there they obtained a small boat, and sailed out of the harbor. The pair were later re-captured by a coast guard cutter.
"Early stories of ghosts on George's Island do not exist, but Sweetser states the following about Civil War era folklore, "The sentry-posts were often made untenable by the dashing of the waves, and the guards had to be replaced by patrols. No wonder that the unfortunate sentinels saw mysterious shapes, so that an order was posted at the guard-house, 'denouncing severe punishment in any case where ghosts were allowed to pass a beat without challenge and arrest.' "
Another source, historicaldigression.com, continues the story:
"After her death, many soldiers at the fort claimed to see the mysterious apparition of a “Lady in Black.” Her voice could be heard in the Corridor of Dungeons. Soldiers playing poker observed a stone rolling, inexplicably, across the room. Footprints were spotted in the snow outside the fort, just five of them, coming from nowhere and going nowhere. Some soldiers, according to tradition, were even court-martialed for shooting at a phantom in black and one was brought up on charges for fleeing his post because, he claimed, he was chased by a Lady in Black. These stories run well into the 20th century."
The same source discusses research done:
"In discussing the Lady in Black, [another historian] wisely did what any historian should do…he consulted primary sources…and could find no period mention of a woman being hung as a spy at Fort Warren. The only woman executed during, or in the wake of the Civil War was Mary Surratt for her role in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln. Surely if a woman were executed in Boston in 1862 it would have been national news. But there is no mention of it in papers. No evidence that the incident happened at all."
The same source on sightings:
"Despite the fact that the Lady in Black may never have existed, apparently the sightings continue to this day. Even reputable authorities…police, researchers from MIT, and army personnel have had encounters within the last 40 years or so."
Currently, the entire island is a very popular recreational spot with great views of islands, the Boston skyline, and the Atlantic Ocean.
On our visit to the site, we walked all over the fort and not to any specific area. People have reported seeing the Lady in Black all over, but more reports seem to be in a section in the southwest part. We weren't seriously searching for her, and, thus, weren't disappointed when we didn't encounter her.
A long time ago, at a P.T.A. meeting, I had the pleasure to have seen Edward Rowe Snow in action as he passionately told tales of the coast of New England and remember being captivated by the Lady in Black. He is considered the major influence in getting people interested in the Boston Harbor Islands, which eventually resulted in the establishment of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.
Other Source:
historicaldigression.com (Fort Warrens Lady in Black Debunked?):
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