14 - Ghosts and Family Legends: The Swiss Lady's Story

I pause in the stony entrance of a casemate in arguably the most haunted military fort in the country. It holds rumors of hauntings dating back to the 1700s.I step tentatively through the powder magazine room, searching for shadows. They say this is the most common place for apparitions to appear.This chamber is cold and musty, its ancient walls swallowed by vines. Its crumbling hearth lies flooded by marsh. On my way inside, I counted eight bird houses seeping into the swamp, but their carefree songs won't reach me here.Suddenly, something darts past the corner of my eye, at the same time I hear muffled voices. I whip around, heart pounding, but see no one. I call out timidly, voice shaking."Is somebody here?"Hello and welcome to your weekend hauntwith Spook Lit, an audiobook club by dreary dendrophileI’m your host Lyns, and I’ll be reading aloud our spooky stories. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy.This week in Ghosts and Family Legends, we're reading "The Swiss Lady's Story." In honor of our story's hero, the ghost soldier, let's talk about my favorite haunted military base: Fort Mifflin.History Buffs: This one’s for you. “Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is so historic that it even predates the Revolutionary War…This makes the fort the oldest active military base in the U.S., and the only base on American soil to predate the Declaration of Independence.”-Amy Bruni, Haunted Road podcast,Episode “Faceless Entities Lurk in Darkened Corners”An extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff member, Alex, tells us that "the fort sustained the largest bombardment of the revolution, including five weeks of siege preceding it."“In 1777, the British attacked the revolutionary troops garrisoned at the fort, pummeling its walls with more than 10,000 cannonballs, making it the greatest bombardment of the American revolution…..After five intense days, the Continental army had no choice but to retreat, fleeing the fort on Nov 15, 1777. Though the soldiers never officially surrendered, and counterintuitively, their fight was a pivotal moment in the American success in the war.”-Amy Bruni, Haunted Road podcast,Episode “Faceless Entities Lurk in Darkened Corners”“The Siege of Fort Mifflin in 1777 has been called the forgotten battle of the American Revolution. Even the history books in Philadelphia schools contain no reference to the Fort or to its siege. Yet the stubborn defense of this hastily completed fortification, against hopeless odds, was one of the most courageous and inspiring actions of the entire Revolution-ary War.” -How Fort Mifflin Saved America During the Revolutionary War,Compiled by Fort Mifflin on the Delaware“Moreover, the siege of Fort Mifflin, while an American defeat, was a significant event in America's War for Independence. In his effort to open the supply lines to Philadelphia, Howe spent considerable time, resources and materials trying to capture Fort Mifflin. This allowed Washington and the Continental Army sufficient time to withdraw to Valley Forge for the winter…When battles resumed in 1778, the Americans engaged the British with renewed energy and discipline, a spirit that led to America's independence! In this way, Fort Mifflin was‘The Fort that Saved America!’”-How Fort Mifflin Saved America During the Revolutionary WarCompiled by Fort Mifflin on the DelawareDefinitely listen to Amy Bruni’s podcast Haunted Road for much more detailed information about the fort’s history plus additional stories about its hauntings as well. When I visited, our skeptical staff member told us all about an endearing attention-seeking spirit named Edward. They believe his name is Edward because while another staff member was sleeping, he was briskly shaken awake by someone saying "my name is Edward!"Edward likes to turn off electronics in the office. He also severed the cord of a pack hanging on a hook for several months before it fell while staff member Alex was falling asleep. Another time, during a heated argument between a staff member and a client who had rented the property for an event, a cannonball fell off a bookshelf and onto the floor.My favorite story is about a revolutionary war spirit who tends to appear as a full-body apparition near powder magazine #12. During most weekdays, guests pay for their tickets in the office with instructions to explore on their own. There are no tour guides down in the fort, and the staff member stays up in the office selling tickets.On several occasions, when visitors go to leave, they'll mention a very helpful and interactive tour guide they met during their self-guided tour. They say he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, dressed in uniform, and has details that even the staff doesn't know about the Revolutionary War. The guests are confused, having been told that no tour guides are available on weekdays. And the staff member is always equally flummoxed, knowing that no other personnel are present at the fort.There are a variety of spirits from several wars, and they all seem to be friendly and respectful. When I visited the grounds, the energy felt very relaxed and peaceful. I heard stories of spirits who only retaliate if a bully is trying to scare someone, and spirits who lovingly help people down the stairs near the officer's quarters.Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet any veteran spirits during my visit. If you decide to tour the fort, be on the lookout for the revolutionary soldier who gives detailed tours of the casemates. Please tell him hello for me!What’s Lurking on Spook Lit:Next week: We continue Ghosts and Family Legends with “The Sheep-Farmer’s Story.” Only two chapters left!Until then, thank you for listening to Spook Lit. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.Want to join the book club?Support Spook Lit for just $2.50/month* Get full access to all audiobook chapters* Receive new episodes with original text photos* Help keep independent media hauntingCan’t swing a paid subscription?Recommend dreary dendrophile on Substack or send a one-time donation to support the podcast and join the club!Credits:Special thanks to Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, especially Alex who generously shared tons of stories.Audiobook: Ghosts and Family Legends by Catherine CroweChapter: "The Swiss Lady’s Story"Music: "Horror Spooky Piano" by Nikita Kondrashev on PixabayArtwork: Jeff BentLinktree: https://linktr.ee/drearydendrophileAll Spook Lit Audiobooks are public domain.Hauntingly yours,dreary dendrophile Get full access to dreary dendrophile at drearydendrophile.substack.com/subscribe