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Fort Henry
Fort Henry was built between the years 1832 to 1835 by the Royal Corps of Royal Engineers, 24th Regiment afoot, South Wales Borderers. The Fort was decommisioned and closed in 1894.
It stands on the most prominent point of land overlooking the entrance to Kingston harbour. High on top of the hill its splendid view of the city is in it's self worth the trip.
Since 1935 it has been open as a tourist attraction and is the home of one of the leading re-enactment groups of the world, The Fort Henry Guard. The Guard consists of high school and college students earning money for tuition, none of them are Armed Forces personnel, performing battle tactics and drill as it was done in 1867.
During the years of WWII the Fort was used as a German Prison of War Camp and the Guard was not in use in any form. The Fort was returned to its use as a tourist attraction at the close of hostillities and the Guard returned to its former glory.
This writer had the pleasure of being a member of this elite unit for four years while attending school. And since giving historical tours was part of the duties of any Guardsman the writer has intimate knowledge of the Forts history and secrets.
As for ghosts, well I will leave that up to the individual visitor to determine. There are stories told about apparitions of soldiers walking the "moat" or dry ditch as it is really called and the odd sighting of people in period dress in rooms of the Fort but this writter can not attest to them.
I was told once by one of the night watchmen that he had seen the ghost of a soldier in the dry ditch but he refused to say any more about his experience, it upset him quite a bit.
During the Upper Canada Revolt the captured participants were held in the cells and rooms of the Fort while they were on trial. One of the men was sentenced to death and supposedly hanged on the hill outside the Fort. I can find no real confirmation of this story and it does not fit with the normal practice of the city. All hangings that took place in Kingston that I am aware of took place in the Old County Jail which sat behind the County Court House and has since been demolished.
The atmosphere of the Fort is solemn and forboding, it is a dark, dank place with many uncomfortable feelings about it. I will tell you a little story though that happened to this writter.
While taking a tour around the Fort one day I brought my group into the area known as the Officers Quarters. While in the room that held the bed and writing desk of Sir John A. McDonald I noticed that the rocking chair between the desk and the bed began to move back and forth as if some one were sitting in it. Unfortuatly the members of my tour saw it as well and ran from the room screaming that the room was haunted. I had a heck of a time getting my group to finish the tour.
I found out later that one of
my fellow Guardsmen had tied a string around the leg of the rocking chair and had hidden
under the bed. When the tour came through the room he began to pull the string making the
chair move. He stayed in the room till every one had gone and then left quietly. This is
just the sort of trick that young people play on each other and also the start of a great
haunting story. I am sure that these people to this day swear that room is haunted.
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