Haunted Historic Fort Ticonderoga ~ CNY Paranormal

In 1776, the Revolutionary War ravaged through upstate New York. Because of our proximity to Canada, which at the time was a British/French territory, Utica and the area surrounding it became the last defense of the soon to be United States. Vicious and bloody battles were fought in the area, staining the area with imprints of that violence.

Some of these areas, such as Oriskany Battlefield, are open fields, where the final moments of desperate men replay repeatedly. Other places still stand, a testament to their construction and tenacity.

Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, is one of these buildings. Constructed in 1755, the Fort was the location of the bloodiest battle in the French and Indian War, where 2000 men lost their lives attempting to retake the fort from the French. This was the bloodiest battle in the United States, up until the Civil War, and Gettysburg.

During the Revolutionary War, men were stationed at the fort, as its location on Lake Champlain made it a prime attack point for British forces. Hundreds of men died defending the fort, most succumbing to sickness.

Today, Fort Ticonderoga still stands, and serves as a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the fort. The artifacts in the museums are not the only historic remnants of this battle, as the fort is reported to be extremely haunted.

There have been reports of seeing strange red floating lights, seeing men in Revolutionary War soldiers uniforms walking around the fort, and the spirit of Sarah Pell, who was responsible for beginning the renovation of the fort.

The most tragic haunting associated with the site is the spirit of Nancy Coates. She was the mistress of General Anthony Wayne. She drowned herself in Lake Champlain, believing that General Wayne was leaving her for another woman. She can still be spotted running around the paths surrounding the fort, looking for Wayne. Her dead body has also been spotted floating in the lake. By all accounts, the spirit of Nancy Coates does not rest easy.

In addition to visible spirits, staff at the fort have found artifacts rearranged in locked cases.