According to legend, Fort Warren is haunted by the eerie ghost in mourning of Melanie Lanier. Mrs. Lanier, also known as the "Lady in Black," was hanged after attempting to free her husband from a Union prison in 1862. The details of her tragedy have been passed down for generations, with many of Georges Island's visitors admitting it's what lured them to Fort Warren in the first place.
Did you know?
- The Lady in Black is rumored to be buried within the fort, in what is known as the Corridor of Dungeons. The corridor can be accessed through a tottering staircase and a dusty wall opening.
- Fort Warren - located on Georges Island - was named after Joseph Warren and built to guard Boston Harbor as part of the nation's coastal defenses after the War of 1812. It was garrisoned throughout the American Civil War (1861-1865).
- Throughout the conflict, the pentagonal-shaped fortress served as a prison for Confederate soldiers and politicians, recognized as a surprisingly sympathetic institution. It also served as a training facility for various Union army regiments.
- Melanie Lanier's devastating tale has been captured by historian Edward Rowe Snow in his book The Romance of Boston Bay, published in 1946.
The Lady in Black: A Ghost Story
As the story goes, Melanie Lanier was the wife of a Confederate soldier imprisoned at Fort Warren. Upon discovering he was incarcerated, she devised a plan to break him out. Samuel, her husband, only had one job, hum a song to let her know his location.
Depending on the source, she either began her journey in Georgia or South Carolina. What we do know is that she traveled to Hull, Massachusetts, before hopping in a boat and rowing to Georges Island. She wasn't alone, though. In fact, she was in safe company, with two Confederate soldiers, a pickaxe, and - essential for any clandestine operation - a pistol.
An astute lady, she cut her hair and dressed in blue men's clothes to emulate the Union's uniforms, in case she was spotted. On a particularly dark and moonless night, she arrived on the island and stood quietly by the shore, waiting for the signal.
She followed Mr. Lanier's hummed tune to its source and was supposedly met with prisoners who lowered a rope and helped her climb to her husband's cell. Unfortunately, on their way back to the boat, they were stopped by a Union officer. The perfect time to use her weapon, she pulled out her pistol and threatened the officer at gunpoint. Once again, depending on which source you read, he either gained control of the gun and accidentally shot Mr. Lanier, or she lost control of the firearm and fatally wounded her husband. Either way, he was killed instantly.
Melanie Lanier was immediately charged with espionage and sentenced to death by hanging. Her final request was to die wearing a dress since she only had her blue makeshift Union army uniform with her. Sources also vary on what type of garment she had on during her execution. Some say she was handed a proper dress, while others say she was given a black cloak or robe that was part of a costume. Regardless of what she was wearing, we know for sure that it was black.
After she was hanged, soldiers began to report seeing her all over Fort Warren. One soldier even swore he tripped and broke his ankle while running away from the apparition. She wasn't a still ghost, she chased people too!
Another account claims soldiers witnessed a stone rolling across the room on its own while they played poker and five footprints in the snow, that seemed to have started out of nowhere and ended in the same fashion.
The Lady in Black's origin story became a widespread local tale, famous for its tragic yet inspiring nature.
Exploring the Corridor of Dungeons
Locals believe that Melanie Lanier's coffin can be found in what is known as the Corridor of Dungeons, an especially eerie (and grimy) part of the historic landmark. Caitlin Fisher, in her blog post titled Freep Unsolved: The mystery of Georges Island details how she and her roommate managed to squeeze their way through a window and reach the rumored location of Melanie Lanier's coffin.
On the floor, beneath the thick layer of dust and pigeon droppings, they spotted an old decaying wooden door. Thinking the Lady in Black's coffin was surely under it, they managed to suppress the fear of what they might find and ripped the door open. But what they found was quite anticlimactic. Behind the door stood a plaque carved with the Golden Rule: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Needless to say, the girls left George's Island without finding the Lady in Black's coffin but with a lighthearted story to tell.
Edward Rowe Snow and the Lady in Black
Author Edward Rowe Snow (1902-1982) wrote about the Lady in Black in his book The Romance of Boston Bay, detailing the unfortunate end of the Laniers and the hauntings at Fort Warren. After his book was published, he conducted tours on the island, guiding visitors through the fort, and providing some unexpected jump scares (with paid actors dressed in black, spooking the guests). Snow's book did more than any other telling to spread Mrs. Lanier's tale.
The author gathered the island's local legends into his telling and used it - along with the tours - to save the fort from destruction. Apparently, during the 1960s, Fort Warren was essentially becoming a landfill. Recognizing its historical significance, Snow wrote the book in the hopes that it would attract visitors to the location, which would inherently save the fort. Well, his approach worked, and people started to flock to the island to witness the mysterious lady.
People still report seeing her. There are, according to Fort Warren tourists, black shadow figures roaming the island. Some believe they are the Lady in Black; others believe they are the prisoners.
Many believe this historic fort is haunted, it was a prison after all. People lived and died here, away from their families, amid a devastating war. With such a traumatic atmosphere, it's no surprise that the spirits of those who died at Fort Warren still linger.
Fort Warren History
Fort Warren is considered one of the most significant Civil War sites in Boston. Its construction began in 1833 and was finished in 1861, shortly after the conflict began. The granite fort is named after the Revolutionary War Hero, Joseph Warren, the man who sent Paul Revere on his famous ride to Lexington to alert that "The British [were] coming!" Warren's legacy is just one thread in the Revolutionary War ghosts that still haunt Boston.
During the Civil War, Fort Warren was used by the Union as a humane prison for Confederate diplomats, soldiers, and high-ranking political prisoners. It was also used as a training ground for different Union regiments. The fort was equipped with heavy armament, a searchlight station, a hospital, and even "murder holes," which trapped invaders in the captain's quarters and allowed him to shoot them effortlessly.
A Confederate Memorial was placed on Georges Island in 1963, honoring the thirteen prisoners who died at the fort, which held more than 2,300 prisoners during the war. Local lore holds that one of them was - none other than - Samuel Lanier.
The bastion fort remained active during the Spanish American War and World War I and was reactivated during World War II before being deactivated in 1949.
Today, this National Historic Landmark attracts hundreds of tourists to its shores every year. Whether ghost hunting in Boston - or just looking for a dose of American history, Fort Warren should be on your list. Remember to bring your sneakers, these ghosts like to chase people around! Fort Warren's Civil War dead are only part of the epidemic, execution, and warfare that haunt Boston to this day.
Know Before You Go
Georges Island can be reached by seasonal ferry from Boston, generally from late spring through early fall. The Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park offers guided tours of Fort Warren with the option to explore on your own. Tours are conducted twice a day at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Location
Georges Island Boston, MA
The pentagonal fortress rising from Boston Harbor
The haunted corridors where the Lady in Black roams
