Friday night marked All Hallows Eve and in the spirit of this night we attended the Old Fort Erie Halloween Tour, (unfortunately we forgot our camera for the evening) a great tour anytime of the year as Fort Erie and the Niagara Region has history of American’s, British, Canadians, and Natives along with one of the bloodiest battlefields in Canadian history. A tour I recommend to everyone during Old Fort Erie open season. Our tour led by Justin dressed in British marine uniform of the 1800′s guided us along the fields of battle and inside the Fort where British soldiers lived, fought and died battling the American’s in an effort to siege the Fort in August and September of 1814 in which the Americans succeeded and on November 5th, 1814 the US Army destroyed what remained of Fort Erie and returned to Buffalo, NY. The British Army then re-occupied and re-built the Fort until they abandoned it in 1823.
The Niagara Parks Commission purchased the land, re-constructed and opened it to the pubic on July 1, 1939.
A long history it is with many amazing stories, artifacts and skeletal remains in a beautiful museum located inside the Fort itself. Stories of the haunting from two American soldiers Sargent Waits and Corporal Reeds during their occupation of the Fort , one became headless the other losing his hands after an explosion of a cannon overhead took place. Today are still seen roaming the field as ghostly figures as though looking for something they lost one helping the other try to find it as one cannot see the other cannot pick it up if they did find it. As this was unknown whether the two soldiers tales were fact or fiction except in memories written by a 14 year old drummer in the 11th U.S. Infantry during the War of 1812 called Soldiers of 1814: American enlisted men’s memoirs of the Niagara Campaign
U.S. Price
Another story still today told by a caretaker is that of the officers room and one in particular where Captain Kingsley slept. According to the story, that has also been told in “Ghosts of War: Restless Spirits of Soldiers” by Jim Belanger, the Captain suffered a lung disease in which he had to sleep sitting up propped against his pillows or else he would drown while he slept as his lungs would fill up with blood and bile he would need to spit up every morning upon awakening. To help his symptoms the Captain began taking Mercury pills that led to mercury poisoning upon driving him to insanity.
He would get up every morning throwing about the room his pillows and blankets from his bed. His death resulted in violent convulsions from taking of the mercury pills. To this day, there are reports of caretakers after securing the room with locks and alarms, returning the next morning finding the pillows misplaced at times found on top of the canopy and blankets ruffled. No one in the room including the caretakers are allowed near the bed, one of the oldest artifacts of the Fort. One reason the bed is so old it would collapse if anyone were to even sit on it. Visitors also have reported seeing things move in the room while wandering around the Fort admiring each individual room.
These only a couple of stories of the soldiers who fought and died and are still said to occupy and guard the Old Fort and haunt the Town of Fort Erie to this day.
These very interesting stories of our past history and how the Niagara Region was a battle ground and became part of Canadian history.
Many bloody wars and loss of life of soldiers have been fought since and continue today that we must never forget but always honor our brave men and woman past, present and in the future.
Another brave Canadian solider died on Friday in Afghanistan after spending less then a week after deployment. During his patrol in the Panjwai district 10 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City a bomb exploded killing 24 year old Sapper Steven Marshal from the 11 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta. Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26 was also killed Wednesday when hit by an IED southwest of Kandahar City during foot patrol.
As we wind down from October, celebrating in the Halloween spirit we can never forget in 11 days one of the most honored days we show respect is approaching. Our soldiers always deserve a salute and remembrance but this is one time a country as a whole is asked to do it together.
I’m passing on an email I received from The Historica-Dominion Institute asking all Canadians to take the two minutes on November 11 and remember and give thanks together, for if it wasn’t for these brave men and women past, present and in the future, our rights and freedoms to celebrate our holidays and rituals and everyday freedoms would not be as we know it.
If you have a personal or business blog or website please download and display the 2 minutes of Remembrance Logo to show your support and remind those of your visitors ‘lest we forgot’
Remembrance Day is a day like no other in Canada. It is an occasion – once a year, every autumn – for Canadians to honour those who have served, and continue to serve, our country. It is a unique expression of solidarity for those who have died so that we can live in freedom.
On November 11, The Historica-Dominion Institute is inviting all Canadians – at home, at school, at work – to take two minutes to remember.
Two minutes of silence, everywhere, across this country. Two minutes to stop and think. Two minutes to reflect and respect.
Imagine those of us at home, at school, in offices, factories and farms, stopping for two minutes. Imagine Canadians from coast to coast to coast — on the street, in the supermarket, at train stations, bus terminals or airports — stopping for two minutes to honour the men and women who have died to make this country what it is.
We invite you to join us in this personal commitment:
At eleven o’clock on November 11, we will take two minutes to remember. We will stand up and be silent. When we do, we will join our fellow Canadians, wherever they may be, whatever language they speak, in honouring those who have served and are serving Canada, and those who have died for our country. When we take two minutes to remember, we pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice.
Sign up and take two minutes to remember.
Invite your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to join us.
Download and display the logo to show that you will take 2 minutes to remember.
Thank you
Andrew Cohen
President
The Historica-Dominion Institute
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