Derrick Boat No. 8 in Oswego’s historic maritime district was transformed into the setting of “Tales of the Haunted Harbor” presented by local historian Rosemary Nesbitt Friday night. It was also the site of a remembrance ceremony for the 252nd anniversary of the massacre of women and children at Fort Oswego during the French and Indian War.

Remembering history
The well-attended events started at 8:15 p.m. with the remembrance ceremony. Those attending were given candles as a troupe of re-enactors from Fort Ontario made their way to the front. Nesbitt described how French General Marquis de Montcalm made landfall with about 5,000 soldiers who captured Fort Ontario and then bombarded Fort Oswego into submission. According to Nesbitt, sources vary on the exact number of women and children who were in the fort. English records indicate 69, while French records report approximately 150.

She spoke of how after surrendering, French soldiers and their Huron allies — on the very spot of the evening’s entertainment — killed many of the women and children. Nesbitt continued to speak on how their sacrifice paved the way for the Oswego we enjoy today. She described the defeat at Fort Oswego and Fort Ontario as the “door of the Revolutionary War.”

After her speech, a group from St. Paul’s choir sang “Amazing Grace” — a hymn that would have been in the prayer books of the soldiers stationed at Fort Oswego at the time of the battle. The Rev. Richard Morrisette of St. Mary’s next gave a blessing over what Nesbitt described as “hallowed ground” while dressed in priest’s robes authentic to the period.  “(Oswego) is one of the most distinguished spots in the country,” Nesbitt told the audience, noting that Oswegonians should take pride in the city’s history.

The historian explained that the ceremony is a time for local residents to hear and learn about some of the more obscure and often-forgotten events of history. “We know the famous people and events like George Washington and Gettysburg and Valley Forge, but this country could not have gotten off the ground if not for common, local people whose actions aren’t in the history books,” Nesbitt said.  “(The evening was about) local people recognizing local contributions.”

This community, she said, owes them a debt. Events such as this are especially important for children because they need to know their heritage: that were it not for an accident of birth they very well could have been the ones living in the forts back then. History doesn’t honor the memory of what happened here 252 years ago because the women and their children were camp followers, but that shouldn’t matter, the historian said. “I want all women who have done things for this country like they did to be honored … they’ve always been there but only rarely acknowledged,” she said.

Haunted tales are told
Following the remembrance ceremony, Rosemary Nesbitt untied her braids, let down her hair and began her haunted tales bathed in an eerie green light, saying “Much more speaks to us here tonight that just me.” She spun stories of ghosts and hauntings ranging from the city’s inception through the present day. A few new stories were unveiled but Nesbitt was careful to include perennial favorites such as the girl in the glass coffin on West Fifth Street and the Seneca Hill ghost saying that she received a flurry of phone calls in previous years when she neglected to tell them.

Another such favorite told was the tale of Basil Dunbar, a soldier stationed at Fort Ontario who was court martialed for abandoning his guard post after seeing a ghost. Nesbitt informed those gathered that he was the only soldier on record at the War Department who was cleared of a court martial for seeing a ghost. To the delight of the audience, she directed the crowd’s attention across the Oswego river to Fort Ontario where the lantern light of the ghost could be seen stalking the western ramparts.

Nesbitt’s stories lasted for nearly an hour and a half. Her tales of strange and wondrous happenings were united by the connections she was careful to draw between the civic pride and contributions of Oswego’s past and present citizens. Many of those in attendance come every year to hear Nesbitt speak, and every year, no tale seems to capture the imagination of the audience quite like the tale of the Seneca Hill Ghost.

“I used to pooh-pooh it, but the woman who first related her story to me is a very honest person whose feet are very firmly planted and she honestly believes that she saw something,” Nesbitt said of the infamous story. “Before I started telling of it, nothing had ever been written or dramatized about it. I first told it on the college radio station 15 years ago and within five minutes of concluding the broadcast I received a flood of about 40 calls from people claiming to have seen it. My own daughter feels cold air and vibrations when driving there. I think it’s so popular because it’s a living story. So many people in the community have experienced something on Seneca Hill and continue to.”

Nesbitt has been telling her haunted tales for 22 years. The popularity of the program is largely the result of the historian’s imaginative descriptions of her stories. “I’m a natural storyteller,” she said. “If I was born a thousand years ago I would have been a bard. I don’t prepare any notes or write anything down. Over-preparation makes a dead story — it becomes stilted. These stories stay in my head and stay with me if I leave them there. It also helps that I really enjoy it; I get a great kick out of it and I’m glad that the community seems to as well.”