In 1845, Fort Severn was acquired by the War Department to be used as a Naval College, now USNA Annapolis. Illustrious alumni include Admirals Halsey, Nimitz, Rickover and Zumwalt, President Carter and Senator/Presidential candidate McCain. The USNA is home to ghosts and urban legends.
Annapolis' Lieutenant’s Ghost
October 13, 1907: Lt. James Sutton died at the Academy under mysterious circumstances. There were whispers that he was beaten before he died. There was an immediate inquiry about his cause of death. The official report stated it was suicide due to a “mental breakdown.” His friends disagreed, noting that he was rational and easy going.
On the day he died, Sutton’s apparition appeared to his mother who lived hundreds of miles from Annapolis. He told her he had been beaten before being shot by another officer. The family demanded a full second investigation. The body was exhumed. The autopsy proved Sutton had been beaten prior to his death. The shooter was never identified.
