FORT WASHITA
Fort Washita before the Civil War
FORT WASHITA
Near Durant, Oklahoma
Located in the south-central part of
Oklahoma are the ruins of Fort Washita. The fort was established in 1841
and was abandoned to Confederate forces in 1861. Sometime between those
years, a murder took place which may have given the fort its resident
ghost — or at least one of them. The ruins and rebuilt barracks are still
said to be haunted today by this restless spirit, the ghost of a headless
woman who has been dubbed “Aunt Jane”.
In 1841, the U.S. Army, under the command of General
Zachary Taylor, constructed Fort Washita north of modern day Durant, Oklahoma.
Though considered isolated even by frontier standards, Fort Washita was
constructed in order to establish law and order in the southeastern
territories and to protect the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian tribes from rival
Indian tribes. The fort contained a large stable and corral to support the
cavalry and dragoons who frequently patrolled the plains to protect Indian and
settler alike from raiding Comanches.
At the start of the Civil War, in 1861, Federal troops
abandoned fort Washita. Confederate soldiers operating in the area later used
the fort as a major supply depot and hospital facility during the war. After
the war, the fort was burned to the ground and abandoned. When the Department
of the Interior assumed control of Fort Washita, in 1870, it was considered
obsolete. Instead of reactivating the fort, the Department of the Interior
deeded the property to a Chickasaw Indian named Charles Colbert and his
family. Charles rebuilt the barracks inside the compound for use as a private
residence. The first night Charles, his family, and his 32 dogs spent the
night at their new home. When Charles awoke the next morning, he found that
all of the dogs had disappeared during the night. Charles spent the following
day tracking down all 32 of the dogs and returning them to the fort. The next
morning, Charles awoke again to find that all of the dogs had again escaped
the house. Charles could not find any logical reason for the dogs
disappearance. It is said that this series of strange events was the main
reason Charles and his family moved away from the fort a short time later.
The next tenant of Fort Washita fared no better than
Charles Colbert and his family did against the ghosts that inhabited the old
post. A doctor named Steele and his sister moved into the renovated barracks
formerly occupied by the Colberts. Dr. Steeles sister was responsible for
taking care of the house, and it was not long before she was reporting strange
unexplainable experiences both in the house and on the adjoining grounds. Some
people later alleged that Dr. Steeles sister had encountered the forts spirit
denizens while others attributed her experiences as figments of a fevered
imagination. As a result of these other worldly encounters, Dr. Steeles
sister experienced a nervous break down. A short time later, the Steeles
moved away. Since that time, no one else has dared to take up official
residence on the property.
In 1962, the Oklahoma Historical Society purchased the
buildings and grounds of Fort Washita. Extreme weather conditions and neglect
left its mark on the post over the years. At the time the fort was purchased
by the Oklahoma Historical Society, many of the buildings had collapsed or
were in drastic need of repair.
In 1965, one of the graves in the post cemetery was
exhumed. Imagine every ones surprise when two bodies were found inside, one
old, and one not so old. Forensic evidence revealed that the older (original)
body belonged to a sixteen-year-old boy who had died of meningitis. More
puzzling was the fact that the boys skull had a deep gash near the temple. It
was determined that newer body was that of an unidentified Hispanic male whos
body had been hidden in the boys grave many years later.
The most unique spirit said to inhabit Fort Washita is that
of Aunt Jane. It is unclear exactly who Aunt Jane was, or how she died. Over
the years, several stories about Aunt Janes untimely demise have been handed
down from generation to generation. Each time her story has been told, it is
further embellished making it extremely hard to validate. However, it is
possible that she was killed at the fort some time between 1842 and 1861.
One story suggests that Aunt Jane was a free Negro that had
come to Fort Washita during the Civil War to spy on its Confederate occupants.
It is said that when the Confederates uncovered Aunt Janes true identity and
mission, she was summarily executed by beheading, and her body and head were
buried in separate graves.
The second story is a contradictory variation of the first.
In this version, Aunt Jane, is actually a white woman. The influential wife of
an officer stationed at the fort, Aunt Jane was rumored to have always carried
$20 dollars in gold with her, no matter where she went. One day while
returning from town, bandits who wanted her gold reportedly accosted her. In
the ensuing struggle, the one of the bandits allegedly cut off Aunt Janes
head
The third account of Aunt Janes murder involves a love
triangle. As in the second account, Aunt Jane is the wife of an officer
stationed at Fort Washita. One night, her husband returned home from a patrol
and found his beloved in bed with another soldier who was also stationed at
the fort. In a fit of rage, Aunt Janes husband set upon the two lovers and
beheaded them both on the spot. Later, the outraged husband threw the heads of
Aunt Jane and her lover in the Washita River.
Even though the possible causes of Aunt Janes death are
open to some debate, the nature and timing of her frequent appearances are not
as suspect. The ghost of Aunt Jane is said to search for her head and or her
hidden cache of gold only on the nights of the full moon in the months of
March and October.
Today, visitors and historic reenactors have reported
strange encounters with the ghosts of Fort Washita. During one of the many
Civil War reenactments held at the fort, several visiting high school students
were sitting outside on the second floor deck of a recently reconstructed
barracks. As the students looked across the court yard toward the old stables,
they saw what appeared to be a green apparition walk from the barracks to the
stables. In another instance, two female members of a living history group
were spending the night in the Bonahan cabin, west of the fort. On this
particular evening, one of the women claimed that she was suddenly disturbed
from her slumber by the sensation that she was being strangled.
A few hours later, the second woman awoke and reported that
she could sense an invisible presence hovering over her. On the second night,
a third woman joined the two reenactors. The very next morning, each of the
women reported that they had been plagued during the night by dreams involving
suffocation.
It is the personal encounters of people who have visited
Fort Washita and the ghost stories like that of Aunt Jane that draw ghost
hunters from around the country top this mysterious historical location. The
fort and many reconstructed buildings are open to the public on a daily basis.
Fort Washita continues to be preserved for future generations by the Oklahoma
Historical Society.
Fort Washita Historic Site:
Star Route 213
Durant, Oklahoma, 74701
(580) 924-6502
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© Copyright 2003 by David Goodwin. All Rights Reserved.