fort washita tours

The dramatic story of Indian fights and endless patrols, as well as fort construction and camp life, is preserved at the Oklahoma Historical Society's Fort Washita, located near Madill and Durant.

15 miles northwest of Durant, and 15 miles east of Madill, on SH-199.

Monday - Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed on major State/Federal holidays.

In 1841 Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians were busy building schools and establishing law and order in southeastern Indian territory. Their prosperity, however, was threatened by raiding plains Indians and instability on the frontier. To intercept such raiding parties and to maintain peace, the U.S. Army established Fort Washita.

In the late summer of 1841, General Zachary Taylor, with a small detachment of mounted troopers, rode far into the frontier of Indian Territory, eighty miles west of the nearest fort. His mission was to find the best site for a new military outpost, from which soldiers could protect the Choctaws and Chickasaws.

After thoroughly exploring the wooded region, "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor selected a site eighteen miles north of the Red River on the Washita River, a mile and a half east of the stream. The new fort, occupied in April of 1842, was named Fort Washita.

Isolated even by frontier standards, soldiers moving onto the site for construction experienced supply difficulties. Unlike most military installations, local materials had to be used for construction and food had to be obtained in the area. Manufactured goods from St. Louis and New Orleans were shipped to Doaksville, located near Fort Towson eighty miles to the east, and then moved west on the Red River to the Washita.

Construction was started by Captain George Blake using Companies A and F of the 2nd Dragoons. Because of worn equipment and supply problems, construction was slow. Temporary log barracks were built in 1842 and served until the large south barracks were built in 1850. The supply problem slowed permanent construction and forced the troops to use temporary log structures years beyond the normal period.

The fort served as a staging area for forays west against raiding plains tribes. The Comanches, styled "Lords of the Southern Plains," proved the most consistent foes of the Washita garrison. Because the columns operating west out of the fort were of necessity made up of cavalry and dragoons, the fort had an extensive corral and stable area, as well as shops for blacksmiths and farriers.

The fort ultimately covered an extensive area. The parade ground was enclosed on the south by the South Barracks, enlisted men's quarters now restored. On the west were the West Barracks (now in ruins), used for enlisted men. To the north was the Commanding Officer's Quarters, and to the east were the Bachelor's Officers' Quarters. Behind and north of the Commanding Officer's Quarters were the Married Officers' Quarters and the new Hospital. South of the South Barracks was the Commissary, the old Hospital, and the Guard House.

Captain George McClellan

Many prominent men served at Fort Washita during its heyday. Among them were General Zachary Taylor, Captains Randolph B. Marcy and George B. McClellan, and General William G. Belknap. In 1854 Colonel Braxton Bragg, later a Confederate general, commanded the 2nd Artillery Regiment stationed at the fort.

Fort Washita was abandoned by federal forces in 1861, soon after the capture of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Confederate forces from Texas occupied the fort, and it became a major supply depot for Confederate troops in Indian Territory. General Douglas Cooper commanded the fort briefly after the Battle of Honey Springs, the largest battle fought in Indian Territory. He is buried at the fort. General Albert Pike served at the fort for a short period, and commanded near-by Fort McCulloch, named for Confederate General Ben McCulloch. Stand Watie, a Cherokee who was a Confederate brigadier general, was one of the officers commanding the southern occupation forces. The fort was also a regional headquarters and hospital facility for southern troops operating in the area.

In 1870 the War Department transferred the fort to the Department of the Interior, and it was never reactivated. Frontier expansion had overtaken the fort and at the time of its abandonment it was militarily obsolete.

From the Department of the Interior the land was turned over to the Chickasaw family of Abbie Davis Colbert and her son. The remaining structures of the fort served as farm buildings well into the 20th century. The Colbert family also utilized the cemetery as a family burial ground.

For ninety years the buildings and grounds of Fort Washita collapsed in disrepair. Then, in 1962, Ward S. Merrick, Sr., of Ardmore, contributed money to the Oklahoma Historical Society for the fort's purchase. Five years later the state legislature appropriated money for restoration which continues to this day under the guidance of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

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Fort Washita Historic Site

3348 Highway 199 Durant , OK 74701 United States

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Fort Washita was established in 1842, in the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory and was used as a staging ground for the Mexican War. In the 1850s it was a United States Army Artillery School. Famous Civil War leaders who served earlier at Fort Washita included: Randolph B. Marcy, George McClellan , William G. Belknap, Theophylus H. Holmes, and numerous others. Federal troops abandoned Fort Washita in 1861, and it was occupied by Confederate troops during the Civil War as the headquarters of Brig. Gen. Douglas Cooper . Fort Washita National Historic Landmark today includes ruins, restored barracks, and the parade ground.

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Fort Washita

Fort washita.

Fort Washita was built in 1842 as the southwestern-most military post of the United States. The mission of Fort Washita was to protect the people of the recently immigrated Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. Fort Washita operated as a United States military post until the start of the Civil War in 1861. Confederate forces then occupied it through 1865 and almost entirely destroyed the fort as they fled at the end of the Civil War. After the war, the fort was granted to the Chickasaw Nation. Later, the Dawes Commission allotted the fort to the Colbert family, who owned the property until the Oklahoma Historical Society acquired it in 1962. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Historical Landmark. Visitors to Fort Washita can tour restored structures, witness Civil War reenactments, and take part in the yearly Fur Trade Era Rendezvous to experience what life was like before and during the Civil War. Other events throughout the year include storytelling, outdoor movies, and special seasonal and holiday events that the whole family can enjoy. For Additional Information – 3348 Highway 199, Durant, OK | (580)924-6502 | Facebook

UPCOMING EVENTS: March 30 - April 2 | Fort Washita Rendezvous

Battle of Buffalo Wallow (on the Washita)

Michael Trevis

Michael has a BA in History & American Studies and an MSc in American History from the University of Edinburgh. He comes from a proud military family and has spent most of his career as an educator in the Middle East and Asia. His passion is travel, and he seizes any opportunity to share his experiences in the most immersive way possible, whether at sea or on the land.

Sept. 12–13, 1874

Hwy. marker-buffalo wallow battle ground: from canadian, travel south on u.s. 83, approximately 15.5 miles, turn left onto s.h. 277, continue approximately 7 miles to dirt road, take right turn, continue about 1 mile to marker..

Here on September 12th, 1874, two scouts and four soldiers defeated 125 Kiowa and Comanche Indians. Scouts: William Dixon, Amos Chapman Soldiers: Sergeant Z. T. Woodall, Co. I; Peter Rath, Co. A; John Harrington, Co. H.; George W. Smith, Co. M, 6th Cavalry. Stand Silent: Heroes here have been who cleared the way for other men. Erected by Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, September 12th, 1925. This site marked under direction of J. J. Long, Mobeetie, Texas. Mrs. William Dixon, Miami, Texas. (1966)

A nineteenth-century Kiowa ledger drawing that may depict the Buffalo Wallow fight. (University of Texas)

The following book is from the book, Panhandle Pilgrimage, by Pauline Durrett Robertson and R.L. Robertson.

Some of the Indians who withdrew from the Lyman fight had found another target a few miles away, as they headed south toward Palo Duro Canyon.

Billy Dixon

In the early dawn of September 12, 1874, a group of six white men riding northeast approached the Washita River on their way to Camp Supply with dispatches from Col. Miles. Two nights previously Miles, from his camp on McClellan Creek, five miles north of present-day McLean, Texas, had sent two noted Army scouts, Billy Dixon and Amos Chapman, with four enlisted men, Sgt. Woodhall and Privates Rath, Harrington, and Smith, to report on the continued absence of the wagon train of supplies under Lyman's guard.

The six men were riding hard to find a place to hide for the day, as they were traveling at night to avoid Indians on the warpath in the Panhandle. Suddenly the small group found themselves surrounded by approximately 125 mounted Kiowa and Comanches warriors.

There was no shelter anywhere, not even a patch of weeds, as the whole prairie had been burned off a few days before by Indians retreating from Lt. Baldwin. The couriers' horses were tired from all-night riding; so a mounted conflict was out. The worst danger would be in becoming separated so that the Indians could pick them off one by one. They must dismount and make a stand for their lives, though it looked futile.

Pvt. Smith, while taking charge of their six horses, was shot down in the first minutes of the fight. The horses stampeded, taking with them canteens, haversacks, blankets and coats. Thirty minutes later every member of the small company had been struck, one mortally and three others severely wounded.

With odds of 25 to 1 in their favor,the Indians were sure of victory; so, instead of killing the trapped men and moving on, they indulged in a game of cat and mouse. Circling their victims on horseback and firing on a dead run, they prolonged the early stages of the fight. After a while they desisted and rode away a short distance to watch.

With this first breathing spell, the five remaining men began looking around for cover. A mesquite flat several hundred yards away was the best place, but they realized they would never make it that far alive. Amos Chapman was down with the bone of his left knee shattered, Smith was apparently dead on the prairie, and Billy Dixon had received one wound, a bullet in the calf of his leg which did not disable him.

It was Dixon who spotted a slight depression several yards away, a buffalo wallow (where the animals had pawed and rolled around to escape the summer heat). It was about 10 feet in diameter and shallow, but it was their only hope for any kind of protection.

One by one the desperate men made a run for the buffalo wallow, with arrows and bullets whizzing all around, until by noon all except Smith and Chapman were safely there. As each one dived into the depression, he started digging furiously with his butcher knife and his hands to throw up the dirt higher around the perimeter of the circle, and at the same time to deepen the hole in which they must crouch. The digging went fast because of the sandy loam, but was, of necessity, interspersed with firing at the Indians in order to keep them at a distance. Dixon, a former buffalo hunter, was renowned for his accuracy with a rifle (Battle of Adobe Walls), and Indians fell with regularity.

Chapman, too, was a crack shot,but was unable to run for the wallow because of his wounded knee. His exposed position on the prairie inhibited his firing to some extent. Dixon , as recorded in his book, tried several times to run to Chapman but was forced back each time by a volley of bullets. At last, early in the afternoon, Dixon said, he made it to Chapman and, using all his ebbing strength, carried him back through a rain of gunfire to the wallow.

Smith's body still lay face down on the parched ground, but they decided not to risk lives to bring him in. His gun, lying in the open some distance from his body, was never captured by an Indian. If one approached it, he was immediately show down from the wallow.

The Indians, proud of their horsemanship, "circled round us or dashed past, yelling and cutting all kinds of capers." They knew Chapman well, since he had lived with the Indians and had married an Indian woman. He was the "female tribesperson man" who had warned Harnahan at Adobe Walls of the impending Indian attack. Frequently the warriors called out to him as they rode past, "Amos, Amos, we got you now." Occasionally a small group charged straight at the wallow, spears poised, but each time the leader was brought down.

The afternoon wore on, and the hot September sun bore down on the man in the buffalo wallow. Every man was suffering from thirst, since their water supply had been lost with the horses and, according to Dixon, "In the stress and excitement of such an encounter, even a man who is not wounded grows painfully thirsty, and his tongue and lips are soon as dry as a whetstone." Having overcome their earlier anxiety and turmoil, they were not "perfectly cool," each man sitting upright in the wallow to conceal their crippled condition from the Indians.

They had shot nearly all of their cartridges away and the Indians, venturing closer at every opening, would soon discover their plight and overwhelm them in a great howl of victory. Realizing the fate of live captives in the hands of the Indians, their only thought in the apparently hopeless situation was to fight to their last breath. That their steady aim was effective was attested to by the increasing number of dead horses scattered in a ring of death around them.

By mid afternoon the parched men were so weak from loss of blood that they could scarcely move. Their thirst was all-consuming, but still they sat erect, answering bullet for bullet, but hopefully watching dark clouds approaching from the north.

Just as it seemed that all was lost, that same rainstorm which had just drenched Lyman's battlefield less than 10n miles across the Washita now swept over this one. Lightning and thunder dramatized their salvation, and torrents of cool rain fell upon them. The rain gathered quickly in their 6-foot square hole, and the men gratefully slaked their thirst on the muddy water, colored by blood from their wounds.

Typical of Panhandle weather was the sudden change which followed. From sweltering heat, the afternoon changed to a sharp cold as the strong wind shifted to the north. The Indians, who disliked cold and rain, retreated out of range, drew their blankets tightly around them, and sat huddled on their ponies. Cold water deepened in the wallow, and the five hungry, wounded men shivered and ached as they took stock of their situation.

Ammunition was their immediate concern. Private Rath, taking advantage of the Indians inattention, ran to Smith's side on the flat to salvage his rifle, revolver, and ammunition belt. To his surprise he found Smith still alive. With Dixon's help he managed to bring the private into their makeshift fortress, where they realized that a bullet through his lungs had made a mortal wound. Nevertheless, Smith was propped in an upright position to conceal how bad his condition was.

At sundown the Indians, cold and wet, disappeared. Dixon and Rath gathered tumbleweeds brought in by the stiff wind, crushed them, and made a bed of sorts in the wallow to shield the men from the damp ground.

In the long, dreadful night of September 12, 1874, Smith, who in his agony had begged his companions to kill him, quietly died. The survivors lifted his body outside on the mesquite grass stubble. Private Rath left the wallow in the dark of night to seek help, but couldn't find Miles' trail' so he returned in two hours.

The next morning, September 13, was clear and warm without an Indian in sight. Dixon volunteered to go for help and left the tattered and crippled group almost defenseless in the wallow. Within a mile he struck Miles' back trail and soon spotted a large military outfit in the distance. He attracted its attention by firing his gun twice. The column turned out to be Maj. Price with four companies of the Eighth Cavalry from New Mexico, about 225 men in all. Undoubtedly, Price's appearance in the vicinity had frightened the Indians away from the buffalo wallow as well as from Lyman's wagons.

Price followed Dixon back to the wallow, but did little to relive the miserable men, according to Dixon. His surgeon made a brief examination; the five surviving men needed an ambulance, and Price had none. Some of Price's soldiers tossed them buffalo meat which they ate raw, and the major sent a courier to Miles with the news. Then he moved on. The hapless five men endured another day of uncertainty and pain in the wallow. Price later explained that he was in need of supplies himself and was hunting his wagons at the time Dixon contacted him. His independent command ended four days later when Price's force was assigned to Col. Miles' command.

It was midnight of that day, September 18, 1874, before aid came from Miles and the wounded men received proper medical attention and food. (That same night Lyman's wagon train across the Washita was rescued by troops from Camp Supply and also joined Miles the next day).

At that time George Smith's body was wrapped in an army blanket and buried in the buffalo wallow, where it has remained since. The wounded men were sent to Camp Supply for treatment. Amos Chapman's leg was amputated above the knee. The others recovered and continued with the Army.

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Fort Washita Historic Site

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Fort Washita Historic Site - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Rambling Russells

Uncategorized · December 4, 2021

The Intriguing Story of the Fort Washita Historic Site

Traveling the back roads has almost always led us to find unexpected places and events. That is why we LOVE ‘Rambling’ so much! One of those recent rambles led us past the Fort Washita Historic Site.

We were coming back to the Wichita Falls area from Durant, Oklahoma. As we were driving on the small two-lane country road, we passed a sign that said Fort Washita.

We turned around and were amazed as we drove through this little park out in the middle of nowhere. The area intrigued us, but we learned it has a long, complicated history.

Long Before it was Fort Washita Historic Site

Indigenous plains tribes hunted and traveled throughout what would become Oklahoma Territory long before the Indian Removal Act of 1830. These nations didn’t consider the environment- including land, as a possession. To them, the area was a resource to be used and shared but never dominated, by a group or individual to the exclusion of others. 

Whites displaced the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, and Choctaw nations. Those nations, in turn, displaced the Cheyenne, Wichita, and Kiowa, from their hunting grounds.

Add to that, trappers and outlaws found it easier to their lifestyle to live in unsettled lands on the north side of the Red River and east of the Washita River. Other unscrupulous intruders evaded the Republic of Texas Militia. They did so by hiding out in these new lands.

Nobody approved of it when tens of thousands of members of eastern tribes were forced down the trail of tears, into Oklahoma Territory.

Tensions ran high from multiple angles: within and among Indian tribes and outside threats in the new home of the Chickasaw people. Choctaw tribes fared no better. Southern plains Indians constantly raided the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations.

Activity on the Post

The Indian Territory wasn’t a safe place for peaceful people. In 1842, General Zachary Taylor-later President Zachary Taylor selected a site and established Fort Washita.

The United States Military sent federal forces to Fort Washita. It was the westernmost military post of the United States. The mission of Fort Washita was to protect the displaced Chickasaw Nation from the plains tribes. The plains tribes were squeezed out of their traditional hunting lands.

Federal Troops & Indian Agencies

The garrison averaged 150 federal troops for the first few years until the beginning of the Mexican-American war. In 1846 the number of U.S. forces rose to 2000. The fort served as a staging area and became a major supply depot for the war. The Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian Agencies resided at the fort during this time as well.

California Gold Rush

The war ended in February 1848, and they discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in California the same year. The gold rush brought traffic through Fort Washita along the lower branch of the southern California Road.

The permanent building of the fort continued until 1858. At that time the Indian relations eased, the relocated tribes became more settled, and westward expansion moved beyond the area. The fort briefly closed in 1858 and reopened in the same year because of increased tensions from the Cherokee.

Confederate Troops Took Possession

Confederate troops overtook the post in 1861 at the beginning of the American Civil War when the Union forces abandoned it. The confederate army maintained control throughout the war.

The Choctaw Indians and Chickasaw sided with the confederacy. Fort Washita became an important asset to the South. It served as a supply station and military hospital. A confederate cemetery remains on the grounds of Fort Washita today.

The End of Fort Washita

When the confederacy dissolved at the end of the war, the forces burned and abandoned many of the buildings. The United States never reoccupied the fort. By 1870, the property was turned over to the Department of the Interior. In 1887 the Dawes Act provided for allotment of lands to individual families.

The property was placed in private hands when tribe members, the Abbie Davis Colbert family received the allotment including the fort from the Dawes Commission. The Charles Colbert family used the remaining structures as headquarters for their farm and the east barracks as their home until 1917 when the building was destroyed by fire.

Oklahoma Historical Society

In 1962 the Oklahoma Historical Society purchased the grounds from the Colbert family. In 1965 Fort Washita Historic Site was placed on the national register of historic places and the federal government declared a National Historic Landmark. Several of the restored structures and a gift shop opened on site.

The fort is a mere 2 1/2 hours from either Fort Gibson or Oklahoma City. The site is a tourist attraction suitable for the whole family.

There are two cemeteries and restored buildings including surgeon’s quarters. Additionally, there are officer’s quarters, wooden structures, and log structures for viewing today.

The premises have educational stations for individual or group tours, civil war reenactments. You may plan your trip to coincide with a yearly fur trade era rendezvous or ghost tour.

The Guests Who Will Not Leave

Thankfully, since we were there during the day, we did realize that it was considered to be a haunted place. Aunt Jane is a greenish-hued specter, sans head, who wanders the fort grounds during the full moons in February and March.

The ghost has been unsuccessful with her attempts to strangle victims. However, she drove a Miss Steele who lived on the property at one time, totally insane. And stories say that Aunt Jane’s spirit possessed Molly Stalcup. Molly was a child who lived near the fort.

And there are still other ghost stories associated with the fort.

Odds are slim that many of you will accidentally drive by Fort Washington Historic Site. However, it’s an interesting and complicated enough place that it’s worth making a purposeful trip to visit.

And if you do happen to find yourself in the area, it’s a great place to stop, even if you aren’t interested in history. The grounds are kept immaculate and there are public bathrooms.

The mailing address is:

Fort Washita Historic Site

3348 State Road 199

Durant, Oklahoma 74701

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Take a Tour of Oklahoma’s Haunted Civil War Fort and Cemetery!

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The Sooner State has more than its fair share of haunted places and ghost stories. It seems no matter where you go in Oklahoma there are terrifying tales, urban legends, hauntings, and horrifying histories of just about every place you may visit. If you're into ghost hunting and the paranormal, we've got you covered in OK!

A look inside of what's left of the original Fort Washita in Durant, OK.

Speaking of haunted locations with a lot of history, not to mention supernatural activity, there's Fort Washita in Durant, OK. It was originally built back in 1842 by General Zachary Taylor , yes the same Zachary Taylor who ended up becoming the 12th President of the United States . I told you this place has some history.

Fort Washita was built with the intent of protecting citizens of both the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations from the Plains Indians and keeping the peace in the area. The fort was abandoned as the American Civil War started. The Confederate army took over Fort Washita and used it throughout the war until its end.

Grave marker at the Confederate cemetery on the grounds of Fort Washita

When the Civil War ended the Confederate Army burned the fort down and it's been abandoned ever since. The Oklahoma Historical Society now manages and oversees the historic site and it's open to tour. You can visit the remains of the old fort and the Confederate cemetery that is located on the grounds nearby.

As you can imagine with that much history there are more than a few ghost stories and rumored hauntings at the fort. One of the most well-known is about a woman named Aunt Jane. Her beheaded spirit has been seen wandering the fort and grounds. A truly terrifying ghost that is not only seen but heard screaming and crying.

The barracks at Fort Washita burned down back in 2010 but the shell remains

Allegedly she was tragically killed by a group of outlaws who were looking to rob her. They wanted her gold but she refused. Not only did they kill her, but they also beheaded and mutilated her body and buried it around Fort Washita. She's been seen walking the grounds by several visitors and investigators at the fort.

Hit play on the video below to learn more about Fort Washita in Durant, OK.

Aunt Jane was also rumored to have possessed a small child back in the late 1900s. The ghost of Aunt Jane continues to be very active and many have seen her. She's just one of the many spirits that have been seen, heard and felt at Fort Washita. Don't forget about the Confederate cemetery that's on the grounds.

It has around 200 soldiers' graves, most are unmarked and unknown. People have reported seeing several ghosts and strange happenings in and around the cemetery. This place is a very active haunt according to those who've made the trip and toured the fort and grounds. The barracks which were rebuilt back in the 1960s also burned down in 2010 but the shell of the building remains near the fort.

Sign marking the Confederate cemetery on the grounds at Fort Washita

The site often hosts tours, Civil War reenactments, and even ghost tours from time to time. Visitors from all over the world come to Fort Washita to experience not only the history but the famous spirits like Aunt Jane. We've heard all kinds of crazy stories through the years of this amazing and historical place!

If you're interested and brave enough you could visit Fort Washita. It's located at 3348 OK-199 in Durant, OK. You can get more information and plan your trip by visiting the official website by clicking here. You can also call (580) 924-6502 or (580) 371-9835 if you have any questions. It's FREE to tour, but donations are welcomed. They also offer group tours if scheduled in advance.

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Fort washita, the spirit of a murdered woman tried to bully the living., description.

Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum is a reconstruction of the 1800s military fort that has rebuilt buildings and the old ruins as well, offering a step back in time to visit what it was like to be stationed here. It played an important part in the protection and development of the western states.

It reminds me of other historical sites in North Dakota, like Fort Abercrombie or Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum’s state of development is probably in-between these two forts that are at different stages of being reconstructed. When Tom and I visited these two forts in 2012, Fort Abercrombie had the old jail, the building used as a museum, and a guard’s station rebuilt, though all the other buildings are mapped out as to where they originally were located. Abraham Lincoln State Park had a row of barracks reconstructed, the reconstructed house of General Custer, as well as the structure used as the gift shop. By 2021, they may have made some progress in their building plan.

The most complete 1800s fort that we have seen was Fort Bridger, Wyoming. It has been totally rebuilt, including cemetery, the houses of officers, Mess Hall, barracks, hospital etc.  Even Bridger’s Trading Post is there as well. We highly recommend the fort to visit.

Tom and I have never visited Fort Washita Historical Site yet but plan to do so in the future. There are restored structures which would be interesting to see and we would love to take the tour offered there or witness some of the Civil War reenactments and other events that take place here.

Their website states, “Visitors to Fort Washita can tour restored structures, witness Civil War reenactments and take part in the yearly Fur Trade Era Rendezvous to experience what life was like before and during the Civil War. Other events throughout the year include storytelling, outdoor movies and special seasonal and holiday events that the whole family can enjoy. On certain days, visitors are free to walk around the grounds of Fort Washita.”

“Location, Location, Location!”

This prime location was used for two other purposes before the Fort Washita, and for another army afterward.

This location “sat at a strategic point on the frontier. In addition to being located near the Red and Washita Rivers, there existed an ancient north-south trail through the area. In the Indian Territory this route was known as the Texas Road, leading from Missouri to Texas and beyond. This route was called the Old Preston Trail after it crossed into Texas.”

The Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition in 1834 saw this as the perfect place to set up their Camp Washita, as it was near a fresh water source, the Washita River; perfect place for their “base of operations for the area.”

The land where Camp Washita was built in had been the yearly meeting place for trappers to receive their provisions provided by the fur companies that hire them to trap beaver. It was a perfect location, with plenty of room for the throngs of trappers, being flat, as well as situated by a fresh water source. When fashion changed and people no longer wanted beaver fur, this ended the sponsorship of these trappers. It was a perfect location, not to be wasted.

In 1830, The Indian Removal Act dictated that the five southern-based civilized tribes:The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminoles were ordered to be relocated to the Indian Territory. The Choctaw, and the Chickasaws were moved to the southern part of the Indian Territory, that had been claimed by other people for a long time. The Chickasaws soon found that they would be harassed with constant raids by the other plains Native Americans like the Comanche, Wichita, Caddo, and Kiowa. While the Choctaws had the security of Fort Towson to protect them, the Chickasaws were open and vulnerable.

Besides the unfriendly Native American tribes, there were also the “Republic of Texas Militia, interference by unscrupulous intruders, and the presence of traders and trappers,” who saw this land as their space and trapping ground. These folks didn’t recognize that Congress had given their land away as they received no compensation or even told about it. Their voices were not heard during this era.

The need for a Federal fort to keep the peace was apparent. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Western Territory, William Armstrong, took action in 1838 and requested that the War Department build a fort there by the Washita River. Construction of Fort Washita began in the spring of 1842.

Companies A and F of the Second Dragoons were the ones who built the structures needed, under the command of Capt. George A. H. Blake.

By 1858, Fort Washita was like a small city. “A nearly continuous construction of permanent buildings at Fort Washita began in 1843. Within fifteen years a hospital, surgeon’s quarters, and barracks had been constructed of stone, in addition to the wooden structures. Other additions included such amenities as a bowling alley, a bar, a library, and a newspaper. Various companies of dragoons, infantry, and artillery garrisoned the facility from its founding until it closed in 1858.”

A cemetery was also probably needed for soldiers and civilians, who died in the hospital, or during conflicts, or health conditions. General Belknap, commander of Fort Arbuckle died on November 10, 1851 on an 1851 ambulance between Preston, Texas and Fort Washita bound for Fort Gibson to see his family. “He was interred at Fort Washita.”  An outlaw by the name Bean Starr died in the hospital here from wounds received during a shoot-out with authorities. Men who died in battles with Native Americans, bandits and other bad ones, and the Mexican American War were also buried here.

Two other important tasks landed in the lap of Fort Washita. Besides standing guard over the Texas frontier, it was a busy place during the Mexican American War, as the perfect staging area to organize supplies and troops. “The average fort garrison of 150 troops increased to almost 2000 troops. The Mexican–American War ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848.”

During the 1850s, the fort was a bustling stop for travelers “destined for the California gold fields,” or to settle in the far western territories. Many chose the southern route to avoid the cold and the outbreak of disease prevalent along the northern route. One of these new forts built to insure the safety of these travelers was Fort Arbuckle.

As new forts sprung up closer to trouble spots, the need for a fort at this location went away and the fort was abandoned in 1858; but was briefly reopened for a year during a Comanche uprising. It was abandoned again in 1859, but not for long! The Confederate Army moved in and especially appreciated the hospital facilities that were located there, to help take care of their wounded. Some soldiers died of their wounds and were buried in the Confederate Cemetery established here.

At the end of the Civil War, Confederate soldiers burned it to the ground in August of 1865, so no one else could use it, they thought. “In 1870, Fort Washita was transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Kept by the Chickasaw Nation, the grounds were allotted to tribe members in the early 1900s. In 1962 the State of Oklahoma purchased the land and transferred it to the Oklahoma Historical Society, and restoration of the site began.”

Fort Washita was added to the NHLD on June 23rd, 1965, and the National Register of Historic Places on October 15th, 1966.

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS

Spirits of young soldiers have a tendency to tease.

Kolb Court, GA (A spirit of a young Civl War soldier moved into one of the homes that was built on the battleground where he died in battle. He found ways to amuse himself by teasing the living).

General Wayne Inn, PA (Spirits of young Hessian soldiers found creative ways to tease young women sitting on the bar stools in the tavern part of this restaurant).

Saint Frances Inn, FL (Spirit of a young soldier likes to flirt with the female employees and has kissed a sleeping bride).

Fort Washita, OK (The mischief that happened here in the rebuilt barrack home sound like some soldiers getting their chuckles at the expense of the sister of Dr. Steele).

Spirits have been known to be attached to their gravestones and wander from them if restless.

Boot Hill, Tombstone, AZ (The spirit of outlaw cowboy Billy Clanton has been seen wandering up the road from the graveyard to try to redo the battle at the OK Corral).

Wood County Infirmary, OH (A spirit of a child is attached to her tombstone).

Pittsburgh Cemetery, PA (Spirits here are attached to their headstones located in this beautiful park-like cemetery).

Fort Washita, OK (Both Union and Confederate soldiers and officers, civilians and lawbreakers were buried in cemeteries on Fort Washita).

Soldiers who lived on a military base or fort, and perhaps are even buried there, sometimes continue to stay where they lived and worked, sometimes becoming possessive of an area.

Fort Sill, OK (A spirit in the old hospital structure let the living know that they were not welcome).

West Point Cadet Barracks, NY (A spirit of a 1800s’ cadet wouldn’t give up his room to living cadets).

USS Hornet, CA (Visitors are still not allowed in the surgery room that is strictly enforced by spectral medical personnel who still work there).

Fort Washita, OK (Spirits of Union or Confederate soldiers became upset with the living, rebuilding their old barracks that they had burned down. These civilians were living on a military base where they didn’t belong).

Spirits can get really annoyed or frustrated or upset when the living loose their grave, or the grave of their loved one..

Liberty Hall, KY (Mrs. Marvick’s grave is located somewhere on Liberty Hall property unmarked and unknown).

Saint Louis Cathedral, LA (The four men that were executed by the governor were buried in unmarked graves so the authorities couldn’t dig them up. Now they are lost forever).

The Carelton House, Fort Huachuca, AZ (young woman had a bad birth that resulted in her death and that of her baby. The baby was buried in an unmarked grave and the mother still looks for it).

Fort Washita, OK (A woman by the name of Aunt Jane was brutally murdered by having her head cut off, sometime between 1842-1861. There are four stories of how this happened).

Story One: Aunt Jane had buried her money to avoid being robbed by Confederate soldiers who came to the fort in 1861. Somehow they got wind of her buried fortune and tried to torture it out of her. When she refused, they cut off her head in frustration. She lost her head and life but not her fortune).

*Story Two: Aunt Jane was the wife of an officer stationed at Fort Washita. She had an affair with another officer.When her husband caught them in bed, he cut off both their heads with his sword and threw the heads in the Washita River in a fit of rage.

Story Three: Aunt Jane was a free Negro that had come to Fort Washita during the Civil War to spy on the Confederate soldiers during the time that they had charge of the fort. When the Confederate soldiers found out that Aunt Jane was a spy for the Union forces, they cut off her head with a sword and then buried her head and body in separate unmarked graves.

Story Four: A rumor was circulating that Aunt Jane, the wife of an officer, always carried twenty dollars in gold, wherever she traveled. One day when she was returning from town, thieves jumped her and one of them got mad and cut off her head, probably when they discovered that she didn’t have the gold on her; it was just a rumor. They may have taken her head as a prize).

People who lose their heads in death or even after death and the head isn’t buried with they body, the spirits sometimes stick around to look for it.

Old Chapel, Castleton, VT (Because there were a lack of cadavers to cut up for theirdirection class, some enterprising students went to the nearby graveyard and dug p a freshly buried body. They cut off her head so it would not be recognizable as being the late wife of a college official. When she was reburied, her head couldn’t be found.Oops!).

Old Faithful Inn, WY (An underhanded narcissist married his bride because she had a rich family; Money he could gamble with. When they were honeymooning at this inn, she took the ticket that her father had sent her, and was leaving when this reprobate cut off her head. He ran away to join the merchant marine. Her body was buried without her head because they didn’t find it until after the funeral).

Teak’s Island, GA (The spirit of pirate Blue Beard is still looking for his head on Teak’s Island).

Fort Washita. OK (Aunt Jane is still looking for her head).

When a spirit is possessive of a place, and doesn’t want to share, they can get aggressive to defend their turf. These spirits can sometimes take it out on the living.

Captain Bailey’s House Museum, NE (The poisoned Captain stomps around and slams the doors trying to scare the docents out of his house when he is in a fowl mood).

Harpers Ferry Guest House, WV (A spirit who has a strong grudge about anyone in a federal uniform would give them nasty looks, and even tried to push a female federal employee down the stairs).

John S. Cain House, Bodie CA (A maid that felt she was wronged felt that this home was hers and that she could harass any man who stayed here).

Fort Washita. OK (Spirits of soldiers apparently are still on duty here and very possessive of the buildings here).

(The spirit of Aunt Jane bullied a family who moved into a house she claimed until she was made to stop).

(An unknown spirit who has claimed The Bonahan Cabin does his best to scare the living out!).

MANIFESTATIONS

Spirit of aunt jane – out & about.

The living have reported seeing her headless apparition in a white gown, floating near the fort ruins.

Her apparition has been seen climbing up the walls of ruins, still looking for her head.

Some have said that they have seen her riding a horse pell-mell through the fort’s ruins, with her long, black hair flowing behind her.

What is interesting is that she has her “head” in this favorite pastime for Aunt Jane, or perhaps it is another spectral woman!).

Protecting His Turf

Treasure seekers have never found Aunt Jane’s rumored money, but some have felt another presence not happy having people digging up what they see as Federal property.

It has been reported that an unseen force stopped some treasure hunters’ pick axes from even touching the ground.

This could be the spirit of General Belknap, who could be restless because he died before seeing his family, and buried in a place he had never seen alive.

He may feel he needs to protect this fort from damage done by greedy individuals, trying to resume his service).

Annoyances Done

After the Chickasaw tribe was deeded this property in 1870 by the Department of the Interior, a Chickasaw Native American by the name of Charles Colbert rebuilt many of the barracks, making one of them a home for his family and their thirty-two dogs to live.

A spirit or two didn’t approve of having thirty-two dogs in the home; their former barracks that belonged to them so it kept letting the dogs out.

Finally, Charles got the message and moved his family off the fort property.

Stronger Measures

The spirit or spirits having found success of getting rid of the Colberts, moved up their game plan.

A doctor named Steele and his sister were the next tenants in the rebuilt barracks home.

His sister’s responsibilities included keeping up the home.

It wasn’t long before she witnessed mischievous paranormal activity. Spirits of young soldiers have a tendency to tease.

Probably objects were being moved around, doors and windows were opening and closing, lights going on and off, being touched by unseen hands and maybe even seeing an apparition or two.

The doctor’s sister had a nervous breakdown and they moved out and off the Fort Washita land.

A Menacing Bully!

While Aunt Jane may not of been involved in the activity listed above, she was definitely behind the activity here, late in the 19th century, or early in the 20th century.

Because the spirits of the soldiers was successful in getting the living to leave their turf, she became mean in her tactics to get the living to leave her chosen  home located near Fort Washita; near the fort’s ruins.

Aunt Jane became a menacing pest of herself, by haunting a Dr. Stalcup, and his family who lived in this home that she had claimed as her’s alone.

The spirit of Aunt Jane’s most harassing action was to occasionally possess young Molly, who was the child of Dr. Stalcup.

One night Aunt Jane’s apparition went too far and threatened to cut off all of Molly’s hair.

When Mrs. Stalcup kneeled in fervent and intense prayer, Aunt Jane backed down and stopped her nonsense.

Something was able to stop her; prayer and Devine intervention.

The Bonahan Cabin is located just west of the fort, and apparently has been claimed by a spirit person with rude manners and a strong desire to chase the living out of the cabin by making it an unpleasant experience.

Two female members of a living history group wh were re-enactors were assigned to sleep in this cabin. One of them awoke and felt like someone was trying to strangle her.

The other woman woke up and felt an unseen presence hovering over her. Yikes.

A third female re-enactor joined theater two women in the Bonahan Cabin. That night all three of them had nightmares about being smothered.

Spirits of Soldiers

A green apparition thought to be a spectral soldier was seen walking from the barracks to the stables by a bunch of students.

Spirits of Union or Confederate soldiers may have been the ones to let out the dogs, perhaps not too happy to have the building that they had lived in or had burned down before leaving the fort, rebuilt and used as a home.

They may have been the mischief makers that drove the sister of Dr. Steel to go over the mental waterfall.

The spirits of Confederate soldiers may have been the spectral force that burned down the rebuilt southern barracks as they had done earlier while still alive.

PARANORMAL FINDINGS

Families who had tried to live at Fort Washita or even nearby, have had unpleasant experiences with these possessive spirits of  Union/Confederate soldiers, with the spirit of Aunt Jane, and a hostile presence in the Bonahan Cabin.

Paranormal Investigation groups have found that Fort Washita is a fertile ground for paranormal activity, and have caught some hard evidence.

The Native American Paranormal Project have had several investigations on this haunted location and have also caught some hard evidence.

STILL HAUNTED?

Probably so!

Occasionally, the apparition of Aunt Jane is still seen today around the ruins of Fort Washita, though she has mellowed and hasn’t harassed anyone living in houses nearby.

The Chickasaw people may have made a sage offering to calm the restless ones who still walk and float around these grounds.

Other spirits let the Native Americans have their events here, as well as the once a year Fort Washington Rendezvous  Event that celebrates the trappers who used to gather here to get their supplies. Tourists walk around the grounds without being bothered by spirits looking to be amused. Treasure hunters are unwelcome by the Native Americans and the conscientious spirits of soldiers.No ugly holes looking for mythical treasure allowed on an Army Fort.

My theory on how Aunt Jane lost her head leans toward her actions of having an affair with another officer and dying at the hands of her enraged husband. That is the most realistic probability. Adultery in many of the stories found on hauntedhouses.com has caused a deadly end for the participants and sometimes the hurt party as well.

How would bandits have known that she had gold on her person? Would she really have been so silly as to walk to town without others with her? The families of the Union soldiers were moved out of Fort Washita before the Confederate Army took it over. She would’ve taken her money with her to take advantage of being safe in a crowd. A freed black woman wouldn’t of been welcome in a Confederate Fort.

After the 2010 fire that completely destroyed the rebuilt South Barracks, the spirits of the soldiers have also mellowed and answer questions of paranormal investigators, knowing that they are welcome to stay here near their graves.

3348 State Road 199 Durant, OK 74701

Fort Washita is located in southern Oklahoma. Its ruins are located on the Washita River, north of the city of Durant, near the Tishmomingo National Wildlife Refuge, which is not far from the Texas border.

SOURCES INCLUDE

Joseph Scott Mendinghall pictures

npgallery.nps.gov

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Washita

chickasaw.net

okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO046

militaryghosts.com

onlyinyourstate.com

Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr

Your Paranormal Road Trip

Videos to watch:, haunted history discovered: shocking secrets of fort washita revealed, fort washita: a civil war haunting mini documentary, ghosts & spirits (ghost of the week): fort washita, haunted by ghosts including “headless jane”, fort washita ghost stories tour, fort washita , find a haunts across the country.

The Haunted Military Post In Oklahoma Both History Buffs And Ghost Hunters Will Love

Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 30 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't writing about Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beach and exploring new areas.

More by this Author

As a former U.S. military post, Fort Washita in Durant is full of history and is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a former resident. The fort was built in 1841 as a protection site for the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations against rival tribes. Today, it’s an abandoned historical site that is open to the public for tours and ghost walks. If you’re a history buff or ghost hunter, you’ll love this haunted military post.

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For business hours or information, please visit www.chickasaw.net.

Another historical and haunted place to visit is Fort Reno in El Reno. This place also offers ghost tours and it’s full of surprises.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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