Oklahoma

Durant

Fort Washita

In 1841, Fort Washita was built by the U.S. Army, under the command of General Zachary Taylor. The area was rough and tumble and the Choctaw and Chicasaw Indians needed protection from savage Comanche tribe.

The fort contained a large stable and corral to support the cavalry and dragoons who patrolled the plains. When the Civil War started in 1861. At the start of the Civil War, in 1861, Federal troops abandoned Fort Washita and the Rebels moved in using the fort as a supply depot and a hospital to take care of their wounded.

When the Rebels moved out the fort was burned to the ground and then abandoned. By 1870 it was obsolete amd deed to a Chickasaw Indian by the name of Charles Colbert. He rebuilt the barracks as a private residentce for his family.

Not all was good for during the night all of his 32 dogs had disappeared. He spend the next few days tracking his dogs and bringing them back. The following night, the dogs disappeared once more. A short time later, Charles and his family moved away.

The next tenant of Fort Washita didn't stay long and the place was empty until Dr. Steele and his sister, Mary, moved into the renovated barracks. Mary took care of the house and it was only a short time when she started experiencing what drove the former tenants out. She suffered a nervous breakdown and she and the Doctor moved away. They were the last family to live in the fort.

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 boy’s skull had a deep gash near the temple. It was determined that newer body was that of an unidentified Hispanic male who’s 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 Jane’s 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 Jane’s 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 Jane’s head

The third account of Aunt Jane’s 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 Jane’s 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 Jane’s 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.

Directions: 11 miles east of Madill and 12 miles west of Durant on State Hwy. 199. Located in the south-central part of Oklahoma are the ruins of Fort Washita.

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