Sometimes there are screams of pain that start low, build in intensity, then shatter the night at a fearful pitch.  At other times it’s nothing more than a soft, dying moan.  On rare occasions, the sound of gunshots will also pierce the darkness.  Who, or what, haunts Fort Phantom Hill, we may never know. But one thing is for certain--it’s not happy.  

Deep in the heart of the Texas Panhandle lies the city of Abilene, and eleven miles north is the ruins of Fort Phantom Hill.  Construction on the fort began in 1851.  It was part of a line of forts running straight through to Colorado that were intended to protect settlers from Comanche Indian raids. Unfortunately, the fort was built in a place that it was never intended to be.  Lt. Abercrombie and his soldiers started construction on what was known as “The Post on the Clear Fork of the Brazos” following confusing orders from General Smith.  The new fort was not only built in the wrong place, but it was also surrounded by cactus and brackish water.  All supplies were brought in by cart from many miles away and the fort was not completed until 1853. 

Shortly after it was completed in 1853, the fort was closed.  Throughout its two years of construction, the fort had nothing but friendly and peaceful encounters with the local Indian tribes.  However, in 1858, the fort was occupied once more when the Butterfield Stagecoach chose it for a stop.  The fort was used once more as a Civil War outpost and then again as a military post during the 1880s.  The fort belonged to private parties for awhile, but it is now a 22 acre tourist site. It still has a dozen or so chimneys sprouting up above the plains and three intact stone buildings believed to be the powder magazine, a guardhouse, and what was either the commissary or a warehouse.   

So who, or what, haunts Fort Phantom Hill?  It’s difficult to say.  Some believe the spirit of oppressed and displaced Indians walk the grounds still searching for their former homes.  Others claim there is a Lady of the Lake.  There is also the claim that the tall, thin, La Llorena haunts this place.  La Llorena is a legendary, emotionally-tortured woman of Hispanic lore who haunts lakes and rivers, searching for the children she murdered in a vengeful lover’s rage.  La Llorena generally makes her presence known through quiet moans, mournful sobs, and hysterical, piercing screams.  Visitors to Fort Phantom Hill report all of the above.  Southwest Ghost Hunters Association conducted an investigation at Fort Phantom Hill and they have some interesting photographs on their web page, some that seem to offer clues.

But there is yet another story of pain and sorrow on the frontier, and this story is also a contender for the identity of the ghost that walks these grounds.  This is the story of a lovely, young bride and her adoring husband.  They settled in this area sometime in the late 1800s.  The couple, both passionate about the other’s safety, swore that no one would ever be allowed to enter their cabin without using a secret password, thus ensuring the safety of whoever remained inside.  Early one morning, the husband left for town.  He was attacked by Indians on his way home.  He was seriously wounded, but managed to escape, though his injuries prevented him from speaking.  He staggered onto the cabin’s porch and fell against the door.  His wife heard the sound, picked up the rifle and shot him.  Many area residents believe it is the broken-hearted settler’s wife who walks about the fort, moaning, screaming, and begging for forgiveness, trapped in a cycle of grief that will last until the end of time.