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| Fort Leavenworth, 1873 |
This fort was built in 1827.
It was first used to protect travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Its military
units were involved in the Mexican-American war and the Indian wars.
The famous Buffalo Soldiers
originated at Fort Leavenworth. But the fort became known for its notorious
military prison—the old Disciplinary Barracks.
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| Disciplinary Barracks |
Parts of this prison were
torn down in 2004 but several buildings still stand including the guard towers.
A fort volunteer involved in
haunted tours, Lessu Wojtkum states that almost every building on the base has
a ghost story connected to it.
During World War ll a prison
riot broke out. Afterwards, 14 men were hanged as punishment. The gallows
didn’t have enough space so an elevator shaft in the prison administration
building was also used.
Since, military police who
patrol this area have heard screaming coming from this shaft when no on is close
by.
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| Tower 8 |
An eerie story is told about
one of the old watchtowers. Tower 8 was closed and never used again after a
soldier killed himself with a shotgun there. Several witnesses have seen an
apparition in this tower.
One sighting involves a soldier
going through basic training in the late 1990s. He was assigned the swing shift
in Tower 10. He saw a person moving about in Tower 8. Knowing no one was
supposed to be in there he felt some one was playing a prank.
He called his command and
stated, “Knock it off.” He was told the tower was abandoned and locked.
Thinking his mind was playing tricks he eliminated several possibilities—it
wasn’t a tree limb or a trick of the light—no it was definitely a person.
He called control again. This
time the radio was handed to the commander of the new prison who happened to be
there. The MP told him “I see someone in there. Who’s in Tower 8?” The
commander told him firmly no one was there.
The soldier continued to see
the figure moving about so he thought maybe it was Tower 7 playing the prank but
he received a negative response. At the end of his shift his relief told him
the story about the guard’s suicide.
This soldier told him in stride that what he saw was a ghost.
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| Leavenworth cemetery |
The most famous ghost seen at
Fort Leavenworth is Catherine Sutler. I tell this story here.
Catherine’s ghost is seen at night wandering around with a lantern at the
fort’s cemetery and on the adjacent golf course.
This story over the years has
been embellished so much it has become legendary. Tragically, it is believed
Catherine is still looking for her two lost children.
People are told if they
encounter her ghost that they should tell her that her children are safe and
she can rest.
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| The Rookery |
The Rookery is the oldest
occupied home on the base. Since the early 1900s it has been used as a family
residence.
One ghost seen at this
location is more aggressive. The story goes a lady was at the post while her
husband was out on a cavalry patrol. Indians attacked the fort and this wife
was tortured and killed.
She is known as the Lady in
White since she wears a white dress. She has grey tangled hair. Witnesses who
have encountered her state she screamed and then ran after them.
Carlos Munoz and his family
once lived on one side of the Rookery duplex. One day while driving back from
Fort Scott his wife startled him when she exclaimed, “Oh, my God.”
He looked around expecting to
see something blocking their car. His wife was waving a book she had bought in
his face. “This is who I saw in the basement.”
It was a picture of Major
Ogden. He oversaw the construction of Fort Riley in 1853. While quartermaster
he lived at the Rookery. He died during a cholera outbreak.
Mr. Munoz’s wife had seen his
apparition. She stated he wore a western-style shirt and vest and rough cloth
pants. Munoz and his children later saw this apparition as well.
While living at the Rookery
the Munoz family also heard constant noises. Mr. Munoz was able to debunk some
sounds others remained a mystery. By the time the family moved out he was
convinced the building was haunted.
Before they left he called in
a paranormal team that intended to stay the night. This team left after only 2
hours. They told Munoz that four ghosts were in residence and that Ogden had
told them arrogantly to “get out.”
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