Historic Fort Concho Ghost Hunt, San Angelo, TX

Ghosts of Fort Concho

Officers’ Quarter’s 1

One of the most famous haunted locations on the site. The Ghost of Colonel Benjamin Grierson’s daughter, Edith is still residing in her former home. The young girl tragically died of a short illness from Typhoid Fever in 1878, when she was just 13 years old.

Her former bedroom and the room she died is where she’s often seen. Her apparition has been witnessed playing her favorite game of jacks on the floor of this room. Her smiling face looks at those that enter before returning to play.

Her apparition has also been seen standing at the top of the staircase, wearing a long peach-colored dress.

You may catch her distant giggling, or her footsteps running up and down the staircase.

The ghost of Colonel Grierson himself is also believed to still haunt his former residence, as well as his wife, Edith’s mother.

Ranald Mackenzie

Colonel Ranald “Bad Hand” Mackenzie, was a decorated veteran of the Civil War, and was the CO of the famous 4th Cavalry, that was stationed at Fort Concho. He led his men, known as Mackenzie’s Raiders to two victories during the Red River War, which forced the Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and the Arapaho Native America tribes from the Southern Plains.

In 1872 he took the largest Comanche camp by surprise, killing 23 warriors and taking 123 women and children prisoner, taking them to Fort Concho.

After his death, he returned to the fort, haunting the grounds to this day. He’s associated with the sound of knuckles cracking, something he had a habit of doing in life.

In one instance he aggressively walked up on an unsuspecting staff member who was looking out of a window in Officers’ Quarter’s 3, a building he resided in when he wasn’t away on his campaigns.

James Cunningham

The only known soldier to die within the fort, is Second Sergeant James Cunningham, an Irish immigrant who was described as a good and respectful soldier. However, he also had an extreme addiction to alcohol and was later acquitted from the fort.

His condition quickly deteriorated and he was given just months to live. He requested to be put back in the fort so he could spend his last days around his friends. The fort accepted his request and he was put up in the old headquarters building. After just two months he succumbed to his illness and passed away.

Since his death, his ghost has been seen and felt walking around the building he died in. His spirit is said to hate the fact women can enter the building these days, and years at windows to women as they approach.

George Dunbar

George Dunbar was a chaplain and one of the soldiers stationed at Fort Concho who had their families staying with them. He was ordered along with other troops to go and help their sister fort, Fort Sill, which was being besieged. He promised his wife and six children that he would return soon.

Upon returning victorious from Fort Sill, the soldiers were missing one man, Dunbar. He’d died in defending Fort Sill during the siege. His family was understandably distraught at his loss, however, they were promised to have a home at the fort for as long as they needed it.

Dunbar’s ghost returned to the fort after his death, watching over his family. His spirit has been heard throughout the fort, his disembodied voice echoing through the schoolhouse/chapel, often accompanied by an unknown female spirit, which could be his wife.

Fort Concho History

Fort Concho was established in 1867 in order to protect early settlers, and quell hostile threats in the region. Constructed from mainly native limestone, the fort originally consisted of over 40 buildings and covered more than 1600 acres.

Some of the US military’s most famous frontier units were headquartered here. Such as the 4th Cavalry, and the 10th Cavalry, the latter of which was famously known as the Buffalo Soldiers, an entire division of African-American soldiers.

During its heyday, the fort housed between 400-500 men with companies of infantry, troops of cavalry, staff officers, and support personnel.

After the railroad came to the area in the late 1880s, and the immediate threat of Native Americans had been quashed, the fort was deactivated in 1889.

It’s now considered one of the best-preserved military installation examples built by the US military in Texas.