Phantom Cannon LbNA #44887

Lt. Colonel Abercrombie and the five companies of the Fifth Infantry came to establish the post on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. From a distance, he had picked out a certain high place, a hill, on which to build the fort. But, as they came close, the hill seemingly disappeared before their very eyes, flattening out to a wide plateau. From that time, the place has been known as Fort Phantom Hill. Spirits have always lingered here; first the Indian spirits, then the ghosts of soldiers past. If you are visiting Fort Phantom Hill, the spirits will be there—maybe not visible, but in the wind that blows across the plains and through the ghostly chimneys that still stand. Listen closely and you will hear the clanking of harness hardware and the chink-chink of spurs echoing from the valley below and the echo of a sergeant calling his troops to attention. Aromas rise from the small bakery building, and the sound of a stonemason’s hammer rings out as he works on the buildings. If not for cactus growing on top of abandoned chimneys haunting the skyline, smoke might be seen curling silently upward. You might hear the distant boom of the cannon, and if you walk close to it, you might detect the slight smell of powder and feel the strong gust of cold wind blow across your path, then into the blackjack oak trees and prickly pear.

Directions:
Fort Phantom Hill is located on FM 600, eleven miles north of Interstate 20 at Abilene. It is on private land but open to the public, so park in the space provided and let yourself in.

To the Box:
Walk to the cannon and listen for the distant boom. Close your eyes and smell the burn of gunpowder. Feel the chill. When you are ready to find the Phantom Cannon, take a compass reading of 120 degrees and walk 145 steps to a multi-trunk blackjack oak. The box is in the center of the tree, amid the trunks, under a piece of oak wood. When you’re walking back to your car, if you feel a tap on your shoulder, don’t turn around, just walk a little faster.