Does ghost of Confederate solider haunt area near old Fort Crawford?

Entrance to Fort Crawford Cemetery in East Brewton.

Two centuries ago, frontier forts once dotted the Southwest Alabama countryside, and Fort Crawford in present-day East Brewton was one such fort.

I’d been meaning to visit this old fort site for a number of years, and on Saturday, when it was too dreary and rainy to do much else, I hopped in the truck, eased down State Highway 41 and passed over Murder Creek into East Brewton. Just over the bridge, I turned onto Snowden Street, which took me through the Fort Crawford Cemetery towards the First Baptist Church of East Brewton.

No visible trace of the fort remains today, but based on what I’d read about the area, I knew there was an historical marker about Fort Crawford nearby. I parked and after a quick look around I spotted the marker in the fork of the road where Weaver Street intersects with Shoffner Street, across from the church.

I crossed the street for a closer look and here’s what the marker had to say – SITE OF FORT CRAWFORD: Fort Crawford was established in 1816 by elements of the 7^th U.S. Infantry under orders from Major General Andrew Jackson. Purpose was to monitor Spanish activities in West Florida and curtail hostile Creek Indian activities. Named after Second Lieutenant Joel Crawford, the fort was occupied by units of the regular U.S. Infantry and the Alabama Territorial Militia. It was abandoned in 1819 after the United States purchased Florida from Spain and the Indian menace abated.

I’d read in other places that researchers believe that the fort was likely located where the First Baptist Church of East Brewton sits today. While it’s perhaps hard to imagine today due to the trees, the site where the church sits would have been ideal for a fortification. Not only does it rest on high ground, but it’s also a short distance from Murder Creek, which in the old days was valuable as a water supply and for transportation.

The Fort Crawford Cemetery is located next door to the church, and I spent about half an hour exploring this sizeable graveyard. I’d heard much about this cemetery over the years, including stories about how it’s supposedly haunted by the ghost of a Confederate soldier and the ghost of a small girl.

Murder Creek in Escambia County, Ala.

Sources say that the soldier will appear unexpectedly and challenge cemetery visitors like a sentry on guard duty. Others say that this ghostly soldier with ask visitors if they’ve seen his missing bayonet. The ghost of the little girl supposedly wears a white dress and can be seen running between the headstones. During my brief visit to the cemetery on Saturday, I saw neither of these specters, but I was startled by an orange, black and white-colored housecat that appeared to be very well fed.

After that, I returned to my truck and headed west to Fort Crawford Park Drive, which took me down the hill behind the cemetery and church and into the Historical Fort Crawford Park. The day was dark and wet, and the park was deserted, so I got out of the truck and walked down to the sandy banks of Murder Creek.

I stood there for what seemed like a long time, watching the water flow out of sight, and couldn’t help but wonder what the area must have looked like 200 years ago. The horn of a passing train in the unseen distance reminded me that it was time to move on, so I got back in the truck and left the deserted park behind. On the way home, I was only left to wonder what those early frontier settlers and soldiers at Fort Crawford would think about our part of the world today.