The Bell Witch Cave The Bell Witch Storyteller Cabin
		- The Bell Witch The Bell Witch is one of the most infamous ghosts in American history. She has both terrified and mystified people in the small town of Adams, Tennessee for generations. To this day, some local residents believe that this evil poltergeist roams the surrounding hills, using a small cave overlooking the Red River as her hideout. Many believe that only bad things can come from publicly questioning her existence. The story begins in the early days of America, when white settlers began moving into this rolling, lush farming region in northern Tennessee. One of these farming families was the Bell family of Halifax County, North Carolina. John Bell Jr. Said to bear a striking resemblance to his father John Bell, Sr., 54, his wife Lucy Williams Bell, and their six children moved to northern Tennessee in 1804. They settled 1,000 acres of land on the Red River that was then a major waterway to ports on the Mississippi River. He built a double, one and one-half story log cabin for his family, cabins for their slaves, and various outbuildings. John Bell, Sr. was a strong, stern, hardworking man. After 13 years of backbreaking work, he turned his Tennessee farm into a successful operation. He was highly respected in the surrounding community as an excellent farmer and religious man, and a model husband and father. He also had a reputation for being a hard-nosed businessman who would turn a profit whenever he could. John fathered three more children during his first few years in Tennessee, including four strong sons, who looked after the farm as he grew older and weaker. It was in 1817 when strange things started happening on the Bell property. While walking through his corn field one day, John spotted a strange, dog-like creature in the distance, which quickly disappeared. Around the same time, Drewry Bell, one of John's sons, saw a large, ugly bird perched on a fence unlike any he had ever seen before. On another evening, Drewry and his sister Betsy were walking through the orchard when they noticed an old woman walking beside them. When Betsy tried to say something to her, the woman disappeared. The last remaining cabin from the Bell farm, built between 1810-1820. These sightings eventually led to strange, unexplainable noises in and around the Bell house. They included knocking sounds on doors and windows, wings flapping against the roof and animals fighting and scratching. As the noises grew in intensity, the family tried desperately to find the source, but found nothing. Then bed coverings began slipping off the beds as if being pulled off by someone. Sometimes there were other noises like lips smacking and gulping. Evenings in the Bell house became a noisy nightmare. After a year of constant noise, John Bell, Sr. developed a nervous condition affecting his tongue and jaw muscles, making it difficult to chew and swallow. Although he was a fiercely independent man, John believed his affliction was being caused by an otherworldly force, and appealed to his friend James Johnson for help. Johnson, a brave and strong Christian man, agreed to spend the night at the Bell house and confront the spirit. While he was there, the noises became worse than ever, and the covers were repeatedly stripped from Johnson's bed while he slept. Whenever Johnson tried to pull them back, he found the force on the other side to be unbelievably strong. Johnson prayed and asked the spirit to identify itself, but without success. The next morning, Johnson told the Bells that an ungodly force was loose in their home, and that they should appeal to the community for help. Such a revelation was no surprise to these fiercely religious, Scotch-Irish people, who believed the Devil and his minions were constantly wrecking havoc on earth. Soon afterwards, a regular circle of townspeople met at the Bell home every night to confront the spirit. Inside of Bell cabin. One night, the spirit began to talk. After a moment of hysterical laughter, it repeated a prayer that James Johnson recited during his first night at the Bells' home - in Johnson's own voice! When questioned repeatedly what its name was, the spirit answered "Kate." From then on, Kate rarely kept her mouth shut, arguing theology, teasing and tormenting, spreading gossip and singing loudly. She seemed to know everything about everybody, and became a tremendous pest - but a pest with tremendous strength and power. Eventually, Kate was asked why she was tormenting the Bell family. She gave several false answers, including stories about Indian burial mounds and buried treasure, that lead community members on wild goose chases. But the one answer she gave that many believe to this day was that she was a witch conjured by Kate Batts, an eccentric woman who lived nearby with her invalid husband. According to historical records, John Bell, Sr. was convicted of usury in a slave deal with Mr. Batts by the State of Tennessee. Kate, the spirit, repeatedly expressed her hatred for John Bell, Sr., physically abused him, and threatened to kill him. Kate didn't feel this hatred toward other members of the family, however. She deeply loved the mother, Lucy Williams Bell, and would sing sweet songs to her in the kitchen. She greatly respected one of the sons, John Bell, Jr., mainly because he wasn't afraid to stand up to her. But it was Betsy Bell who received most of Kate's attention. The spirit would constantly follow her around when she visited friends, sometimes terrifying Betsy's hosts. Kate especially hated one of Betsy's suitors named Joshua Gardner, warning her repeatedly not to marry him for reasons she never explained. Whenever Betsy and Joshua would meet, the spirit would often torment and embarrass them. Betsy was physically abused by the spirit for her associations with Joshua. Eventually, Betsy was forced to end her relationship with Joshua, and later married her old schoolteacher, Richard Powell. As news of the Bell Witch spread, crowds traveled to the Bell property from all over to hear the spirit. John Bell Sr. was a very generous man, never turning away anyone and spending his own money to keep people fed. There was little privacy in the Bell home, as the crowds would wait each night by candlelight for the witch to arrive. These crowds eventually tore up the Bell property with their wagons and horses, and drained much of the family's money. Among the many visitors to the Bell home was President Andrew Jackson, who was then a general in the Tennessee militia. Jackson had heard about the hauntings from John Bell, Jr., who had served under Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Jackson was fascinated, and took a group of men to the Bell property to see things for himself. While approaching the home, his wagon was reportedly stopped by an unseen force after one of his men openly questioned Kate's existence. Later that night in the Bell home, another of Jackson's men was beaten severely by Kate after demanding she show herself. Jackson quickly left the next morning, and was rumored to have told anyone who asked that he would rather fight the entire British army than the Bell Witch. By 1820, John Bell Sr. was weak and tired after years of physical abuse at the hands of Kate. One day, he was walking with his son Richard to the pigsty when one of his shoes was jerked off his foot. Richard tied the shoe back on his father's foot, only to see the other one jerked off in the same way. The air was suddenly filled with horrifying sounds, and John, totally overcome and praying for deliverance, was quickly led back inside the house. Once inside, John took to his bed and stayed there for several weeks, growing weaker and sicker. One morning, he failed to wake up, and could not be aroused. John Jr. frantically searched the medicine cupboard, but could only find a strange vial inside filled with some sort of brown liquid. When the local doctor arrived, Kate began laughing and taunting the family, claiming she had switched the medicine for a vial of poison. The doctor tested the liquid on a cat, killing it almost instantly. The next day, John Bell, Sr. was dead. But even in death, he found no peace from Kate. At his funeral, attended by hundreds of friends and curiosity seekers, Kate laughed and mocked the family. Kate stayed on the Bell property for another year before announcing to the family that she was leaving, but that she would return in seven years. This she did in 1828, but left again after only two weeks. The remaining members of the Bell family either died or moved away. John Bell, Sr. and his wife Lucy are the only members of the family known to have been buried on the Bell property, although no one is sure where. The old buildings have long since been removed, the family plot is overrun with weeds, and the original tombstones have been stolen by vandals. Only a small monument remains on the property, which reads: John Bell 1750-1820 Original tombstone disappeared about 1951. This marker placed 1957. His wife, Lucy Williams Bell. To this day, strange lights and ghostly apparitions have been spotted around the old plot. Some believe that John Bell's restless ghost still wanders the property he once owned and farmed. And, in a small cavern nearby, many believe that his tormentor still lives, waiting to put a scare into anyone who crosses her path.

Photographs and drawings courtesy of Tim Henson Adams Museum - Adams, Tennessee Andrew Jackson courtesy of the Library of Congress. Home | Feature Stories | Archives | Bookshop | Credits | FAQs | Site Map | Write to Us © 1997-2006