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| (Flickr) |
During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the USA was proudly experiencing the beginnings of the Conquest of the West, in which patriotic macho cowboys and rodeo-stars shot down the indigenous people that once lived there. This also meant a new immigration wave in which people started to move from the industrial eastern coast to the rural interior; many of them were army veterans who wanted to start a new tranquil life in a remote hardwood forest. It is the case of John Bell, his lovely wife Lucy, his nine children and a considerable number of black slaves, who settled in the Red River Valley (45 kilometers north of present-day Nashville). Their neighbors included the Porters, the Batts family, the Gardners, the Johnston family, the Baptist Rev. Sugg Fort and the Methodist Rev. James Gunn. This little but hospitable community established a village that included vast family ranches, a primary school and two churches served respectively by each reverend.
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| The reconstructed log cabin where the curses happened(Flickr) |
But this idyllic setting would soon end. One afternoon in 1817, Mr. Bell was walking through the corn fields when he sighted a bizarre animal-like creature: it had the body of a dog, but the head looked like the one of a rabbit. He did not hesitate at using his riffle to shoot the intruder and scare it away, yet, this was only the beginning of a long series of strange occurrences. The next afternoon, he found an unknown bird of superlative size perched upon his fence; his daughter Betsy encountered a little girl wearing a green dress; and later his server Dean perceived a large black double-headed dog on his way home. In a matter of days, the Bell family continuously heard singing voices, gnawing rats, knocking on doors; reaching a point in which Betsy Bell was physically harmed by an invisible entity. Perplexed, John Bell turned to his best friend and neighbor, James Johnston (sometimes spelled "Johnson"), and asked him to come over for the night. Even though he didn't actually believe him, he accepted the invitation and stayed in their house overnight praying and reading the Bible for them, but nothing paranormal happened until they retired for the evening: when Mr. Johnston was sleeping, his bed covers were retired and he was slapped in the face. From that moment on, the only possible explanation was witchcraft; although the motive behind isn't yet very clear.
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| Server Dean encounters the creature(Tennessee State Library) |
James Johnston wasn't the only guest, though. Field general and USA's future president Andrew Jackson heard of the curse, and decided to pay a visit and help his old comrade whom he had fought alongside in the battle of New Orleans, John Bell. Thus, in 1819, Jackson arrived at the family property escorted by an entourage made up of dozens of army wagons, brave men and tamed horses. But just before accessing the building, the wagons got stuck and a disembodied female voiced cursed and threatened them; afterwards, the entourage could set up tents in the Bell's garden without further setbacks, while the general and his most loyal men were allowed to sleep inside. Among them, there was an alleged "witch tamer" who claimed to hunt evil spirits with the silver bullet he possessed. Right after he said those words, an invisible entity pricked him until his whole body itched and he had to run outside. Thereupon, the witch assured there was another "fraud" among Jackson's men to get rid of; the next morning Andrew Jackson left the house and state "I'd rather face the full force of the British army than confront the Bell Witch".
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| Andrew Jackson's troop visit the Bell property(The Bell Witch Site) |
Most folklorics believe in the widespread story of Kate Batts, an old and grumpy woman said to be the culprit behind the witch's appearances due to her eccentric character, the real estate disputes she had with next-door neighbor John Bell and the fact that she passed away just before the incidents started. Another theory speaks about the disturbed spirit of a buried Native American, which clarifies the witch's use of omniscient Biblical knowledge to torment the Christian-devoted family and exalt blasphemy to God (in one episode, the Bell Witch recited simultaneously two sermons both reverends -Sugg Fort and James Gunn- were preaching 13 miles apart to disturb the Bells and to demonstrate her supernatural powers).
Despite these malicious curses, some versions of the legend recount the episode in which the Bell Witch saved a human life. In this chapter, it is said that John Bell's children were playing tag in the far edge of the property, when suddenly, one of them discovered an opening in the rock which led to a dark karst cave. The children entered it and made their way through the upward-standing stalagmites and the hanging stalactites, discovering a little cave stream and even a subterranean lake. But in a given moment, one of the kids got stuck in a hole, suffocating in the mud and calling for help, yet, his siblings couldn't do anything. Crying, panicking and disconsolate, the group of youngsters suddenly heard a disembodied voice that said "I'll get him out!"; afterwards, an invisible entity pulled the kid out of the hole, but warned him that he should never return and giving him a safety lesson. Thus, the cave has since become the main attraction in little Adams. Nowadays, guided tours accompany people through the cave that lacks modern infrastructure -except for the LED-light system- and tell them spooky Bell Witch fables while visitors get impressed by the weird-shaped flowstone figures, such as the "Eagle", "Mooning Man" and "Demon Face".
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| Inner chamber of the Bell Witch Cave. The illuminated place allegedly shows the spot in which John Bell's son almost suffocated(Flickr) |
Regardless of the cave episode, the witch would ultimately devastate the Bell family. By Christmas of the year 1820, John Bell was found dead in his bed; in his cupboard, a bottle containing an unidentified black liquid. When one of Mr. Bell's sons discovered it, he put a drop on the cat's tongue and it immediately dropped dead. Afterwards, they heard the witch exclaiming: "I gave Ol’ Jack a big dose of that last night, which fixed him!" ("Ol' Jack Bell" was the nickname the witch gave him). The last days before the haunting finally ended weren't pleasant either -at least not for little Betsy. She and her fiancé, Joshua Gardner, were followed everywhere during several days, until she was forced to end the relationship. Old Kate Batts, the "Bell Witch", was never seen again.
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| John Bell Jr. puts a drop of the black liquid on the cat's tongue after the mysterious death of his father(Tennessee State Library) |
Even though the paranormal activities mentioned in the story are most probably pure fiction, an official record from Tennessee's state census reports that the Bells, old Kate Batts, the Johnsons and the rest of the little community did actually exist. Sadly however, there are no records whether if Andrew Jackson did truly utter his famous quote, or even if he really went to visit the Bells at any time. Nonetheless, the myth of the Bell Witch has become "America's Greatest Ghost Story", undoubtedly one of the most prominent legends of the country's rich folklore.
Further Reading:
Sources and Picture Credits:
Sources: NPRH, The Bell Witch Site, Atlas Obscura, Tripod (1) and (2), All That's Interesting, Tennesse State Library
Pictures 1, 2 and 5: https://www.flickr.com/photos/whsieh78/ (Wayne Hsieh)
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