The Bell Witch: The Full Account (3 page)
Elizabeth? ............................................................................ 374
Do John and Lucy Bell have any descendants in the Robertson
County area today?.............................................................. 377
What remains of the Bell farm today? ................................. 377
Can One see where the Bell home stood?............................ 378
Common Myths...................................................................... 379
Kate Batts was the “Bell Witch” ......................................... 380
Elizabeth Bell was Abused by Her Father ........................... 383
The Legend Was Made Up................................................... 384
If you stand in front of a mirror, something bad will happen to
you........................................................................................ 385
Information about the “Bell Witch” on the Internet.......... 386
- x i i -
C O N T E N T S
The Bell Witch Folklore Center ........................................... 386
Walter Bell’s Bell Witch Page ............................................. 387
About the Author................................................................... 406
About the Artist ..................................................................... 406
- x i i i -
14 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
PROLOGUE
T
HIS IS THE STORY OF AN ENTITY that
terrorized a pioneer family — driving a man
to his death and holding an entire
community in a maligned grasp of terror. The
astonishing events that took place in the Red River
Settlement of Robertson County, Tennessee between
1817 and 1828 have baffled scholars and
researchers for nearly two centuries.
First appearing to farmer John Bell in the form of
a small animal in his field, the sinister entity grew to
knock on the walls of Bell’s log home at night and
pull the bedcovers from his children as they lay
sleeping. Soon, the sounds of rats gnawing at
bedposts and chains being dragged across the floor
were commonplace in the Bell home.
After a year of being terrorized by the entity’s
noises and removal of their bedcovers, the children
began to experience physical abuse when they tried
to resist. The force was getting stronger. One target
in particular was John Bell’s youngest daughter,
Elizabeth, who was barely twelve years old at the
time. Night after night, the entity pulled her hair,
THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT
15
tied it in knots, and slapped her face as she tried to
pull away. This was only the beginning.
With the passage of time, the entity developed a
voice that began in whispering and crying tones, and
later developed the strength to be understood. The
entity’s intelligence was remarkable. It knew every
passage in the Bible, everything about a person’s
past, and what people on the opposite side of the
world were doing at any point in time.
The entity’s character was enigmatic. It assumed
various physical forms and spoke with multiple,
disembodied voices — often using reverse speech. It
never gave a straightforward answer when asked
about its purpose, only stating that it would torment
John Bell to a slow, painful death and ensure that
Elizabeth never married her suitor, Joshua Gardner.
On one occasion, however, the entity claimed to be
the “witch” of Kate Batts, an eccentric woman who
lived near the Bell farm. This proclamation earned
the entity its infamous nickname, “Kate.”
While Kate fostered strong hatred for many, she
showed adoration for a select few. When John Bell’s
wife Lucy once became ill, Kate sang and fed her
hazelnuts out of thin air to give her strength and lift
her spirits. While Lucy Bell was benefiting from
Kate’s benevolence, John Bell came down with a
mysterious ailment and Elizabeth began experiencing
fainting and seizure-like episodes while being
tortured at the hands of Kate.
After terrorizing the Bell home and the Red River
Settlement for some four years, “Kate” left and stayed
gone for seven years, returning in 1828. During her
short return-visit, it is said that she had a series of
discussions with John Bell, Jr., where she predicted
the Civil War, the Great Depression, and World War
I. “Kate” promised to return 107 years after she bade
farewell to John Bell, Jr. Did she ever leave?
16 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
Things have not been right in the area since Kate
first appeared in 1817. Over the years, the written
eyewitness accounts of those who experienced her
have become collectively known as the legend of the
“Bell Witch.” The legend has been published several
times over the last century, with each author sharing
his or her unique perspective on the case.
This book is no different in some regards; however,
I have researched the legend for over twenty years,
utilizing all available resources to put the historical
aspects of the legend into the proper context. My
resources include interviews with descendants of
those who actually experienced the events, public
records in five different states, family Bibles and
memoranda, church records, other published (and
unpublished) accounts, and personal visits to the
actual sites that figured into the legend.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of this epic
tale of terror is that it involves real people, places,
and dates. The victims were honest, educated, and
prominent citizens of their day, who walked the same
ground as you and I, but at a time in history so far-
distanced from our own that their plight is beyond
our comprehension. The remarkable events that
took place in the Red River Settlement between 1817
and 1828 changed their lives forever. This is the
story of those people and their legacy.
The stories of specific encounters with the so-
called “Bell Witch” have undoubtedly been distorted
and embellished with the passage of time; however,
the basic framework remains constant — there was
something very wrong in the Red River Settlement of
Robertson County, Tennessee during the early
1800’s, and it was very real to the men, women, and
children who experienced it.
In addition to the many stories I am about tell you,
some of which seem to hold greater veracity than
THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT
17
others, I have incorporated into this book a number
of historical facts and related information that I feel
is invaluable in the pursuit of understanding the
legend of the “Bell Witch.” While some of the
following stories might be best classified as “folklore,”
the historical facts I am now bringing to light should
serve to bind fiction and reality together and strike a
reasonable balance.
Parapsychologists and scholars have considered
this AUTHENTIC haunting to be one of the greatest
supernatural phenomena known to the world. Even
though the people who experienced “Kate” are long
gone, their sworn affidavits, manuscripts, and
legacies live on — and this, dear reader, is their
story.
Pat Fitzhugh
Nashville, Tennessee
18 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
A WORD OF THANKS
I
AM SO FORTUNATE to have so many people to
thank. The following list is by no means
complete, but it starts where it should start:
with you, the reader. If you have wondered whether
an author would ever think enough of you to say
“THANK YOU!” – you can stop wondering. This book
is for YOU.
First, I would like to thank my family for the love,
support, and perseverance they gave me as I worked
on this book day and night for more than a year.
Also my parents, who now live in Heaven; I miss
them terribly and know they would love this book.
My friends, colleagues, and neighbors who have
provided moral support along the way — thank you
for believing in me. Event planners, who have
facilitated my “Bell Witch” lectures and workshops, I
am so grateful.
A very special thank-you to Kris Stuart-Crump,
whose wonderful artistic abilities adorn the cover of
this book; and, to Shae Kelly and Courtney
Winstead, whose faces are manifested in Kris’ digital
artwork. I am eternally grateful.
THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT
19
I would also like to thank Tim Henson, James
Humphries, Jim Brooks, and all of the other fine
people who provided me with valuable insight into
this thing called the “Bell Witch.” I am equally
grateful to Bims Eden, who shared many stories with
me during his later years. Also, to the many people
who shared valuable information but chose to remain
anonymous — you know who you are, and I sincerely
thank you for instilling your trust in me.
This book would not have been possible without
the expert knowledge of Nancy Williams-Lewis, Jim
Brooks, Phillip Norfleet, and Walter Bell, whose
knowledge of the Bell, Gunn, Powell, Batts, and
Johnston families has proven invaluable.
I would also like to thank those who granted me
permission to visit and photograph the few remaining
sites that are of “Bell Witch” significance and the
graves of those who figured into the legend — your
allowing the legend of the “Bell Witch” to be rendered
in a serious and historically-enlightened manner is
greatly appreciated. In addition, I wish to thank the
hard-working people in the various public records
offices I visited during the years of my research. You
saved me countless hours and I am eternally
grateful.
A personal word of thanks goes to those who
enthusiastically support my literary and research
efforts. You know who you are, and your support is
the catalyst for my continued work. To those I may
have inadvertently left out, I offer you my apologies
and a big word of thanks for all you have done.
20 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I N WRITING THIS BOOK, I have made limited
use of several previously-published works that
are regarded as being primary sources of
information about the “Bell Witch.” Those works are,
“Authenticated History of the Bell Witch,” by Martin
Ingram (1894), “The Bell Witch: A Mysterious Spirit,”
by Dr. Charles Bailey Bell (1934), and “Echoes of the
Bell Witch in the Twentieth Century,” by H.C. Brehm
(1979). Some quotes from Ingram’s book appear in
chapters 16 and 17, some quotes from Dr. Bell’s
book appear in chapter 18, and one paraphrase from
Brehm’s book appears in chapter 21.
All other Twentieth Century stories were obtained
through personal experiences, letters sent by others,
and discussions with “Bims” Eden before his death
(many of which appear in other books as well).
Footnotes throughout the book disclose the sources
of my information, and author’s notes at the end
provide additional discussion.
CHAPTER ONE
Early History of the Bells
T HE CLAN John Bell was descended from
originated in the West Marché of Scotland’s
Border in Dumfriesshire, which in 1609
became Middleby Parish. Th
e Clan and its
chief,
William Bell, later moved across the river Kirtle to
Blackethouse. 1
Between the 1600s and early 1800s, many
members of this clan immigrated to America as the
result of differences in beliefs between their
Protestant religion and the predominant, Roman
Catholic Church. After landing in New England,
many of the Bells migrated southward to Virginia
and North Carolina as land grants became available.
Settling in Isle of Wight County, Virginia was
Arthur Bell, John Bell’s grandfather. a One of Arthur
Bell’s sons, William Bell, married Ann Jones in 1721
and started a family. 2 Several years later, they
1
Abstracts of Surnames, “Bell,”
1978.
2
Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Great Book 2
, p.84.
22 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
moved to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. 3 Most
of the Bells’ land holdings were in Edgecombe and
Halifax counties near the Tarboro Settlement, where
they became successful planters and prominent
citizens.
John Bell was born in 1750 to William and Ann
Jones Bell, both of whom died in the next few years. 4
He spent his childhood in Edgecombe and Halifax
Counties learning the popular trade of barrel
making, then later joined Union Baptist Church, 5
also known as Towne Creek Baptist Church, which
was led in part by the Fort family that figures