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Authors: Pat Fitzhugh

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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

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