The Bell Witch: The Full Account (43 page)

invalid for the remainder of his life. Reverend

Thomas Gunn died in May of 1859 at the advanced

age of 89 years, and is buried in one of the two Gunn

cemeteries near Adams, Tennessee. 77

76
McFerrin’s History of Methodism in Tennessee
, 1886.

77 Information about the Gunns was obtained from the Bible of Reverend James Gunn

and information provided to the author by Nancy Williams Lewis, a direct descendant of the Gunns.

THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT

319

James Johnston (1759-1851)

No man or family was closer to John Bell’s family

during the disturbances than James Johnston and

his two sons, John and Calvin. James Johnston was

the first person outside the Bell family whom John

Bell confided in about Kate’s disturbances. Johnston

and his wife were the first people outside the Bell

family known to have had an encounter with Kate.

The first question that Johnston asked Kate, “In

the name of the Lord, who and what are you, and

what do you want?” would turn out to be the most

popular question asked of Kate throughout the

period of the disturbances. Johnston first thought

the disturbances were a practical joke being played

by the Bell children or others in the community;

however, he changed his mind after spending several

nights at the Bell home. He learned that the entity

causing the disturbances possessed an intelligence

all its own.

James Johnston was a very devout Christian.

Despite his inability to read or write, he was

considered by many to be an expert on Christianity

and the Bible. Because the Bible says that both good

and bad Spirits exist, and that trafficking with the

evil supernatural is possible, Johnston often

expressed his strong belief that the disturbances

were being caused by “An evil Spirit, a demon, just

like in the Bible!” His sons, John and Calvin, also

shared this belief.

The Johnstons had the most commonly misspelled

surname in the entire “Bell Witch” legend, “Johnson.”

The correct spelling is “Johnston,” with the Scottish

pronunciation silencing the “t.” The first Johnstons

to settle in America came from Annandale, Scotland

by way of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, settling

320 P A T

F I T Z H U G H

in Pennsylvania before moving southward to Virginia

and the Carolinas as land grants became available.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1759, James Johnston was

the youngest child of John and Mary Patterson

Johnston.

After spending his early childhood in

Pennsylvania, he moved to Caswell County, North

Carolina with his parents and siblings. After

reaching a suitable age, Johnston joined the North

Carolina Continental Line and fought in the

Revolutionary War. He married Rebecca Porter in

July of 1780, and they had nine children before her

death in 1802. In 1800, James Johnston and his

family migrated to Robertson County, Tennessee as

his brother did twenty years earlier.

Because of the treacherous terrain and Native

American conflicts in the Cumberland Gap and

Tennessee River areas at the time, Johnston brought

his family and belongings to Tennessee by way of

Georgia. In addition to his concerns about providing

a safe and smooth passage for his family, Johnston

was also concerned about protecting a priceless

china cabinet that he had decided to carry on the

journey. Because of James Johnston’s awareness of

the possible dangers along the way and his efforts to

avert them, a very old and priceless china cabinet

sits today in the dining room of a private residence

near Adams, Tennessee.

Johnston and his family settled on 1,000 acres of

land that he received as a grant for serving in the

Continental Army. The Johnston farm was situated

along the Red River just east of present-day Adams,

Tennessee and encompassed both sides of Sturgeon

Creek. About two years after the death of his first

wife, Johnston married Jane Marvlin Greer. Having

no children of their own, they adopted Jane’s niece,

Parthenia “Theny” Thorn, of Stewart County,

THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT

321

Tennessee. Born on Christmas of 1804, “Theny”

Thorn lost her parents at an early age and had been

placed in the care of her aunt, Jane Greer. 78 She

always referred to James and Jane Johnston as her

parents.

James and Jane Johnston

subscribed to the doctrine of the

Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Because there was no

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

in the area, they joined the

Methodist Church because they

felt part of their Christian duty

was to be active members of some

church. James Johnston died in

April of 1850 at the advanced age

of 91 years, and is buried along with his two wives

and many relatives near Adams, Tennessee. 79

John Johnston (1783-1874)

Like his father, John Johnston often sat up nights

and talked to Kate so the Bells could sleep. Despite

her insistence that his motives were less than

sincere, Kate frequently

engaged John Johnston in

fascinating and thought-

provoking conversation.

During one discussion, he

asked Kate what his Dutch

step-grandmother in North

Carolina said when one of

her slaves did something

wrong. Using the woman’s

own voice and Dutch accent,

78 Theny Thorn’s birth date obtained from her gravestone.

79 Correspondence with Mr. Jim Brooks, a direct descendant of the Johnston family.

322 P A T

F I T Z H U G H

Kate replied, “Hut, tut.
What
has happened now?”

“Hut tut” is a Dutch term meaning “No-no,” and is

used as a chiding expression — almost a term of

endearment. Johnston later told others about this

astonishing encounter, describing how quickly Kate

returned the correct phrase and how perfectly she

imitated his step-grandmother.

On another occasion, Kate allowed John

Johnston’s brother, Calvin, to shake her hand. After

learning of this incident, Johnston repeatedly begged

Kate for the opportunity to shake her hand. She

continually refused, stating that he was only “out to

get her” and that his brother’s intentions had been

sincere. 80

One of the most significant things that John

Johnston learned about Kate was that she could not

fully read minds, as some people believed. He asked

her on several occasions what he was thinking. He

said that while her guesses were sometimes close,

she never gave the right answer.

During one of their discussions, Kate became

angry with Johnston and threatened to kill him. On

his way home the following morning, he noticed what

looked like the shadow of a long, sharp knife behind

him. He thought to himself, “If the Lord wants me to

die, then I will die; I will not run.”

He stood still in his tracks to see what fate would

deal him. The “knife” never disappeared, and after

taking the time to analyze his surroundings, he

realized that the “knife” was actually the shadow of a

blade from a corn stalk, blowing in the wind. After

this incident, Johnston hypothesized that many so-

called “encounters” with Kate were logical things

such as the shadow of the corn blade, but that most

80 John Johnston’s photo from
Authenticated History of the Bell Witch
, M.V. Ingram, 1894.

THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT

323

people ran away without taking the time to observe

their surroundings and determine the true cause.

John Johnston was born and spent his
childhood

in North Carolina before moving to Robertson

County, Tennessee in 1800 with the rest of his

family. In 1810, he married Martha Johnston, his

first cousin and the daughter of James Johnston’s

brother, William, who moved to the area about 1780.

John and Martha Johnston had eight children, one

of whom was Nancy Johnston, the baby who was

spanked by Kate. Like John Bell’s eldest sons, John

Johnston was a member of the Tennessee Militia and

fought in the battles of Horseshoe Bend and New

Orleans. John Johnston died in March of 1874 and

is buried along with his relatives near Adams,

Tennessee. 81

Calvin Johnston (1796-1859)

Daniel Calvin Johnston was the man who Kate

allowed to shake her hand. He often spoke of the

incident, describing Kate’s hands as being “fragile

and velvety.” Kate thought a great deal of Calvin

Johnston, often using him as a basis for comparison

when telling others of their faults, exclaiming, “There

is no finer man in this country than Calvin

Johnston.”

Born in North Carolina, Calvin Johnston was a

toddler when his family moved to Tennessee in 1800.

He spent his childhood on the Johnston farm in

Robertson County, Tennessee, where he developed a

keen interest in Latin and horticulture. He married

Francis Porter, a first cousin, in 1823 and had one

child.

He built a large brick home on his father’s farm

81 Correspondence with Mr. Jim Brooks, a direct descendant of the Johnston family.

324 P A T

F I T Z H U G H

and spent most of his adult life there. It is believed

that the house was built around 1841, with that

being the date carved into a stone window lintel. In

1850, four years after the death of his first wife,

Johnston married Elizabeth Holland. They had no

children of their own.

Contrary to the way in which Calvin Johnston is

portrayed by many authors and historians, he was in

fact a very enlightened and innovative man, much

more so than many of his peers.

One of his greatest achievements was his creation

of a raised writing system for the blind, which

enabled them to read written materials with their

fingers. After perfecting his system, Johnston

traveled to New Orleans to apply for a patent. Upon

his arrival, he learned that a Frenchman named

“Braille” had received a patent for the same type of

writing system only a week earlier.

A horticulture enthusiast, Johnston collected