The Bell Witch: The Full Account (53 page)
graveyards. This law is not well known, and the author strongly
discourages people from visiting graveyards on private property
without first obtaining permission as a matter of courtesy.
dd Some Native American researchers have labeled this apparition as
the Spirit, “Trickster.” Interestingly, this type of apparition also
matches the “trick” stage of poltergeist progression.
ee
Gehenna
is more commonly known as “Hell.”
ff Demons and Spirits are not one in the same.
gg We know this was around the 1819 period because, when bringing
hazelnuts to Mrs. Bell, Kate remarked to Mrs. Bell that a baby, Nancy,
was just born to John and Martha Johnston. This story comes from
Richard Williams Bell’s manuscript,
Our Family Trouble
. Johnston
family genealogical records show that Nancy Johnston was born on
June 6, 1819. According to the legend, Kate brought fruit to Elizabeth
Bell and her friends at her thirteenth birthday party the same year.
She was born in January of 1806, which would have made her thirteen
years of age in 1819.
hh A number of books and essays on the “Bell Witch” have discussed
possible “theories” regarding the benevolence achieved as the result of
John Bell’s death; however, none of these can be substantiated.
ii The author has visited and scoured Union Hill Cemetery in Oakland,
Mississippi on several occasions and has yet to locate the graves of
Esther Bell Porter and her husband. Two different records indicate
this is the place of burial, however. It can only be presumed that their
graves are no longer marked.
jj The whereabouts of the notes taken by Dr. Joel Thomas Bell and
later used in his son’s book are unknown to the author. Locating and
proving the authenticity of these notes would undoubtedly lend
additional credibility to Dr. Charles Bailey Bell’s book.
kk Although John Bell, Jr. died on May 8, 1862, a poster announcing
the estate sale of “John Bell, Jr., deceased,” was dated May 5, 1862.
ll The town has been incorporated three times since its original
incorporation in 1869. The most recent incorporation occurred in
1963, under the name, “The City of Adams.”
392 P A T
F I T Z H U G H
mm Theo Dickerson, Jr. was a professional jockey between 1934 and
1942. He rode “Blue Marvel,” a winner at Boston’s Suffolk Downs on
May 24, 1938.
nn Information about the Bell Witch Cave’s hours and admission prices,
along with a contact phone number, can be found on various Internet
oo There was thought to be a relation between John Bell’s family and
the family of Jeremiah Batts, who was not directly related to Kate
Batts. It is reported that Jeremiah Batts’ wife, Elizabeth Williams, was
a sister of Lucy Williams who married John Bell.
pp Several books, articles and other works have introduced evidence
supporting the notion that Elizabeth Bell was abused by her father;
however, all such evidence to date has been unsubstantiated.
I N D E X
A
Conversaions with John
Bell, Jr., 166; Dead
Abuse: Beats a detective,
young woman hanging
66; Beats and sticks pins
from tree, 45; Dog-rabbit
in Andrew Jackson's
in the corn field, 36;
witch tamer, 136; Beats
Large bird on fence, 37;
Harry for not making the
Return-visit in 1828, 165;
fire, 130; Breaks up
Sick dog at the front
Elizabeth and Joshua's
door, 109; The large fish,
engagement, 157;
155; Unidentified old
Children's faces slapped,
woman walking in the
40; Crawls in bed with
orchard, 37; Unknown
William Porter, 128;
woman and children
Disapproves of Elizabeth
playing in a field, 107
and Joshua's
Apparitions (Twentieth
engagement, 112;
Century): Anomalies at
Elizabeth’s hair tied in
Bellwood Cemetery, 221;
knots, 41; Elizabeth's bed
Double shadows at
catches fire, 49; Harasses
Brown's Ford Bluff, 209;
a skeptic, 64; Seizes John
Entity appears in photo
Bell at dinner, 89; Slaps
taken by cave entrance,
John Bell in the face,
210; Figure fitting John
139; Spanks a baby, 110;
Bell's description seen in
Strikes Frank Miles, 59;
old cemetery, 207;
Takes a whip to John
Flickering lights and
Bell, 90; Threatens to kill
candles at the Bell farm,
John Johnston, 57
207; Human-like mist
Abuse (Twentieth Century):
figure in cave, 198;
Girl is knocked down by
Moaning in the cave, 218;
something in the cave,
Orbs appear in pictures,
201; Invisible force
211; Picture reveals face-
chokes two men, 186
like mist rising from
Abyss.
See
Demon
sinkhole, 211; Picture
Adams Museum and
shows a woman-like
Archives, 341
figure holding a baby,
Adams Station.
See
210; Picture shows
Tennessee, Adams
serpent crawling up a
Adams, Reuben, 337
girl’s leg, 210; Two dogs
Alabama: Montgomery, 310
attack an invisible entity,
Apalachee Indians.
See
205; Unidentified human-
Native Americans
like figure leaves no
Apparitions: Appears in the
footprints in the snow,
form of a bird, 103;
205; Woman-like figure
Candles in the dell, 47;
in the cave's upper
- 3 9 3 -
I N D E X
passage, 198; Young
Description, 194;
woman floating through
Sinkhole, 44, 45, 194,
the cave, 284
206, 211, 283, 284, 285,
Arminianism, 274, 276
286
Authenticated History of the
Bell Witch Opry, 341
Bell Witch: Book by
Bell, Allen, 175, 180, 187,
Martin Ingram, 179, 188,
285, 311, 312, 313, 343
311, 313
Bell, Arthur, 21
B
Bell, Benjamin, 293
Bell, Betsy.
See
Bell,
Barren Plains, 27, 293
Elizabeth
Bartlett, A.L., 177
Bell, Dr. Charles Bailey,
Batts Cemetery, 381, 383
171, 183, 184, 307
Batts, Benjamin B., 29, 82,
Bell, Dr. Joel Thomas, 171,
83, 84, 86, 381
183, 307
Batts, Benjamin F., 381
Bell, Drewry, 27, 34, 37, 38,
Batts, Frederick, 29, 113,
42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 63,
114, 381
69, 70, 71, 72, 89, 94,
Batts, Jeremiah, 29
96, 120, 164, 250, 251,
Batts, Jeremiah, Jr., 30
265, 285, 293, 308, 310;
Batts, Kate, 29, 38, 113,
Biographical sketch, 309;
114, 115, 116, 117, 118,
Death, 310
127, 182, 261, 381;
Bell, Elizabeth, 33, 35, 37,
Burnt hand leads others
38, 41, 42, 44, 45, 49,
to believe she bewitched
51, 53, 59, 60, 61, 63,
milk, 117; Description,
86, 87, 98, 106, 107,
114; Taunts Joe Edwards
108, 109, 110, 111, 112,
at a revival, 115
115, 119, 122, 123, 126,
Batts, Olive, 381
140, 144, 145, 146, 147,
Bell Cemetery, John, Jr.,
148, 149, 150, 151, 152,
232
153, 154, 155, 156, 157,
Bell Cemetery, Old, 231
158, 159, 160, 161, 162,
Bell Farm: Description of,
163, 171, 251, 253, 265,
28; History of the land,
267, 281, 286, 295, 368;
268
Becomes engaged to
Bell Log Cabin, 342
Joshua Gardner, 146;
Bell School, 341
Biographical sketch, 294;
Bell School Antique Mall,
Death, 296; Marries Prof.
340, 341
Richard Powell, 162;
Bell Witch Bluegrass
Spells and trances, 51
Competition, 345
Bell, Elizabeth Gunn, 33,
Bell Witch Cave, 123, 194,
232, 308
218, 220, 225, 236, 244,
Bell, Esther, 27, 34, 35,
310, 312, 344;
103, 106, 107, 108, 149,
- 3 9 4 -
I N D E X
164, 171, 253, 286, 299,
308; Biographical sketch,
305, 306, 307, 368;
307; Death, 308
Biographical sketch, 306;
Bell, Lucy, 22, 23, 26, 27,
Death, 307
33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42,
Bell, Jesse, 27, 33, 34, 77,
47, 51, 77, 78, 91, 94,
78, 126, 127, 135, 147,
95, 109, 111, 119, 124,
148, 164, 171, 293, 305,
125, 132, 139, 140, 142,
308, 368, 369;
148, 149, 150, 161, 164,
Biographical sketch, 304;
166, 171, 265, 281, 292,
Death, 305
294, 304, 312;
Bell, Joel Egbert, 33, 44,
Biographical sketch, 294;
45, 46, 55, 120, 121,
Death, 294
161, 164, 165, 166, 174,
Bell, Martha, 33, 78, 126,
175, 180, 186, 193, 214,
304
285, 312, 313, 342;
Bell, Richard Williams, 33,
Biographical sketch, 312;
44, 75, 98, 121, 122,
Death, 313
138, 161, 164, 165, 166,
Bell, John, 136, 178, 182,
171, 180, 181, 287, 311,
251; Affliction spreads
312, 313; Biographical
throughout his entire
sketch, 311; Death, 312
body, 138; Becomes
Bell, Sarah Elizabeth, 305
bedridden, 139;
Bell, Sir Charles, 293
Biographical sketch, 292;
Bell, William, 21
Committee review of
Bell, Z.Y.X., 296
excommunication, 143;
Bell, Zadok, 27;
Convicted of usury, 83;
Biographical sketch, 310;
Death, 140; Dispute with
Death, 311
Benjamin Batts, 82;
Bell’s Chapel Baptist
Dispute with Josiah Fort,
Church, 309
83; Estate settlement,
Bell’s Cross Road, 113
232; Excommunication
Bell’s Palsy, 293
from church, 85; Funeral,
Bellwood Cemetery, 164,
143; Gravestone replaced
184, 191, 192, 221, 287,
in 1957, 192; Mysterious
339, 340; Monument
affliction sets in, 50
inscription, 339
Bell, John Thomas, 305,
Beltaine.
See
Celts
369, 371, 373
Bethel Methodist Church,
Bell, John, Jr., 27, 33, 34,
33, 91, 317
37, 38, 42, 47, 48, 49,
Black Book.
See
The Bell
50, 59, 63, 78, 79, 80,
Witch of Tennessee,
90, 94, 109, 120, 135,
Reprint of Harriet Parks
139, 140, 141, 142, 164,
Miller and Dr. Charles
166, 167, 168, 169, 170,
Bailey Bell's books
183, 232, 281, 293, 307,
Black, John, 24, 26
- 3 9 5 -
I N D E X
Blackdog.
See
Witch Family
Cumberland River, 31, 34,
Book of Shadows.
See
156, 272
Grimoire
Cypocryphy.
See
Witch
Brown’s Ford, 154
Family
Brown’s Ford and
Springfield Road, 28,
D
194, 207
Brown’s Ford Bluff, 174,
de Soto, Hernando, 269
187, 193, 194, 208, 210,
Demon, 251
312
Demonstrations: Bids
Byrns, James, 29, 51, 92
farewell for seven years,
C
161; Brings fruit and
berries to Elizabeth's
Cacodemon.
See
Demon
birthday party, 87;
Calvin, John, 274, 347
Brings grapes and
Calvinism. See
hazelnuts to Mrs. Bell,
Predestination
124; Comforts Elizabeth
Cane Ridge Revival, The.
as she grieves the death
See
Second Great
of her father, 144;
Awakening, The
Exposes a sheepskin
Celts, 257, 258, 259
thief, 77; Finds Anky
Cherokee.
See
Native
underneath Mrs. Bell's
Americans
bed, 132; Fondness for
Chicago, 180
arguing religion, 75;
Chickamauga Nation, 335
Frees a boy trapped in a
Chickasaw.
See
Native
cave, 123; Gives grapes
Americans
to visitors at the Bell
Choctaw.
See
Native
home, 126; Knew of
Americans
people’s pasts, 63;
Civil War, 166, 169, 233,
Quotes simultaneous
253, 330, 338; Battle of
sermons, 91; Shakes
Franklin, 295
hands with Calvin
Clark’s Mill, 154, 177
Johnston, 56; Sings at
Clarksville.
See
Tennessee:
John Bell's funeral, 143;
Clarksville
Speaks with Dutch
Covington, Leslie, 191
accent, 57; Tells of Jesse
Crawford, William, 28
Bell's whereabouts, 78;
Creek.
See
Native
Tells of Rev. Thomas
Americans
Gunn missing a wedding,
Creek Indian War, 304
92; Tells what John
CSX Railroad, 314
Johnston's wife is doing,
Cumberland Gap, 320
58; Ventriloquism ruled
Cumberland Presbyterian