The Bell Witch: The Full Account (55 page)

Dean into a mule, 101;

Authenticated History of

Unable to read minds, 58

the Bell Witch:Book by

Pranks (Late Nineteenth

Martin Ingram

Century): Taunts

Red River, 27, 28, 29, 34,

Reynolds Powell and

35, 96, 122, 123, 149,

Allen Bell, 176

152, 174, 177, 203, 206,

Pranks (Twentieth Century):

208, 234, 271, 272, 274,

A rabbit leads a Bell

276, 310, 315, 320, 333,

descendant to his

335, 345; Bells settle in

ancestor's grave, 213; A

area, 27; Description of,

rabbit throws dirt fifteen

29

feet, 214; A white sheet

Red River Baptist Church,

covers a boy's head, 197;

31, 32, 33, 80, 83, 84,

Car motors die on old

85, 86, 115, 143, 162,

Keysburg Road bridge,

216, 234, 273, 293, 315,

208; Tragic car accident

316, 347; Early history,

after theft of John Bell's

31; John Bell becomes a

gravestone, 188; Wire in

member, 31; John Bell

cave mysteriously

becomes an elder, 34

disappears, 196

Red River Revival, The.
See

Pranks (Twenty-first

Second Great Awakening,

Century): Rabbits

The

disappear from a video

Red River Station.
See

tape, 215

Adams Station

Predestination, 273, 274,

Reelfoot Lake, 276

347, 352

Religion, Pantheistic:

Presbyterian Faith, 272,

Meaning of, 258

273

Revolutionary War: North

Primitive Baptist Faith, 273,

Carolina Continental

347, 348, 350

Line, 320

- 4 0 2 -

I N D E X

Robertson County.
See

Spring Equinox.
See
Celts

Tennessee: Robertson

Springfield.
See
Tennessee:

County

Springfield

Robertson County Archives,

Springfield and Brown's

244

Ford Road, 378

Robertson, James, 335

Sturgeon Creek, 29, 58,

Rogers, Steve, 342

128, 164, 253, 273, 320

Romans, The, 257

Subclass.
See
Spirit

Ross, Reuben, 274, 275

Sugg, Betsy, 119

Sugg, Dr. Henry, 174, 285,

S

312

Salvation. See Arminianism

Sulphur Fork Creek, 32,

Samhain. See Celts. See

333

Celts

Summer Solstice.
See
Celts

Sanders Engraving

Summerland. See Celts

Company, 180

Supernatural, Validating an

Saturday Evening Post, The:

encounter with, 238

Publishes article blaming

the disturbances on

T

Elizabeth, 172

Tar River, 292

Schools, early, 29

Tar River Association, 27,

Scientific American, The,

32, 315

325

Taylor, John, 31

Scotland, 21, 319

Tennessee: Adams, 14, 31,

Scott, Esther, 163, 330

177, 178, 185, 191, 216,

Second Great Awakening,

236, 337; Cedar Hill, 51,

The, 272, 273

163, 295, 302;

Shakers, 64

Clarksville, 31, 179, 194,

Slaves, 27; Anky, 132;

301, 329; Cross Plains,

Chloe, 27, 99, 130, 133,

333; Dickson County,

297; Dean, 27, 34, 38,

162; Dresden, 315; Henry

48, 83, 99, 100, 101,

County, 155, 160, 302,

102, 103, 134, 294;

314; Joelton, 190;

Dean, Biographical

Knoxville, 170; Lebanon,

sketch, 297; Dean,

219; Montgomery

Death, 297; Harry, 130;

County, 31, 97; Nashville,

Philis, 38, 48, 131, 132;

31, 58, 135, 137, 156,

Spirit's hatred for, 130

188, 194, 298, 308, 324,

Smith, Levi, 343

335, 337, 338; Port

Sorcery, 261, 266

Royal, 29, 31, 34, 83,

Spirit, 254; A progressive

140, 275, 308, 345; Port

entity, 255; Rites of

Royal State park, 31;

passage to higher orders,

Robertson County, 14,

264

27, 172, 269, 293, 318,

- 4 0 3 -

I N D E X

320, 323; Robertson

Towne Creek Baptist

County, Early history,

Church, 22.
See
Union

332; Rutherford County,

Baptist Church

310; Springfield, 28, 31,

71, 72, 83, 137, 163,

U

213, 313, 337; Stewart

County, 320; Weakley

Union Baptist Church, 22,

County, 160, 314, 315;

315

Williamson County, 162

Union Hill Cemetery, 307

Tennessee Historical

Utilitarianism, 280

Commission, 342

V

Tennessee Militia, 135, 304,

307, 323; 2nd Tennessee

Virginia, 21, 80

Regiment, 33

Vortex, 270, 271, 277, 282,

Tennessee River, 155, 156,

283, 286; Location of,

320

283

Tennessee State Library and

Archives, 244

W

Tennessee-Kentucky

Threshermen’s

Wall, Billy, 97

Association, 343; Annual

War of 1812, 62

Show, 345

Willett, Charley, 337

The Adams Enterprise:

Williams, John, 22, 297

Newspaper, 337

Williams, Lucy.
See
Bell,

The Bell Witch: A

Lucy

Mysterious Spirit; Book

Williams, Mourning, 22

by Dr. Charles Bailey

Winter Solstice.
See
Celts

Bell, 183

Witch, 257

The Bell Witch of Middle

Witch Doctor, 64

Tennessee: Book by

Harriet Parks Miller, 184

Witch Family, 105, 106,

108, 109, 110, 253, 286,

The Bell Witch of Tennesse:

287, 306

Reprint of Harriet Parks

Miller and Dr. Charles

Witchcraft, 259

Bailey Bell's books, 184

Woodland.
See
Native

Thorn, Theny, 35, 98, 110,

Americans

149, 150, 151, 160, 320,

World War I, 169, 233

321

World War II, 169, 233, 281

- 4 0 4 -

QUEEN OF THE HAUNTED DELL

'Mid woodland bowers, grassy dell,

By an enchanted murmuring stream,

Dwelt pretty blue-eyed Betsy Bell,

Sweetly thrilled with love's young dream.

Life was like the magic spell,

That guides a laughing stream,

Sunbeams glimmering on her fell,

Kissed by lunar's silvery gleam.

But elfin phantoms cursed the dell,

And sylvan witches all unseen,

As our tale will truely tell,

Wielded sceptre o’er the queen.

From
An Authenticated History of the Bell

Witch
, M.V. Ingram, 1894.

- 4 0 5 -

About the Author

THE PUBLISHED AUTHOR of books,

magazine articles, and syndicated

columns, Pat Fitzhugh has

researched the legend of the “Bell

Witch” for more than twenty years.

In addition to lecturing and giving

interviews, he has written two books

and countless magazine articles on

the subject. A native Tennessean,

Pat Fitzhugh has held public office and holds degrees

in accounting and information systems management.

He enjoys train travel and the Mississippi Delta blues

scene in his limited spare time. Fitzhugh lives in

Nashville, Tennessee, and runs the Bell Witch Web

Site at http://www.bellwitch.org.

About the Artist

KRIS STUART-CRUMP (Christabel)

was born and raised in Middle

Tennessee. She is an artist, writer,

and animal-lover who comes from a

musical family. Her art career began

the day she first picked up a crayon,

and continues to be her biggest

obsession next to music. The legend

of the Bell Witch has always been her favorite piece

of Tennessee history. Kris resides in Nashville,

Tennessee.

- 4 0 6 -

Special Supplement:

Bell Family Geneaology

by

Patrick A. Fitzhugh, Author / Historian

Nashville, Tennessee

Copyright (c) 2002, All rights reserved

Preface

T
he information contained herein was obtained from public records, church records, family stories, family Bibles, census records, military records, political records, personal interviews, and numerous other sources, spanning five different states and 24 years.

First and foremost, the reader should understand that geneaology is not an exact science. For every "fact" that one researcher uncovers, another researcher will uncover a contradiction. So, with that having been said, I ask that you please not write me to "dispute" anything you find here.

I'm sure we could go back and forth to eternity arguing over various pieces of information; however, these are only "my" findings; i.e., you have your findings, I have mine. If you would like to have something added to any of the records marked "abt" or "unknown," please feel free to let me know and I will be happy to consider it.

Research is ongoing. A multitude of information is being prepared for inclusion in future updates to the report you are now reading. The best way to keep track of updates is to visit this web page and take note of the "Information Last Updated" date. As for keeping a cumulative log of updates, I know it would make things easier; however, by the time I've pulled information together, validated it, organized it, and uploaded it to this site, there is no time left.

Facts, or purported facts, are not protected by United States copyright laws. However, the reports themselves are protected and may not be used in any form or manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the researcher/publisher, Pat Fitzhugh. It is okay to say or write, for example, that Elizabeth Bell was born in 1806; however, if you plan to "lift" the statement from this report, then you will need to seek permission.

This report, or any part(s) thereof, may not be distributed anywhere other than where the researcher/publisher consents to. If certain information (a fact itself, but not the physical encoding) contained in this report is used in the formulation of a separate report, book, lecture, etc., it is requested that the author, director, lecturer, producer, etc. give proper credit as to the source. At a minimum, the names "Pat Fitzhugh" and "www.bellwitch.org" should be mentioned.

All information contained herein is believed to be accurate to the best of my knowledge, but is not warranted.

Pat Fitzhugh, Author / Historian

Nashville, Tennessee

October, 2002

2

Descendants of William Bell

Generation No. 1

1.
WILLIAM1 BELL was born Abt. 1700 in Isle of Wight, VA, and died May 1754 in Edgecombe County, NC. He married ANN JONES 1721 in Isle of Wight, VA, daughter of RICHARD JONES and UNKNOWN. She was born Abt.

1705 in Isle of Wight, VA, and died 1750 in Edgecombe County, NC.

More About WILLIAM BELL:

Land: April 28, 1733, Purch. 100-acre tract on south side of Roanoke River from John Nairne Will: December 01, 1752, Written

More About WILLIAM BELL and ANN JONES:

Marriage: 1721, Isle of Wight, VA

Source: Isle of Wight County VA, Great Book 2, page 84

Children of WILLIAM BELL and ANN JONES are:

2.

i.

JOHN2 BELL, b. 1750, Edgecombe County, NC; d. December 20, 1820, Robertson County, TN.