The presence of the Bell Witch haunting has long captivated the imaginations of those interested in the paranormal. The story of the Bell Witch dates back to the early 19th century in Adams, Tennessee. John Bell and his family claimed to be tormented by an unseen entity, which became known as the Bell Witch. The Bell Witch haunting is said to have started in 1817, when the Bell family began experiencing strange occurrences in their home. The haunting reportedly began with strange knocking sounds on the doors and walls of the house, followed by the sounds of scratching and gnawing. Over time, the presence of the Bell Witch became more malevolent, with physical attacks on members of the family including scratching, pinching, and pulling of hair.
For the first time in U.S. history, a death was blamed on a supernatural entity and classified as such.
the sounds were too low to be distinct about what was being said, but its tone and rhythm reminded them of the sounds of a feeble woman singing hymns. Perhaps Betsy s patience wore thin, or she finally began to agree with the entity, for on Easter Monday, 1821 Betsy met Joshua at the river and called off their engagement, causing these supernatural disturbances to fade.
Over time, the presence of the Bell Witch became more malevolent, with physical attacks on members of the family including scratching, pinching, and pulling of hair. One of the most fascinating aspects of the Bell Witch haunting is the supposed ability of the entity to communicate. The Bell Witch is said to have had the ability to speak and interact with the family, often engaging in conversations and providing information about the future.
The Strange Legend of the Bell Witch
In the early 1800’s, a man named John Bell moved with his wife Lucy and their children from North Carolina to the Red River bottomlands of present-day Adams, Tennessee. He bought several plots of land, totaling 328 acres, along with a large wooden cabin. He cleared out several fields to grow his crops on. As an Elder of Red River Baptist church, he was a well-established man within his community and his family lived a very comfortable and happy life.
One day, in 1817, John was walking through his corn fields, inspecting his crops. As he walked along, he was started by a strange animal staring at him from the center of one of the corn rows. It had the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. As it stared at him unmoving, he unholstered his gun and shot at it several times, terrified of the intimidating creature. The creature then vanished, darting through the rows of corn and into the woods. John would not pay it any mind until later that evening.
After the Bell family had cleaned up after dinner that evening, they sat conversing in the living room. Suddenly, loud banging was heard on the outer walls of their large cabin, almost as if someone was trying to beat the walls down. This occurrence continued night after night, getting more and more intense as the family’s fear and confusion grew. John and his sons tried many times to capture the culprit, but were never able to find the source of whatever was banging on the walls.
Soon after the occurrences began, the Bell’s youngest children started waking up crying in the middle of the night, complaining of rats gnawing at their bedposts. Before long they were terrified of the “invisible entity” that would rip their bedsheets and pillows to the floor each night. As the strange terrors continued, the family began to hear faint, unintelligible whispering around the house, as well as what sounded like a feeble old woman singing hymns. After their youngest child, Betsy Bell, began crying about being beaten and receiving welts and bruises in the shape of handprints all over her body, John went to his neighbor and friend, James Johnstone, for advice and support.
James and his wife spent the night in the Bell’s home, where they were subjected to the same horrors. After James’ covered were ripped away from him and he was slapped in the face, he jumped out of bed and shouted: “In the name of God; who are you?!” He did not receive a reply, but the abuse stopped for the rest of the night. The next morning over breakfast, James explained that the culprit must be an evil spirit, “the kind the Bible talks about”.
After the Johnstons left to return home, the activity ramped up to alarming levels. The whispering had increased to full blown talking, as the entity recited verses, sang hymns, and carried on intelligent conversation with the family. At one point, the entity even recited word-for-word two sermons that had happened at the same time 13 miles away from each other. As word of the infamous ‘Bell Witch’ spread throughout Tennessee, it caught the attention of then Major General Andrew Jackson. John Bell and his brothers, Jesse and Drewry Bell, had fought under Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. When Jackson heard of the Bell Witch, he formulated an entourage and went to go investigate the property.
Jackson’s entourage consisted of several men and horses, as well as a large wagon. As they approached the Bell property, the wagon became stuck in a muddy creek bed, and the horses refused to pull it out. After several minutes of cursing and attempting to coax the horses through the mud, Jackson threw up his hands and said “By the eternal, boys! This must be the Bell Witch!” No sooner had he said that, a disembodied voice of a woman spoke to Jackson and told him he and his men could proceed, as she would be seeing them later that evening. The horses began to walk, pulling the carriage out of the mud with no issue and continuing the rest of the way to the Bell’s house.
As Jackson and his men were setting up camp in the Bell’s yard, one of his men began to brag about the silver bullet he had been carrying in his gun. He claimed that his silver bullet would banish any evil spirit it came in contact with, and that the Bell Witch was too afraid to mess with them for fear of being killed. Suddenly, the man dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. He claimed he was being stabbed with pins and beaten severely. An unseen force threw him out of the front door of the home, before the woman’s voice came again. She said that there was yet another fraud in Jackson’s party, and she would reveal him the following evening. At this point, Jackson’s men begged to leave but Jackson refused, wanting to find out who the other fraud was.
The events of the rest of the evening are unclear, but Jackson and his men were spotted in Springfield, Tennessee the following morning, on their way back to Nashville. Jackson later proclaimed that he “would rather fight the British in New Orleans than fight the Bell Witch.” Jackson would never return to the haunted homestead.
After Jackson’s departure, the Bell Witch set her sights on John. She claimed repeatedly that she was going to kill him. Her voice could be heard all over the family’s farm, cursing and making fun of “Old Jack Bell”, the nickname she had given him. Around this time, John began suffering from a severe facial twitch, and he was having trouble swallowing. This malady went on for about a year before it escalated to frequent seizures. The Bell Witch would slap his face as he recovered from his many seizures, and she would yank his shoes from his feet as he tried to walk.
On December 19, 1820, John Bell fell into a coma. He was dead by the next morning. Immediately following his death, John’s family found a vial of black liquid in the cupboard that none of them had ever seen before. John Bell Jr. Gave two droplets of the thick liquid to the family cat, who promptly yowled and died on the spot. As the family stood in disbelief, the Bell Witch spoke up, saying she had given John a “big ol’ dose of that last night to fix him up”.
John’s funeral was huge, with nearly everyone in the surrounding cities showing up to support his family. Three preachers eulogized him, two Methodists and one Baptist. After his burial in the church’s graveyard, the Bell Witch could be heard all around, loudly singing a song about a bottle of brandy. She carried on until the last mourner left the graveyard.
The supernatural activity all but vanished after John’s death, almost as if the Bell Witch had fulfilled her purpose. She wasn’t heard from again until April of 1821, when she visited the now-widowed Lucy Bell. She told her she would return in seven years, before disappearing. Sure enough, seven years later, the spirit returned to John Bell Jr. She discussed the origin of life and civilization, as well as Christianity and the dire need for a major spiritual awakening. Three weeks later, she disappeared again, this time promising her return in 107 years to the most direct Bell descendant.
The most direct descendant would be Dr. Charles Bailey Bell, great-grandson of John Bell Jr. In 1934, Charles wrote a book on the Bell Witch, recalling the stories his father had told him growing up. It is unclear whether the Bell Witch returned in 1935, and unfortunately, we’ll never know. Charles Bailey Bell died in 1945, leaving the legacy of the mysterious and terrifying Bell Witch for all to ponder.
Many who witnessed these interactions described the voice of the Bell Witch as harsh and raspy, with a distinct personality. The presence of the Bell Witch haunting gained widespread attention and even attracted the interest of prominent figures such as Andrew Jackson, who visited the Bell family home to witness the phenomenon firsthand. Despite attempts to rid the home of the entity, the haunting persisted for several years, only coming to an end after the death of John Bell in 1820. The mystery surrounding the Bell Witch haunting has continued to intrigue both skeptics and believers alike. Some speculate that the presence of the Bell Witch was the result of supernatural forces, while others attribute it to a poltergeist or even the work of a disturbed family member. Regardless of the explanation, the story of the Bell Witch haunting remains one of the most enduring tales of the supernatural in American history. In conclusion, the presence of the Bell Witch haunting is an enduring mystery that has captivated the imaginations of many. The strange occurrences, physical attacks, and the ability to communicate have made the Bell Witch one of the most famous hauntings in American folklore. Whether one believes in the supernatural or not, the story of the Bell Witch continues to fascinate and intrigue..
Reviews for "The Bell Witch Haunting: A Haunting That Shook a Town"
- John - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "The presence of the bell witch haunting". The whole movie felt like a cheap, low-budget production. The acting was terrible, the storyline was confusing and lacked depth, and the special effects were laughable at best. I was hoping for a spooky, thrilling horror movie but instead, I got a poorly made film that left me bored and unimpressed. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this one.
- Emily - 2 stars - I had high expectations for "The presence of the bell witch haunting" but it fell short in many areas. The pacing was incredibly slow, and it took forever for anything remotely scary to happen. The characters were underdeveloped, making it hard to connect or care about their fate. The scares were predictable and lacked originality. It felt like a generic horror movie that failed to bring anything new or exciting to the table. Overall, I found it to be a mediocre and forgettable experience.
- Sarah - 2.5 stars - "The presence of the bell witch haunting" had potential, but it failed to fully deliver. While the premise was intriguing, the execution fell flat. The movie took too long to build up suspense, and by the time anything spooky happened, I had already lost interest. The acting was average, and the plot twists were predictable. It's not the worst horror movie I've seen, but it definitely didn't leave a lasting impression. If you're a die-hard horror fan, you might find some enjoyment in it, but for casual viewers, I would recommend looking elsewhere.