Some legends are in a league of their own, and the Bell Witch is one of them. Perhaps this tale would even be on my Mount Rushmore, but I will save that for another day.
In the early 1800s, John Bell moved from North Carolina to Tennessee with his wife, Lucy, settling on a farm in Red River, now known as Adams. Over the next few years, the family welcomed three children and expanded the farm to 328 acres.
In 1817, Bell was walking through his field with a gun in hand when he noticed a strange creature with the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. He fired at the beast, which abruptly disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Later that evening, the Bell family began hearing noises outside of their log cabin, with the supernatural activity escalating over the next several weeks. Bell was alarmed, but when the spirit started attacking family members, like pinching and slapping his wife and kicking and pulling the hair of other family members, John Bell confided in a neighbor, who in turn told several more neighbors of the strange happenings.
When the neighbors began investigating, the vengeful spirit became vocal and identified itself as the witch of Kate Batts, a neighbor whom Bell had angered by purchasing slaves for his farm.
The spirit began quoting scripture, singing hymns, and talking to Bell every day. Finally, in December 1820, Bell died of a mysterious illness. Even in death, the Bell Witch continued to torment the family during the funeral by laughing, cursing, and singing.
In 1821, the Bell Witch told Lucy Bell that she would return in seven years, and she delivered on her promise. The witch returned in 1827 and had a long conversation with John Bell Jr on several topics. The entity reportedly stayed for three weeks, bidding the younger Bell a farewell, but vowed to return in 107 years.
Today, the legend lives on over 200 years later, near the Kentucky state line in Adams, Tennessee.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Alan Brown, Unexplained South
Image Credit: Larry Mccormack/ Tennessean