The Bell Witch Cave is considered one of the most haunted places in America. Learn the history and tales of the Bell Witch.
In almost any list of haunted places in America, one spot always shows up - Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee. Although the story begins in the early 1800s, many people believe that the haunting continues today. Photographs taken in and around the mysterious Bell Witch Cave often produce strange images of balls of fire or ghostly people. Surprisingly, the haunting didn't begin in the cave, but on land nearby.
In the early 1800s, John Bell and his family moved from North Carolina to Tennessee. They were popular and well respected in the community. John Bell was not without detractors - most notably, an eccentric widow named Kate Batts - but he seemed a stable man with little imagination. Then one morning in 1817, John Bell discovered an odd animal in his cornfield. It appeared to have the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. He shot at it, and the animal disappeared. Soon after, his son Drewry Bell spotted a large bird, which he assumed was a turkey. When he approached the bird, he saw that it was unlike any had seen before. The bird flew away before he could shoot it. Both incidents were odd, but not disturbing. The disturbances soon followed.
Noises began to be heard at night around the house. At first the family heard loud banging against the sides of the house, followed by animal sounds of snuffling and gnawing. The odd events did not remain outside the house, and soon the children complained of the sound of rats in their rooms. They also claimed that their bedcovers were repeatedly pulled off and their pillows thrown to the floor. More sounds and events followed: strange unintelligible whisperings and attacks on family members. Their young daughter Betsy often cried out from an invisible attacker pulling her hair or slapping her face - leaving handprints.
Bell invited his friend and neighbor, James Johnson to witness the phenomenon. Johnson was known for his piety and courage. Johnson also experienced the attacks and heard the noises but could do little to help the family. Other people came to witness the events at Bell farm, which increased in vigor. Soon the ghostly mutterings became intelligible and the ghost carried on conversations with family and guests. The ghost claimed to be Kate Batts' witch. Certainly it wasn't her ghost as Kate Batts was alive and well liked in the community - despite business difficulties with John Bell. However, Kate Batts was known to be rather eccentric and the idea of her sending a witch after John Bell was an appealing one. The ghost was often referred to as Kate. However, the ghostly voices did not settle on one claim. It also claimed to be the spirit of a child who had died in North Carolina. And on another occasion, it claimed to be a ghost of someone buried on the land who had been disturbed. It promised to reveal the whereabouts of a treasure, but none was forthcoming.
Even General Andrew Jackson came to see the famous "ghost." He and his men witnessed the ghostly antics, including voices and such mischievous stunts as "seizing" his carriage so it could not pass until Jackson acknowledged its ghostly presence. The General was later quoted as saying; "I would rather fight the entire British Army than to deal with the Bell Witch."
Much of the activity centered on John Bell and his daughter Betsy, who experienced the most frequent attacks. John Bell eventually became ill with a mysterious malady that the ghost claimed credit for. Bell's condition worsened as the ghost refused to let him rest. Eventually Bell was found unconscious in his bed. His son rushed to get his medicine but found it was missing, with a strange vial in its place. The contents of the vial were tested on the cat and found to be quickly fatal. The ghost claimed to have dosed John Bell with the noxious drug. He died soon after.
The ghostly attention on Betsy continued even after her father's death. Besides physical attacks, it also ruined her relationship with a young man she intended to marry. The couple was so harassed that the engagement was broken. It did allow her to marry another suitor - her old schoolmaster. Some people claim that the spirit was conjured by the schoolmaster to secure his position as her husband.
In the summer of 1821, the ghost announced that it was leaving but would return in seven years and it appears the ghost held to its word. In 1828, the ghost returned to visit John Bell Jr. in his home and had a long discussion where it made a number of prophesies about world events that later proved true - including the Civil War and World Wars I and II. The ghost then said it would leave for one hundred and seven years. It also promised that when it returned it would not torment decedents of the Bell family. Many believe the ghost once again kept its word, returning to haunt the Bell Witch Cave instead of the Bell family.
Visitors to the Bell Witch Cave and surrounding areas experience a variety of strange phenomenon, including hearing children playing in the empty cave, and seeing a woman floating above the ground. The most frequent manifestation is found in the photos taken in and around the cave. One of the most famous recent photos was taken of a girl sitting on a rock outside the cave; upon close examination you can see a man standing behind her. A man who was not visible to the photographer or the girl. Some claim that if you visit the land at night, you can see lights gliding over the fields and dancing in the dell.
The Bell Witch Cave is open to the public. It can be reached from I24 by taking Highway 76 to Adams to the caution light. Turn right onto Highway 41 then go past the market on the left and then turn left onto Keysburg Rd. Go Keysburg road a half mile until you see the signs on the right.
The new address is 430 Keysburg Rd. Admission is $7 per person and it is recommended that you call ahead for tour times. As long as you are in Adams, you might want to consider visiting the Bellwood Cemetery and looking for the Bell family's plot. Who knows what you may find as you explore one of America's most famous haunted places?
