The Bell Witch: A Southern Haunting, and its Mississippi connection

Halloween is a time we like to gather around and tell spooky stories, when the veil between living dead is said to be thinned and the supernatural walk freely on earth. Whether that’s true or not, we’ve always had a thing about The Bell Witch, and what better time to dive into this classic American haunting!

The haunting of the Bell family in early 19th-century Tennessee has captivated audiences for decades, generating books and movies and lots of stories about a poltergeist known as Kate. The entity gained notoriety after claiming to be “Old Kate Batts’ witch,” as detailed in Martin V. Ingram’s book An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch.

The haunting reportedly began in 1817 when John Bell encountered a strange creature that looked a dog with the head of a rabbit on his property. Not long after, activity escalated in the Bell household. Family members experienced knocking sounds, sensations of gnawing on beds, and invisible dogs fighting. Betsy Bell, the youngest daughter, was particularly affected, often being slapped, pinched, and even stuck with pins.
As the phenomena intensified, the Bells sought help from family friend James Johnston, who witnessed the disturbances firsthand. He told John Bell, “It was a spirit, just like in the Bible.”

Word spread quickly, drawing curious visitors who wished to experience the haunting.
The spirit began to communicate verbally, responding aloud to questions and even claimed, “I am a spirit; I was once very happy but have been disturbed.” It offered various explanations for its presence, linking itself to the disturbance of a nearby Native American burial mound. The entity demonstrated a remarkable knowledge of biblical texts, would recite entire sermons that had occurred miles away, and loved engaging in religious debates.

John Johnston’s son devised a test for the witch, asking it to mimic his Dutch step-grandmother’s accent. The spirit succeeded, further terrifying the locals and establishing its credibility. A visiting Englishman reported that the witch even spoke in the voices of his parents, leading him to “leave the Bell home in a state of disbelief.”
Despite its threatening demeanor towards John Bell Sr., referring to him as “Old Jack,” and his daughter Betsy, the spirit also showed kindness, especially to Lucy Bell, whom it called “the most perfect woman to walk the earth.” It would gift her fresh fruit and sing hymns.

The Witch was reported to hate the family’s slaves, beating them, and refusing to allow them into the house. A Bell slave named Dean stated he encountered the Witch several times and that it appeared frequently in the form of a large black dog or wolf, sometimes with two heads, sometimes with no head. He carried with him at all times his axe and a “witch ball,” made by his wife, as protection from the witch’s influence.

The haunting reached a climax when John Bell was poisoned, an act attributed to the witch. According to records, Sr. “Old Jack Bell” as the spirit called him, was blasted with curses, heinous threats, and serious physical torments. As the abuse continued to impact his psyche, Bell took to his bed and was cared for by John Jr. On December 19, 1820, John Bell failed to leave his bed and John Jr. went to the cupboard to retrieve the medicine for his care. Instead of the three medicine vials, he found only one vial. It was one third full of a dark, smoky liquid of unknown origin. The voice of the Witch gloated, “It’s useless for you to try to relieve Old Jack – I have got him this time; he will never get up from that bed again!” She claimed of the vial that she “gave Old Jack a big dose of it last night while he was fast asleep, which fixed him.” The contents of the vial were thrown into the fire and erupted into a blue blaze. John Bell died December 20, 1820.” Following his death, the entity interrupted the mourners, singing bawdy songs.  Even then witch did not leave Betsy alone, leading her to end her engagement in 1821 and forcing her to stay with neighbors on many occasions.

The Bell Witch tale drew the interest of celebrities and historical figures as well, including Andrew Jackson, whose men reportedly fled after attempting to investigate the phenomenon. Jackson was quoted as saying “I had rather face the entire British Army than to spend another night with the Bell Witch” after he and some of his troops spent a night at the Bell’s farm.

Various speculations on the spirit’s true nature have been made, some likening it to jinn in folklore. In a reflection on the haunting, Richard Williams Bell wrote, “Whether it was witchery… or a demon let loose from hell, I am unable to decide; nor has anyone yet divined its nature or cause for appearing.” In years since the original hauntings, a cave on John Bell’s property has since become a focal point for visitors hoping to experience a bit of the legend themselves.

Goodspeed Brothers’ 1886 History of Tennessee, recorded a short account of the legend:

A remarkable occurrence, which attracted widespread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the “Bell Witch.” This witch was supposed to be some spiritual being having the voice and attributes of a woman. It was invisible to the eye, yet it would hold conversation and even shake hands with certain individuals. The freaks it performed were wonderful, and seemingly designed to annoy the family. It would take the sugar from the bowls, spill the milk, take the quilts from the beds, slap and pinch the children, and then laugh at the discomfiture of its victims. At first it was supposed to be a good spirit, but its subsequent acts, together with the curses with which it supplemented its remarks, proved the contrary. A volume might be written concerning the performances of this wonderful being, as they are now described by contemporaries and their descendants. That all this actually occurred will not be disputed, nor will a rational explanation be attempted. It is merely introduced as an example of superstition, strong in the minds of all but a few in those times, and not yet wholly extinct.

A fact known to those familiar with the legend is the Mississippi tie — Betsy Bell married her teacher, Richard Powell. Later on in her life, after he died, she moved to Mississippi to live with other members of the Bell family who had relocated. Some legends said they fled the witch.

They made their homestead in what was then Panola County, but is now Yalobusha County, in Long Branch Cemetery. Betsy was buried under the name “Elizabeth Powell,” but placed in the Bell family portion of the cemetery. Though Long Branch is set off the road and you have to know where it is to find it, there’s plenty of traffic there by ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts.

Bell’s tombstone is new, as her family removed the old one, which was tall and thin, to keep it from being stolen as a souvenir. The new grave marker — surrounded by the fragile, weather-worn, and often broken tombstones of her family — is heavy and thick, but on a given day one will find it covered in coins, trinkets, and beer cans and bottles left behind by sight seers. Some have gathered paranormal evidence there, and some have claimed to have spoken to Betsy herself.

FindAGrave.com says it’s possible the new tombstone was not set in the correct place and points out that the original inscription was, “A loved one has gone from our circle, on Earth we shall meet her no more. She has gone to her home in Heaven and all her afflictions are o’re.”

Betsy lived to be 82 years old. It’s not clear if she was able to live out her adult years in peace, free of torture from Kate Batts — or whoever or whatever the Bell Witch was. But the cemetery where she rests is peaceful, surrounded by trees that are currently clothed in fall’s finest colors. Only when it’s visited by nosy guests is the sanctity of Betsy’s rest disturbed.

On a personal note, having been raised in Nashville I can attest that even as children in the ‘80s, we were afraid of The Bell Witch. Stories circulated our slumber parties, claiming that the entity would leave gifts like necklaces but that the jewelry would eventually choke whomever wore it. We played childhood games, similar to Bloody Mary, in the name of this storied witch. As descendants of the Bell family have spread throughout the South, so has the reach of her influence. While we may never know the true nature of Ol’ Kate’s ghost, it is safe to say the legend of The Bell Witch lives on. For a tour of the house and farm, visit https://www.bellwitchcave.com/.