In this section, author/historian Pat Fitzhugh answers frequently-asked questions about the legend of the "Bell Witch."  For more detailed information and a full account of the entire legend, past and present, order your signed copy of the book.

General Questions

Question:  Was it really a "witch?"

Answer:  No, not in my opinion.  The reason behind the legend's name, which dates back to the early 1800s, is that the early settlers considered most anything that was not clearly understandable as being "witchery."  Keep in mind that the legend happened only 125 years or so after the Salem "Witch Trials," and that widespread paranoia about unexplainable things and behavior ran rampant.  "The Bell Witch" was the name given to the legend in the 1800s, and that name stuck.  

Question:  Do YOU, personally, believe in the Bell Witch?"

Answer:  As a writer, my job is to tell you the legend of the Bell Witch, as a storyteller.  But as a researcher and historian, my job is to share what I have been able to find in various records, manuscripts, and other documents concerning the people and places involved with the legend.

Can I prove the existence of the Bell Witch?  Of course not.  Can I disprove the existence of the Bell Witch?  Of course not.  I have two theories on the Bell Witch -- one supernatural and one skeptical.  My purpose -- and the purpose of this web site and the books I have written on the subject -- is to provide you with information so that you can analyze the case and make your own informed decision.

For a legend so complex to last that many years, something had to have happened to start it.  Maybe its origin was paranormal in nature; maybe its origin was human in nature.  Cases can be made for both.

The legend has two elements: story and fact.  The story element deals with the "entity" itself and the encounters that people allegedly had with it.  The fact element deals with the actual history of the people and places involved, but not the "entity" itself.

But regardless of the legend's "validity," it continues to be a great reading and discussion topic for people of all ages, all over the world.

Question:  Is the Bell Witch just a take-off of the "Blair Witch?"

Answer:  No.  The legend of the Bell Witch has been in existence for almost 200 years.  Mention of the Bell Witch was made in one of the pre-release documentaries, but the stories are entirely different.

Question:  Is it true that over 35 books have been written on the subject?

Answer:  No; absolutely not.  Fifteen (15) or so books have been written about the subject over the past 113 years, and there isn't room for any more because most of them simply try and rehash or "borrow" from other books about the subject.  Most information that pertains to the legend has already been found and reported, and older accounts have been rehashed to death.  The number of published works 'might' reach 35 if articles and brief mentions are counted along with the number of books written.

Question:  Who owns the legend of the "Bell Witch?"

Answer:  The number of individuals and companies who feel they "own" the legend, or that they -should- own it, is mind-boggling.  Being obsessed with the legend, or feeling that one's personal theory is the only "right" theory, does not constitute ownership -- it constitutes a passion.  Legends are not "owned" at all; they are a product of the "folk," handed down in various forms over many generations.  The lore of the Bell Witch belongs to the "folk," every single one of us.

Question:  Who was the Bell Witch?

Answer:  The Bell Witch, "Kate," was not a person.  According to the legend, it was a supernatural entity.  It was sometimes called "Kate" because some people thought than an eccentric lady named Kate Batts was behind the disturbances.  No available records indicate that Mrs. Batts was connected to the disturbances, however.

Question:  Were the people and places mentioned in the Bell Witch legend real?

Answer:  Yes -- and in many cases they lived even more exciting lives than what the legend states.  They were real in every sense of the word.  Public records, private records, and grave markers bear their names.   They lived during the early 1800s and have many descendants today.  For detailed historical information about these people, see the Biographies page.

Question:  Has the legend changed much over the years?

Answer:  The legend is in a constant state of change, and separating fact from fiction is becoming harder every day due to the propagation of disinformation (untrue and/or inaccurate historical information).  I lend the most credibility to stories written by those who lived during the period and witnessed the activity or knew people who did.  Although many of those accounts, namely the Ingram account, do not entirely match official records, they still provide us with some value by having been written closer to the timeframe of the disturbances.

Question:  Did the Bell Witch return to John Bell's most direct descendant in 1935 as promised?

Answer:  I don't know.  I haven't found any official records or manuscripts stating that the entity returned.  This by no means indicates that the entity didn't return; only that if it did, not much if anything was said or written about it.  My Mother grew up in the area and was living there in the early 1930s.  I once asked her about the entity's anticipated return and she laughingly responded that nobody in Robertson County at the time talked or cared about the entity's promised return because they had more important things to worry about -- such as survival in the Great Depression.  Here is some food for thought:  Did "Kate" ever leave the place to begin with?

Question:  Does John Bell have descendants living today?

Answer:  Yes; in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois -- just to name a few states.  Some will discuss the legend, others won't.  Some are believers, some are skeptics.  For Bell family genealogical information, see the Genealogy page.

Question:  It happened back in the 1800s; do people encounter the Bell Witch today?

Answer:  I receive stories on a daily basis from all over the world regarding supposed "Bell Witch" encounters.  While some accounts undoubtedly point to an unexplainable presence in the area, most are simply the result of not thinking things through.  A classic example is the popular "I turned off my car in Adams, TN and the engine wouldn't restart" story that I receive several times each day.  When I respond by asking how they got home to write me the letter, the answer is usually something to the effect of "well, this guy came by with a big red can marked 'gas,' and poured some of it into my gas tank--and my car started again!"

When an account truly suggests the valid presence of the unexplainable, the "entity" is not always the Bell Witch -- there are many different entities with many different characteristics.  Some of the entities described in valid accounts I receive are characteristic of "Kate," and others are not.

Question:  Will a movie ever be made about the Bell Witch?

Answer:  "The Bell Witch Haunting" came out in 2004, "Bell Witch: The Movie came out in 2005, and "An American Haunting" is to be released in May of 2006.

Several movie attempts were made prior to "The Bell Witch Haunting," but none were successful.  I feel those attempts were unsuccessful due to a lack of collaboration between filmmakers and historians.  And by "collaboration with historians," I don't mean "pasting" the content of Pat Fitzhugh's web site and books into other books or movie scripts and selling them as original (which seems to be a fad); I mean actually sitting down with the historians and working with them to render a decent movie.  A balance between historical accuracy and shock-value can be achieved!  A good movie, in my opinion, is "The Bell Witch Haunting," which was written by a knowledgeable historian who is also familiar with film. Historians know the legend, Hollywood knows the film industry; let the two work together.  I have not yet seen the other movies, but I will post reviews when I do.

Also, many TV documentaries have been made on the subject, several of which are accurate.

Question:  What is left of the John Bell farm?

Answer:  The land is used for farming.  A few old rocks in the middle of a field mark where the house once stood.  The old well is in a nearby thicket.  The cemetery is in a thicket on a distant hill and contains a memorial stone dedicated to John and Lucy Bell.  It was placed about 1957 by a descendant.  The house/graveyard tract is still in the family, owned by a private foundation.  No visitors are allowed.  For more information about private property, particularly the Bell farm, please see the "Private Property" section of this Web site.

For more information about things to see, visit the Adams page.

Question:  How does the Bell Witch Cave figure into the legend; i.e., what happened there?

Answer:  Several incidents occurred near the northwest corner of the Bell farm.  The cave incident involved a little boy who accidentally got his head stuck between two rocks.  After the boy had yelled for some time, the entire cave lit up and invisible hands tugged at his legs.  His head was freed and he was pulled all the way back to the cave entrance by "Kate."

Question:  Can Andrew Jackson's alleged encounter with the Bell Witch be proven?

Answer: No.  Research of real estate records and Jackson's journals indicates that he owned property in the Red River Settlement and often visited the area--including the home of one "John Bell."  There is no documentation indicating that Jackson actually had an  encounter with the "Bell Witch."  When I use the term "documentation," I am referring to an eyewitness account written by Jackson himself and the ink and signature authenticated.

For the sake of additional insight and validation, I would really like to get my hands on the journals of some of Jackson's "right hand men" at the time of the disturbances; however, a lack of time and money prevent me from doing so.  I strongly suspect that the "witch-tamer with a silver bullet" in Jackson's entourage (per the legend)  was none other than Cpt. John Gordon (1763-1819), who was a scout, spy, and very close friend of Jackson.  If the encounter really took place, I'm sure Gordon would have written about it.

Question:  Why was the entity nice to Lucy Bell but mean to John and Betsy Bell?

Answer:  I don't feel the entity was nice to any of the Bells.  I think the entity tried to negatively impact the souls of everyone involved, and did so using each person's "path of least resistance."  In other words, it worked on each individual person's weak spots to gain "control" over them.  While we know that the entity sang and gave grapes and hazelnuts to Mrs. Bell when she was sick, we must not forget that her children and husband were beaten within inches of their lives at the same time--and there was nothing Mrs. Bell could do to stop it.  Did those grapes and hazelnuts really taste that good?  Eating grapes and nuts from the same hand that beats my children seems a little "bittersweet" to me--pardon the pun.  Let's think about this.

Mrs. Bell was reportedly a strong woman, hard worker, and had given birth to nine (9) children.  To say that Mrs. Bell wasn't in good physical condition, or had a low physical pain threshold, would be unfounded.  John Bell, Jr. was a big man--around 6'3 and 240 lbs.  He was a military man and fought in the battles of Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans.  To say that John Bell, Jr. wasn't in good physical condition, or had a low physical pain threshold, would be unfounded.  The entity never physically abused Mrs. Bell or John Bell, Jr.,  but abused them EMOTIONALLY by forcing them to watch other family members get abused physically.   The strongest attributes of Mrs. Bell and John, Jr. were their bodies; hence, the creation of EMOTIONAL trauma would have inflicted the most overall "pain" on them.  In fact, the entity even told John, Jr. that it could inflict no greater pain on him.

Now let's take a look at John Bell and his daughter, Elizabeth "Betsy" Bell.  Mr. Bell was beyond his physical prime, had never fought in a war, was tall and thin, and did very little labor on the farm (they owned slaves).  Although large in physical stature, Betsy Bell was in the prepubescent stage when the abuse started and had not bore any children.  John and Betsy Bell made easy physical targets for the entity, as their physical strength and pain thresholds were  lower than their emotional thresholds; hence, the creation of PHYSICAL trauma would have inflicted the most overall "pain" on them.

The path of least resistance, or "weak point," in some people is the mind; while in others, it is the body.  The entity followed whatever path it needed to take (physical or emotional) to inflict pain and negatively impact the souls of everyone involved.

For more information on Lucy Bell, see the Biographies page.

 

Myths About the Bell Witch

 

Question:  Is it true that if you stand in front of a mirror, spin around numerous times, and say that you hate the Bell Witch, she will appear in the mirror or something bad will happen to you?

Answer:  No; not unless you spin too many times and get dizzy like I did--and fall.  Actually, this myth came from another legend, "Bloody Mary," and was later applied to the Bell Witch legend.

Question:  Is it true that the Bell Witch came into existence as the result of Betsy Bell's having been physically abused by her father?

Answer:  There is no proof that suggests such action took place.  Despite the lack of real, physical evidence, the "abuse theory" has been popularized by several books, magazines, and Web sites which, in my personal opinion, are looking for an easy and convenient closure to the legnd.

The theory that a poltergeist can in some cases be evoked by recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (mind over matter in an involuntary sense) was developed in large part by Dr. Nandor Fodor, a psychologist.  The theory states in a nutshell that a poltergeist can be evoked as the result of severe emotional trauma, usually on the part of a teenager with repressed psychokinetic energy.  Much emotional trauma was present during the John Bell era and was shared among many people, not just the Bell family.

In addition, "Kate" displayed the characteristics of a poltergeist for only a short time -- at the beginning of  the disturbances.  The "abuse theory" as it pertains to the Bell Witch legend is a speculative and presumptuous statement that has no basis in fact.

As a serious researcher of 25+ years, I feel that the "abuse theory" is just another silly Bell Witch myth and would never recommend or endorse any material based on it unless such material carries a disclaimer.  John Bell was a living human being.  He is no longer here to defend himself.  He has many descendants alive today.  Such a serious accusation (or even suggestion) against a man who is not even alive to defend himself, requires proof beyond the shadow of any and all doubt, in my opinion.

Question:  Is it true that John Bell and Kate Batts were "involved," and had a falling-out that resulted in him killing her and her coming back from "the other side" to haunt him?

Answer:  No.  There is no evidence that suggests they were "involved."  On the contrary, there is abundant  evidence suggesting that they would NOT have been "involved."  For example, John Bell was married to Lucy Williams Bell (you can find a reference to this in the Last Will and Testament of John Williams, Lucy's father), and Kate Batts was married to Frederick Batts (you can find a reference to this in Halifax Co., North Carolina marriage records and several Robertson Co., TN real estate and probate records.  Furthermore, Mrs. Batts OUTLIVED John Bell by 22 years and Lucy Bell by 5 years (this can be found in Robertson Co. TN probate records, including a Trustee's accounting of the estate settlement).  How could Mrs. Batts have come back from the dead and haunted the Bells when she outlived them?  In addition, John Bell was at a much higher socio-economic station than Mrs. Batts (estate valuation and settlement records clearly attest to this).

While this doesn't actually prove they were not "involved," it nevertheless provides strong evidence to that effect; and notwithstanding, Mrs. Batts outlived John Bell as stated above.  Interesting side note:  A prominent member of the Red River Settlement saw, on numerous occasions, Mrs. Batts and Professor Richard Powell making eyes at each other and talking privately some distance away from everyone else.  This was passed down through the witness' family, and I will not divulge the source (per an agreement). 

Question:  Is it true that Kate Batts and John Bell had a property line dispute that resulted in her putting a "curse" on him?

Answer:  No.  John Bell had a well-documented dispute with Benjamin Batts over the sale of a slave.  Benjamin and Kate Batts were not closely related.  Many people err in "assuming" that Benjamin was Kate's husband or child, and that she concocted an "entity" to go after John Bell in retaliation.  The details of the slave dispute between John Bell and Benjamin Batts can be found in the minutes of the Red River Baptist Church.  Additionally, real census records covering several decades indicate that Kate and Fred Batts NEVER owned slaves.  They couldn't afford them -- and estate settlement records attest to this.

It is clear why some people mistakenly thought the dispute was with Kate Batts--1) they were assuming things, and 2) they were not paying attention to detail.  Where did the idea of it being a LAND deal come from?  Same answer--assuming things and not paying enough attention to detail--but from a different dispute involving John Bell.

John Bell had a little-known land dispute with Josiah Fort, another prominent farmer, around the year 1816.  This is also listed in the Red River Baptist Church minutes; however, someone marked through the specific details in the original minute book.  Confusion between Bell's disputes with Josiah Fort and Benjamin Batts resulted in stories that mixed the two and implicated Kate Batts as being the "Bell Witch."  For more information on the Forts, see the Biographies page.

Question:  Is it true that John Bell was a bachelor and owned the first store in Adams, Tennessee?

Answer:  No.  John Bell was married to Lucy Williams and they had a total of nine children.  Bell owned a plantation, not a store.  A George Bell (no relation to John Bell) of the Red River Settlement did in fact own the area's first store, about 1800, which was four years prior to John Bell's arrival.  Additionally, the area did not become known as Adams until 1858, when it became Adams Station -- named for merchant and railroad stockholder, Reuben Adams.

Question:  Is it true that the Bells made up the entire "Bell Witch" thing for the purpose of attracting interest in hopes that the Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad would be built through the area?

Answer: No.  The railroad was not even thought about until the 1850s, at least 30 years after the disturbances.  For more information, see the Adams page.

Question:  Is it true that there is a "curse" on all male descendants of John Bell?

Answer: No.

Question:  Is it true that the "Bell Witch" said Bells and Gardners could never marry?

Answer: No.  This only applied to Betsy Bell and Joshua Gardner.  Many years later, a John Bell descendant courted a lady with the Gardner surname for quite some time.  They never married, and it is said that the descendant, an attorney, was afraid that the "Bell Witch" would disapprove of their union.  For more information on Betsy Bell and Joshua Gardner, see the Biographies page.

Noteworthy:  John Thomas Bell, son of Jesse Bell and grandson of John Bell, married a Martha Ann Gardner.  John Thomas Bell was the patriarch of the Mississippi version of the "Bell Witch" legend.  It is not known whether his marrying a Gardner had anything to do with the disturbances his family endured after moving to Mississippi.  Also, Permelia Adeline Powell, daughter of Betsy Bell and Richard Powell, married a William M. Gardner.  I am unaware of anything strange that happened as a result.

For more Bell family genealogical information, see the Genealogy page.

Question:  A book came out in the 1930s that contained predictions made by the "Bell Witch" during private discussions with John Bell, Jr. in 1828 regarding the past, the present, and the future.  Were these predictions real?

Answer:  No.  The discussions and predictions make for great reading and are incorporated into several modern books, including mine.  Credible evidence that contradicts the discussion/prediction aspect of the legend has recently come to light.

It has been learned that John Bell, Jr. died on April 8, 1862, and NOT May 8th, as most authors and researchers have assumed.  Based on the way in which  several of the predictions are worded, especially with regards to the Civil War, and the date on which  John Bell, Jr. really died, there is NO WAY the predictions could have been valid.  Either the "Bell Witch" erred in her predictions, or the author of the 1930s book made them all up.

I have a copy of the evidence--a sales receipt and Bill of Lading pertaining to John Bell, Jr.'s gravestone--with his real date of death (4/8/1862) listed clearly.  This is corroborated in part by a copy of an estate sale poster hanging in the Adams Museum and Archives.  Many thanks go to Tim Henson, Curator of the Adams Museum and Archives, for finding the receipt and Bill of Lading for John Bell, Jr.'s gravestone.

For more information on John Bell, Jr., see the Biographies page.

 

Book-Related Questions

 

Question:  Why does this Web site always to refer to Pat Fitzhugh's "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" when discussing the legend and answering questions asked by researchers?

Answer:  There are plenty decent "Bell Witch" books available; however, the person who wrote "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" is also the owner of this Web site.  The site's terms state that the site's purpose is to promote the Bell Witch and Mr. Fitzhugh's  research of the "Bell Witch" legend.  This site is the "home base" for his books and research.  For some other "Bell Witch" books, please visit the Bell Witch Bookstore.

Question:  What is your opinion on such-and-such book about the "Bell Witch?"

Answer:  As an ethical author, I can not provide reviews of other authors' works on the same subject matter.  All I can say, and speaking in general terms, is that the Bell Witch Bookstore contains books that I feel present the legend in a reasonably accurate light.

Question:  How did you go about researching the Bell Witch legend?

Answer:  I lost interest in the "story" aspect when I was in my early teens.  From that point on, I researched the legend for the purpose of finding out what did and didn't happen, and to learn the history of the land and characters involved.  My research included sources such as tax records, real estate records, census records, military records, pension records, birth and death records, probate records, old manuscripts, diaries, journals, family Bibles, church records, and lots of other information.  I interviewed hundreds of people, mainly descendants of those involved and people who claim to have had encounters with the " Bell Witch" in recent years.  The research covered Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas.  It took 22 years of travel and expense to complete the project.  My research continues; 2008 will mark the 30th year.

Question:  Was your book project and research done for profit?

Answer:  No.  If I had wanted to do it for profit, I would have taken the easy approach and made an absolute fortune by making up stories, twists, etc.  However, I do not consider myself as a profiteer or an "armchair historian."  From time to time, I have conducted book sales and lectures with all profits going to such groups as museums, libraries, and the Red Cross September 11th Victims Relief Fund -- and of course, Hurricane Katrina relief.  Anything not falling into that category is used to offset book costs, web site hosting fees, and travel expenses.  Nothing I do Bell Witch-related has been, nor will ever be, for profit.

Question:  Is the book fiction or non-fiction?

Answer:  As the second inside page states, the book is a work of both history and fiction.  The book is no different than any other such book -- consider the conversations between the characters as fiction; consider the many "stories" as factionalization; consider fact-like statements without footnotes as "most likely fact;" and consider footnoted statements as being pure fact.  Regarding my theories and views on spirituality, supernatural entities, etc., consider those as my own opinion based on conclusions made from my research.  The right to an opinion is very fundamental.

Question:  Why doesn't the book contain a bibliography?

Answer:  Because it is not a generally-accepted practice for authors of paperback novels in the horror/occult/new age genre to include a bibliography.  Remember, we are talking books here, not high school term papers.

I chose to take the footnote/author note approach in documenting my sources because it lets me document the specifics of each source, put them on the page being read, and provide side-discussions and additional sourcing by placing author-notes at the end.

I feel that this approach renders a book more readable and researchable.  There is plenty bibliographic information in the book -- only not in the form of a bibliography (thank goodness).

Question:  Have you written anything besides Bell Witch books?

Answer: Yes.  "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" was my sixteenth book.  I've written for as many years, and my topics range from sci-fi to romance, and on to the supernatural.  The Bell Witch, however, has been my "pet project" since day one.  I also write ad copy, newspaper articles, and magazine articles.

Question:  What was the purpose of your first Bell Witch book, "The Bell Witch Haunting?"

Answer: "The Full Account" was two years late going to press because I had to wait on validation of a particular fact.  Readers, reviewers, and industry publications became insistent on having SOMETHING "Bell Witch," despite TFA's late status -- an interim, or "bridge book" of sorts.  I woke up at 1:00 one morning and couldn't sleep.  So I fired up my laptop computer, got something to drink, and began typing and inserting pictures into MS Word.  I had finished "The Bell Witch Haunting," a 124-page book,  by sunrise.  I took the file to a printer later that morning and had it printed.

Question:  Are you planning to write another "Bell Witch" book?

Answer:  The answer is an absolute "yes," as of fall 2007.  As I have stated many times, I have/had no plans to write another Bell Witch book unless something of major significance comes up or someone with decisive evidence comes forward.  Considerably more information has become available over the past year, and that information necessitates a major change in how we look at the legend.  I am taking my time with the new book, and the publication date has not been set.  No "spoilers" will be given.  Any updates regarding the book's progress will be posted to this web site, the Yahoo group, and the Myspace page.  

Question:  Pat, do you live in Adams, Tennessee?

Answer:  No.  I live in the quiet, rolling countryside, somewhere in Tennessee, next to a river, in a 100+ year-old, semi-haunted home.  If you e-mail me wanting to "meet up" in Adams (and quite a few people do), there is no guarantee that I will be able to; my schedule is always tight due to promoting the Bell Witch and keeping my real-life commitments.  But it never hurts to ask anyway; I love a good Bell Witch conversation!

Question:  What do you do in real life?

Answer:  I am the editor of a print/newsstand magazine about the outdoors (hunting and fishing), and I teach school.  I am also a guitarist and I occasionally play recording sessions (rock, pop and blues).

For more "Bell Witch" information:

• Essays

• Biographies of Key Characters

• Early History of Robertson County

• History of Adams, TN

• Bell Family Genealogy

Want to know more?  Click here to get the book!

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Last Update: January 03, 2008

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