When John Bell moved to Tennessee early in the 1800s, he could not have foreseen what would
later throw his family into the middle of what has since been called "Americas Greatest Ghost
Story." By 1817, the Bell family had become prominent in the community and the Bell farms were
growing year after year. As John Bell walked his fields one evening, he noticed a strange looking
animal. At first he thought it was a dog, but it had the head of a rabbit. As he fired at the animal,
it disappeared.
That evening, the Bells began hearing a pounding, rapping noise that seemed to come from the
outside of the house, but when John and his oldest son went outside to see what was making the
noise, there was never anything there. In the ensuing days, the activity went from external
pounding to noises being heard inside the house that sounded like rats in the walls or gnawing on
furniture. There were also unseen hands that pulled blankets off the family as they slept, family
members being punched, kicked, hit and slapped. Seemingly at the center of this activity was
Betsy Bell, John's 12 year old daughter, whose hair was pulled, her body mysteriously bruised and
stuck with invisible pins. She was slapped by invisible hands that would leave hand prints on her
cheek. Then the voices began, at first whispers, crying and singing. John Bell tried to keep quiet
about the activity but it was too violent, too horrible and, after a year of dealing with it, he finally
broke his silence, telling his best friend and neighbor, James Johnston. Johnston spent the night
with the Bell family and experienced first-hand everything John Bell had told him. He formed an
"investigative committee" and it wasn't long before the other neighbors heard about the strange
goings on at the Bell farm and John's secret was out
later throw his family into the middle of what has since been called "Americas Greatest Ghost
Story." By 1817, the Bell family had become prominent in the community and the Bell farms were
growing year after year. As John Bell walked his fields one evening, he noticed a strange looking
animal. At first he thought it was a dog, but it had the head of a rabbit. As he fired at the animal,
it disappeared.
That evening, the Bells began hearing a pounding, rapping noise that seemed to come from the
outside of the house, but when John and his oldest son went outside to see what was making the
noise, there was never anything there. In the ensuing days, the activity went from external
pounding to noises being heard inside the house that sounded like rats in the walls or gnawing on
furniture. There were also unseen hands that pulled blankets off the family as they slept, family
members being punched, kicked, hit and slapped. Seemingly at the center of this activity was
Betsy Bell, John's 12 year old daughter, whose hair was pulled, her body mysteriously bruised and
stuck with invisible pins. She was slapped by invisible hands that would leave hand prints on her
cheek. Then the voices began, at first whispers, crying and singing. John Bell tried to keep quiet
about the activity but it was too violent, too horrible and, after a year of dealing with it, he finally
broke his silence, telling his best friend and neighbor, James Johnston. Johnston spent the night
with the Bell family and experienced first-hand everything John Bell had told him. He formed an
"investigative committee" and it wasn't long before the other neighbors heard about the strange
goings on at the Bell farm and John's secret was out
At this point, the activity increased in intensity and the voice that was once indistinct whispers and
crying became discernible, communicating with the Bells and quoting scripture. It also identified
itself as the witch of Kate Batts, who was a neighbor of Bell's and had bad blood with John Bell
because of the purchase of some slaves in which the deal went bad. Eventually, word spread of
the witch Kate and she, in turn, began to make "appearances" all around the area. Her antics
became so famous that, by 1819, General Andrew Jackson became interested in the story and
wanted to come for a visit.
Jackson was already familiar with the two older Bell boys because they fought under him in the
Battle of New Orleans. En route to the Bell farm, Jackson and his men, traveling in a large wagon,
experienced the unseen witch first-hand. As they got closer to the Bell"s farm, their wagon
stopped dead and refused to move. No matter what they did, no matter how hard the horses
pulled, the wagon wheels would not move. Jackson was said to utter the words "it must be the
witch" and immediately, a female voice was said to tell Jackson that he and his men could proceed
and that she would see them again later that evening, which she certainly did. At the Bell house
later that night, Betsy screamed continuously from the attacks by the witch while she tried to sleep.
General Jackson and his men had their bed covers ripped off them repeatedly. When one of
Jackson's men claimed to be a witch tamer, he suddenly started distorting his body and
screaming, claiming he was being stuck with pins all over his body, then running out the front door.
The witch then proclaimed that there was another "fraud" in the group that Jackson brought with
him and that she would identify him the next day. Though his men begged to leave, Jackson held
firm and they all headed out to the field to sleep in their tents; however, they were seen leaving
the following afternoon without another visit from the witch.
crying became discernible, communicating with the Bells and quoting scripture. It also identified
itself as the witch of Kate Batts, who was a neighbor of Bell's and had bad blood with John Bell
because of the purchase of some slaves in which the deal went bad. Eventually, word spread of
the witch Kate and she, in turn, began to make "appearances" all around the area. Her antics
became so famous that, by 1819, General Andrew Jackson became interested in the story and
wanted to come for a visit.
Jackson was already familiar with the two older Bell boys because they fought under him in the
Battle of New Orleans. En route to the Bell farm, Jackson and his men, traveling in a large wagon,
experienced the unseen witch first-hand. As they got closer to the Bell"s farm, their wagon
stopped dead and refused to move. No matter what they did, no matter how hard the horses
pulled, the wagon wheels would not move. Jackson was said to utter the words "it must be the
witch" and immediately, a female voice was said to tell Jackson that he and his men could proceed
and that she would see them again later that evening, which she certainly did. At the Bell house
later that night, Betsy screamed continuously from the attacks by the witch while she tried to sleep.
General Jackson and his men had their bed covers ripped off them repeatedly. When one of
Jackson's men claimed to be a witch tamer, he suddenly started distorting his body and
screaming, claiming he was being stuck with pins all over his body, then running out the front door.
The witch then proclaimed that there was another "fraud" in the group that Jackson brought with
him and that she would identify him the next day. Though his men begged to leave, Jackson held
firm and they all headed out to the field to sleep in their tents; however, they were seen leaving
the following afternoon without another visit from the witch.
Over the next year or so, the invisible entity of Kate continued to terrorize the Bell family, but
Betsy again seemed to take the brunt of the viciousness. For reasons unknown, the witch
seemed to take a particular interest in the relationship between Betsy and her friend, Joshua
Gardner, a neighbor boy. Though young, their parents did eventually agreed to their
engagement. Kate, however, did not want this engagement or eventual marriage to take place.
Things got worse for Betsy, at that point. No matter where Betsy and Joshua tried to go or what
they tried to do, Kate followed and taunted them to the point where, in 1820, they broke their
engagement.
During this time, when Betsy and Joshua were trying to maintain their relationship despite the
relentlessness of the witch, John Bell suddenly fell ill while walking to his pigsty, and he never
recovered. It was believed that he had a stroke because he had problems talking afterward. As
time went on, Kate was relentless in her attacks on him. As Betsy and Joshua's engagement
ended, Kate's attacks on Betsy and the rest of the family decreased, but the activity including
John Bell only got worse and she also threatened his life. She seemed determined not to rest
until Bell was dead and in his grave. And she seemed to be succeeding. He was in and out of
bed constantly. He had problems swallowing. He began to have seizures, during which Kate
would slap his face continuously. On December 19, 1820, when John failed to wake up at his
normal time of the morning, the family checked on him and he was breathing erratically. When
John Jr went to get his medicine, he found another bottle in it's place. As the doctor examined
him, the witch began to taunt the family, saying she had replaced his bottle of medicine with
poison and had given it to him in the night. The family gave some of this liquid to a cat, who died
immediately. The next morning, John Bell died. There was no peace, even at the funeral, where
the witch cackled and laughed during the service, singing songs over the burial site until the
funeral was over and everyone had gone home.
Four months later, in April of 1821, the witch told Lucy Bell that she would return in seven years
for a visit, then she disappeared. Seven years later, she made good on her promise and
returned, only instead of returning to the original Bell home, the activity centered around John Jr
where, over the ensuing three weeks, she discussed with John Jr prophecies for the future,
predicting the Civil War, WWI, the Great Depression and WWII. At the end of the three weeks, the
entity of “Kate� disappeared, her parting farewell was a promise to return in 107 years to
visit the most direct descendent of John Bell living at that time, which was Charles Bailey Bell. The
year would have been 1935, if Kate had held on to her promise, but if she really had made an
appearance to him, he took it to his grave when he died in 1945.
Betsy again seemed to take the brunt of the viciousness. For reasons unknown, the witch
seemed to take a particular interest in the relationship between Betsy and her friend, Joshua
Gardner, a neighbor boy. Though young, their parents did eventually agreed to their
engagement. Kate, however, did not want this engagement or eventual marriage to take place.
Things got worse for Betsy, at that point. No matter where Betsy and Joshua tried to go or what
they tried to do, Kate followed and taunted them to the point where, in 1820, they broke their
engagement.
During this time, when Betsy and Joshua were trying to maintain their relationship despite the
relentlessness of the witch, John Bell suddenly fell ill while walking to his pigsty, and he never
recovered. It was believed that he had a stroke because he had problems talking afterward. As
time went on, Kate was relentless in her attacks on him. As Betsy and Joshua's engagement
ended, Kate's attacks on Betsy and the rest of the family decreased, but the activity including
John Bell only got worse and she also threatened his life. She seemed determined not to rest
until Bell was dead and in his grave. And she seemed to be succeeding. He was in and out of
bed constantly. He had problems swallowing. He began to have seizures, during which Kate
would slap his face continuously. On December 19, 1820, when John failed to wake up at his
normal time of the morning, the family checked on him and he was breathing erratically. When
John Jr went to get his medicine, he found another bottle in it's place. As the doctor examined
him, the witch began to taunt the family, saying she had replaced his bottle of medicine with
poison and had given it to him in the night. The family gave some of this liquid to a cat, who died
immediately. The next morning, John Bell died. There was no peace, even at the funeral, where
the witch cackled and laughed during the service, singing songs over the burial site until the
funeral was over and everyone had gone home.
Four months later, in April of 1821, the witch told Lucy Bell that she would return in seven years
for a visit, then she disappeared. Seven years later, she made good on her promise and
returned, only instead of returning to the original Bell home, the activity centered around John Jr
where, over the ensuing three weeks, she discussed with John Jr prophecies for the future,
predicting the Civil War, WWI, the Great Depression and WWII. At the end of the three weeks, the
entity of “Kate� disappeared, her parting farewell was a promise to return in 107 years to
visit the most direct descendent of John Bell living at that time, which was Charles Bailey Bell. The
year would have been 1935, if Kate had held on to her promise, but if she really had made an
appearance to him, he took it to his grave when he died in 1945.
Since, people claim that Kate still haunts the property and there have been many reports of
apparitions walking the grounds where the Bell home used to be. There is also a cave on the
property that locals claim is haunted. This cave and the Bell property itself is still a favorite among
ghost enthusiasts and paranormal investigators. There are many claims of lights flickering over
what was once the Bell fields, voices and children playing are heard in the area but remain unseen.
There have been images of people appearing in pictures when there was no one there. Even
after nearly 200 years, the mystery of who and what haunted the Bells and some claim still haunts
the property has never been solved with certainty.
apparitions walking the grounds where the Bell home used to be. There is also a cave on the
property that locals claim is haunted. This cave and the Bell property itself is still a favorite among
ghost enthusiasts and paranormal investigators. There are many claims of lights flickering over
what was once the Bell fields, voices and children playing are heard in the area but remain unseen.
There have been images of people appearing in pictures when there was no one there. Even
after nearly 200 years, the mystery of who and what haunted the Bells and some claim still haunts
the property has never been solved with certainty.
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