The story of the Bell Witch is one of the most popular examples of Appalachian Mountain folklore, and it began in Robertson County, Tennessee.
This legend centers around the Bell family. The Bell Witch (who is thought to be a woman named Kate Batts) was supposedly cheated in a land purchase by John Bell, the patriarch of the Bell family.
The hauntings began sometime between 1817 and 1821, when the Bell Witch would show up disguised as an animal, such as a dog or bird.
She would often focus on John's daughter Betsy Bell, pulling the sheets off her bed, or even physically harming her with kicks, punches, and scratches.
John Bell grew so concerned by these violent escalations that he shared his story with a family friend, James Johnston.
After Johnston experienced the spirit first-hand, word quickly began to spread. The Appalachian ghost story eventually became famous enough to reach General Andrew Jackson.
According to legend, Jackson and his party set up their tents outside of the Bell home. One man, claiming he had knowledge of how to deal with witches, boasted that his silver bullets were keeping the witch at bay.
To punish him, the witch set her sights on the man, giving him a beating that had Jackson's men begging to leave.
After John Bell's mysterious death in 1820, the Bell Witch continued to haunt his family. She even forced Betsy to break off her engagement with Joshua Gardner before eventually disappearing for good.
Some stories claim that she promised to return to haunt John Bell's direct descendants in 1935, but there were no reports by Nashville physician Dr. Charles Bailey Bell.
To experience these Appalachian legends for yourself, visit the Historic Bell Witch Cave, which located in Adams TN.
