The Haunted Bell Witch Cave

Posted: 04.18.2024 | Updated: 08.05.2025

The Bell Witch is one of the most documented cases of a nineteenth-century haunting. For years, a mysterious witch tormented the Bell family with physical assaults, unnerving sounds, and verbal threats. She may have even been responsible for one of their deaths. Today, their farm in Adams, Tennessee, is considered to still harbor dark energy inside the only remaining piece of the Bell farm. 

Tennessee is known for its legends and phantoms, and Gatlinburg has some of the most active spirits in the region. To learn about the apparitions around Gatlinburg and see the most haunted sites for yourself, book a ghost tour with Gatlinburg Haunts.

What is the legend of the Bell Witch?

The Bell Witch was said to haunt the Bell family relentlessly for three years, from 1817 to 1820. Even when they weren’t at home, the ghost would terrorize certain family members. Visitors and passersby even experienced the wrath of the witch, who seemed only to want to inflict pain and suffering on anyone around the Bell family. 

Which members of the Bell family were targeted by the Bell Witch?

The Bell family consisted of John Sr., Lucy, and their children: Jesse, John Jr., Drewry, Benjamin, Esther, Zadok, Elizabeth (Betsy), Richard Williams, and Joel Egbert.

However, the Bell Witch seemed to like some members of the family and hate others. She wouldn’t touch John Jr., and she went out of her way to help Lucy, even singing to her when she was sick. 

On the other hand, she targeted much of her abuse at:

• John Sr.
• Joel
• Richard Williams 
• Betsy

Betsy, by all accounts, received the most violent and unending treatment.

The Beginning of the Bell Witch Haunting

No one knows what instigated the arrival of the Bell Witch. The Bell family had lived on their farm on the Red River for over ten years. 

Then, one night, the family spotted a strange, dog-like creature in the yard. John Sr. shot at it, only for it to disappear. More shadowlike creatures would creep onto their property, and the children began to hear strange animal sounds like wings flapping and gnawing within the home.

This escalated to deafening sounds of chains being dragged along the floor, dogs barking, beds being ripped apart, and choking and strangulation. Then the physical attacks came. 

Joel, Richard Williams, and Betsy began to have their hair pulled by an unseen force. They’d be pinched out of nowhere and then slapped or hit outright. 

Betsy’s abuse was so bad that it began to affect her health. Her parents would even send her to a neighbor’s house, to hopefully enjoy a good night’s sleep. However, the Bell Witch wouldn’t let that happen. 

One night, in the room Betsy was sharing with a friend, they heard a knock at the door, followed by a huge gust of wind blowing in when the door opened on its own. When Betsy lit a candle, however, the door was closed. She then heard the witch say, “Betsy, you should not have come over here; you know I can follow you anywhere.”

The Bell Witch’s Taunts

The witch was very vocal in her haunting of the chosen Bell family members. She would speak to them often, sharing her disapproval of Betsy’s relationship with her childhood beau. Betsy grew to fear the witch so much that she called off her wedding to her love, hoping to protect him from the witch’s wrath. 

Yet, this didn’t dispel the witch. If anyone came over to try to protect Betsy, like family friend Frank Miles, the witch would lash out. One night, she said, “You go home; you can do no good here,” before slapping Betsy and then knocking Miles over. 

John Bell’s Death

The Bells were always worried about how far the witch would go, and she proved how dangerous she could be in 1820. After years of torture, John Bell Sr. wasn’t doing so well. He was often in bed, and John Jr. would look after him. 

One day, when John Sr. didn’t get out of bed, John Jr. went to get his medicine. Upon opening the medicine cabinet, he found that the three bottles were gone. In their place sat one vial that was half empty. 

Opening it, John Jr. discovered a smoky liquid. In that moment, he heard the witch proclaim, “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! I gave Old Jack a big dose of it last night while he was fast asleep, which fixed him.”

John Jr. immediately threw the bottle into the fire, which erupted in blue flames. Yet, it seemed the witch’s work was done. John Sr. died the next day. 

At his funeral, the witch returned, singing crass songs while others tried to mourn. At their breaking point, the Bell family didn’t know what to do. Who would be the next victim of the Bell Witch? 

However, the witch seemed to slow down after John’s death. She then told the family that she’d be gone for seven years. Like clockwork, in 1828, she returned. While intense at first, her power seemed to weaken, and her abuse soon faded away entirely. 

Who Was the Bell Witch?

There are several theories behind who the Bell Witch was. Many believe her to be the spirit or the conjuring of Kate Batts, a neighbor of the Bells who felt she was cheated on a land sale. The community also believed she practiced black magic.

The legend says that the witch introduced herself to the Bells as having no name, instead saying, “I am a Spirit; I once was very happy, but I have been disturbed and made unhappy. I am the Spirit of a person who was buried in the woods nearby and the grave was disturbed, my bones disinterred and scattered, and one of my teeth was lost under this house. I am here looking for that tooth.”

No matter who she was, it seems she wasn’t satisfied until she took one of the Bells to the grave.

The Bell Witch Cave 

While the Bells’ home and land are much different than they were during the haunting’s heyday, visitors can still view one part of the Bells’ property that is unchanged. The Bell Witch Cave welcomes thousands of visitors every year and is even on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Here, people experience strange phenomena, such as their phones and cameras not taking photos or malfunctioning in the cave. 

The Legend That Captured the Attention of a Future President

Today, the Bell Witch is one of the most well-known hauntings in all of Tennessee. It seems this was the case during the actual haunting as well. In fact, people were coming from the neighboring towns to try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious witch. One of these curious folks was Andrew Jackson, who would go on to become president of the United States.

Jackson also had property on the Red River, so it was a short jaunt over to the Bell farm. However, as he approached, his wagon suddenly wouldn’t move. Jackson called out to the witch, who replied, “All right, General, let the wagon move on, I will see you again tonight.” 

The witch then reappeared that evening, taunting a proclaimed “witch hunter” by poking him with what felt like needles. She said, “How the devil did run and beg; I’ll bet he won’t come through here again with his old horse pistol to shoot me,” which chased the man off — much to the delight of Jackson. While Jackson wanted to stay to experience more of the spirit, his party urged him to pack up. 

Haunted Gatlinburg

Between haunted farms, cemeteries, churches, and inns, Tennessee has many great sources of spectral activity. Some of the most seen phantoms reside in Gatlinburg, whose rich history and dark past provide plenty of opportunities for ghosts. To explore haunted Gatlinburg for yourself, book a ghost tour with Gatlinburg Haunts tonight.

Discover more stories about witches and curses, by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. To learn about other Tennessee ghost stories, read our blog. 

Sources:

• https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/myth/bellwitch.htm
• https://gatlinburghaunts.com/
• https://customshousemuseum.org/news/the-bell-witch-the-scariest-ghost-story-in-tennessee/
• https://www.bellwitchcave.com/