
Bell Witch Cave
Posted: 01.15.2020 | Updated: 01.14.2025

Many people are captivated by the unknown, but today, they’re seeking more than just fictional thrillers. They want real, documented hauntings—places with true stories behind the eerie events. One such legend that draws interest is the Bell Witch Cave.
This infamous entity is said to have tormented the Bell family from 1817 to 1821. The haunting involved real people, with numerous witnesses to the strange events. The Bell Witch Cave, believed to be the source of the witch’s power, remains a key location tied to this chilling story. For those looking to explore similar eerie tales, Nashville ghost tours often highlight the Bell Witch legend among other haunted spots in the area.
What Is The Mystery Of The Bell Witch Cave?
The Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee, is tied to a creepy legend from the 1800s. The Bell family experienced strange events like noises and attacks, believing a witch haunted them, especially targeting John Bell and his daughter, Betsy.
The nearby cave is thought to be where the witch’s spirit grew stronger. Visitors often feel uneasy, hear whispers, or experience strange sensations, adding to the eerie mystery. Today, the Bell Witch Cave continues to fascinate and frighten those who visit.
History
In the earlier part of the 1800s, a man named John Bell had moved from his home in North Carolina to what is known as the Bottomland. This is located in Robertson County in Tennessee. He moved with his family.
The community was named Red River at the time. However, years later it became known as Adams, Tennessee. John had purchased land as well as a large house for the family. It was over the next several years that he had been purchasing more land. He had acquired about 328 acres of land. He would proceed to clear much of the land for fields to plant.
During this time he would also be an Elder of the local Baptist church. John and his family had three children when they moved to Tennessee. They had Betsy in 1806. This was their oldest child. Her real name was Elizabeth. They had a son in 1811 named Richard and another son in 1813 named Joel.
Strange Happenings
In 1817, things started to get strange. John Bell was inspecting his cornfield when he came across an odd animal. It had the head of a rabbit and the body of a dog. John shot at it several times, but the animal vanished. He didn’t think much of it until later that evening. After dinner, the Bell family began hearing strange noises, like someone was beating on the walls of their log house.
The strange sounds continued every night, growing louder and more intense. John Bell and his sons would run outside to catch whoever was causing the noise, but they never found anyone. Soon, the children complained of rats gnawing on their bedposts, and then of their covers being pulled off and pillows thrown to the floor by an unseen force.
As time went on, the family began hearing faint whispering voices that sounded like an older woman singing hymns. The hauntings grew stronger, and Betsy, John’s daughter, became the target. The entity would pull her hair, slap her, and leave handprints and welts on her body. Despite John’s efforts to keep it a secret, the situation became so severe that the family shared their experiences with a friend, James Johnston.
A Night in the Bell House

After he was told, James and his wife decided to spend the night in the home of their friends and neighbor. They had experienced the same things that the Bell family experienced.
After this experience, the voice became stronger and you could hear it. It would sing hymns and carry on intelligent conversations.
The Battle of New Orleans
John Bell and his eldest sons fought in the Battle of New Orleans under General Andrew Jackson. In 1819, Jackson visited the Bell farm, where the mysterious entity was said to haunt. He arrived with several men, a wagon, and horses, but when they reached the property, the wagon wouldn’t move, and the horses were unable to pull it. It was at this moment that the entity earned the name “The Bell Witch.” A female voice then told Jackson that he could continue, but she would see him later that night.
One of Jackson’s men boldly claimed he could tame the witch, insisting that a silver bullet in his pistol could kill evil spirits. However, after making this claim, the man began jerking and complaining of being beaten and pricked with pins. He even said he was kicked in the groin, which sent him running. The entity then declared that this man was a fraud, promising that another would be tormented the next night. Despite this, Jackson insisted that the men stay to identify the true fake.
Betsy Bell
As Betsy became older, she was interested in Joshua Gardner. He was a young man and he didn’t live that far away. They were blessed by their parents and decided to get married. However, while everyone else was happy, the entity was not.
Betsy and her fiance would not be able to go to the field, cave, or river to play without being taunted by the entity. The couple’s patience wore thin. It was on Easter Monday in 1821 that Betsy has met her lover at the river and broke off their engagement. The disturbances from the entity had slowed down, however, the entity still continued to show her dislike for John. The entity vowed to kill him.
John Bell
Bell would experience weird things. He had issues with twitching of the face and had issues swallowing for a year. It seemed that these issues would grow worse as time went on. By 1820, he was confined to his home because his health was so bad. The entity would remove his shoes when he was trying to walk and even slap his face if he had a seizure. This entity would taunt Mr. Bell.
Mr. Bell had died on the morning of December 20, 1820. He had slipped into a coma the previous day and died. Right after he had passed away, the family found a small vial of some type of liquid. The son had given some of this liquid to a cat who had died instantly. The entity then claimed that she gave him the dose that killed him.
After John Bell’s Death

The funeral for John was very large. When the family began to leave the graveyard, the entity would laugh extremely loud and would sing a song. She sand about brandy. The singing would not stop until the last person had left the graveyard. After this, the entity was almost non-existent. It was almost as if her purpose was fulfilled.
It was in 1821 that the entity would return to visit the widow of John. The entity told her that she would be back in seven years. She had returned in1828, however, the visit surrounded John Bell Jr. The entity would talk about Christianity, the origin of life, and spiritual reawakening. Plus, she predicted the Civil War and several other events.
The entity left three weeks after and promised to visit the descendant of John Bell in 107 years. This would be 1935. This would be a doctor and he wrote a book called Bell Witch in 1934 and no follow-up book was written. Plus, he died only ten years later.
The Bell Witch Cave and Its Ongoing Legacy
The entity still seems to haunt the area, with locals and visitors alike reporting eerie occurrences. People often hear voices, like talking and children playing, and claim to see candle lights moving through the park late at night.
Photographers have captured mist, shadowy figures, and orbs on camera, adding to the mysterious atmosphere. The Bell Witch Cave itself sits on the farmland where the Bell family home once stood, still holding the dark energy of its haunted past.
Learn More About The Haunted History of Nashville
The Bell Witch Cave remains one of the most intriguing and eerie destinations for anyone fascinated by the supernatural. With its chilling history and mysterious hauntings, it continues to draw those seeking a real-life ghost story. For those interested in exploring more of Nashville’s haunted past, the city’s ghost tours offer a chance to dive deeper into its spookiest legends, including the infamous Bell Witch.
Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, these Nashville ghost tours provide a thrilling experience that brings these chilling tales to life. Dare to explore, and you might just feel the presence of something otherworldly.
Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for even more spooky content! And be sure to read our blog for deeper dives into the haunted places in Tennessee and the most chilling spots in the Nashville!
Sources:
- https://www.bellwitchcave.com/bell-witch-legend
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/new-orleans
- https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/myth/bellwitch.htm
- https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history
- https://tennesseehistory.org/year-of-the-witch
Book A Nashville Ghosts Tour And See For Yourself
Nashville Ghosts exposes the twisted heart that gives Nashville its undeniable charisma and electricity.
Take an unflinching look at the darker side of Nashville, one that is rarely talked about in hushed whispers. Join us on a nightly ghost tour to discover the authentic ghost stories and eye-witness accounts of hauntings told from iconic haunted locations across downtown Nashville.