Andrew Jackson’s Bell Witch Encounter
In 1819, then-General Andrew Jackson heard many tales about the Bell Witch through the grapevine before finally deciding to inspect the Bell family home himself.
But, as soon as he and his buddies arrived on the farm’s property, one of their wagon’s wheels immediately became completely stuck. And despite how hard they pushed, the wheels simply would not turn.
Jackson declared this as his first encounter with the spirit but still continued on with the goal of sleeping at the farm. His men, on the other hand, would later come to beg for mercy.
That evening, while Jackson and his crew were sitting around, one of the men began flaunting his reputation as a “witch tamer.” The man also claimed to have a silver bullet that could kill any malevolent spirit.
As soon as those words left his mouth, though, the man supposedly jumped up and began wailing. He was being pinpricked and beaten by the Bell Witch.
And according to legend, the spirit even spoke outright to tell the men that another “fraud” would be revealed the next day. After that, everyone begged Jackson to leave– but he refused to retreat without at least staying one evening.
What exactly happened after that incident has remained unclear in history. But, one thing is for sure– Jackson sped out of town first thing the following morning.
Some villagers even quoted Jackson as saying, “I would rather fight the British at New Orleans than fight the Bell Witch.”
John Bell Dies At The Hands Of The Bell Witch
Since she first made her appearance in 1817, the Bell Witch continued haunting the Bell family until 1820. The spirit eventually began answering to the name “Kate” and, even though she particularly terrorized John and Betsy, seemed to especially like John’s wife, Lucy.