From 1817 until 1821, a hostile, supernatural entity plagued the Bell family of Tennessee. Beginning with the appearance of a strange, unnatural creature in their corn field, the harassment of the family quickly escalated from simple knocking on the walls and windows of their frontier home to cruel physical attacks focused particularly on youngest daughter Betsy.The Bell home and their invisible tormentor soon became the dark wonder of the territory. Travellers from all points of the compass came to the Bell house to witness firsthand the taunts and violence of the unseen entity, including famously General Andrew Jackson, whose entourage experienced the preternatural harassment for themselves before fleeing its power.Ghost? Goblin? Poltergeist? Its nature has remained a mystery for two centuries. But in 1894, newspaper publisher Martin Van Buren Ingram released An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch, the Wonder of the 19th Century and Unexplained Phenomenon of the Christian Era. Based on the diary of Richard Bell, son of John Bell and brother of Betsy Bell, it incorporated interviews and others' accounts to paint a distinct and detailed image of the experiences of the Bell family as they faced supernatural oppression. Reprinted from the original text and including original illustrations, this Factual Planet edition is based on the rare and long out-of-print "Red Book" edition of Ingram's book, reviving its mysteries for readers interested in the hard-to-find paranormal history of the early United States.
Certainly much had been written about the Bell Witch, but nothing is better than a recounting of eyewitness accounts, and this, Mr. Ingram has brought forth in this book.
Many sightings and antics are recorded, including an investigation by Andrew Jackson who said he "never had so much fun" in all his life and that "This beats fighting the British."
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, with this record of eye witness accounts, I'm convinced something of the supernatural did indeed haunt the Bell family and continues to do so even today.
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