This is what scared General Jackson more than bloody war

As a twelve-year-old boy, Andrew Jackson was chosen to serve as a messenger during the revolutionary war because he was an excellent rider, knew all the trails and had no fear. 

Shortly thereafter, Jackson was soon captured by a Brittish officer, refused to clean the officer's boots, was slashed in the face with the officer's sword and thrown into prison.  

Dueling was another passion of the General, and he carried one bullet in his chest and one in his arm for most of his life.  To say he lived a tough and horrible life is an understatement.

And until recently, I had never heard of President Andrew Jackson’s part in the most famous haunting in the world today. 

This story inspired the box office hits The Blair Witch Project and An American Haunting.  And was impossible to escape if you grew up in Tennessee.  

Here’s how it goes.

John Bell and his sons had served under General Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans.  After the war in 1817, John Bell returned to Tennessee and bought a farm along the Red River.  

The mystery surround the Bell Farm began shortly after John arrived.  Within a few years, the news of the hauntings had spread as far as Nashville, about 40 miles to the south.

In 1819, General Jackson and several men decided to visit the Bell farm and see the witch for themselves.    

As they approached the Bell’s farm, the wagon stopped suddenly.  

The road was smooth and level, but the wagon was locked down like a penitentiary.  

After several minutes of checking the wagon and trying to coax the horses to move, General Jackson proclaimed, "By the eternal, boys! That must be the Bell Witch!”

The wagon suddenly came free and they continued on their journey.  When they started moving again, Jackson heard a female voice say that she would see them later that night.  

When they arrived, Jackson and John Bell had a long talk about the things that were going on at his farm.  While the rest of his entourage were waiting for the Bell Witch to show herself.  

Later that night, one of the men with Bell claimed to be a “witch tamer” and had a silver bullet for the evil spirits that were not afraid to show up.  Immediately after his proclamation, this man felt like he was being stuck with pins and severely beaten.  

It was enough to frighten the rest of Jackson’s men into wanting to leave.  Jackson insisted on staying to see more, and his men went outside to sleep in their tents.  

What happened after that is as much a mystery as the Bell Witch herself.

Jackson and his crew were spotted in Springfield early the next morning on their way back to Nashville. 

After his encounter, Jackson said, "I'd rather fight the British in New Orleans than to have to fight the Bell Witch again."

No one knows if this account of the story is true.  

Though Jackson was right about one thing.

In life (and real estate), You should pick your battles carefully.  

Some things are worth fighting for and others are made better by walking away.  

If you've been battling problems and need some advice, then you've come to the right place.  We want to listen to your concerns and give our best advice based on our experience selling more than 660 homes in Greater Nashville.

I won’t make any proclamations like the “witch tamer”, but we have been known to make real estate problems disappear.