Unicoi County TN Archives Photo Tombstone.....Bell, Sandra 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandra Bell Bellmother@aol.com June 1, 2007, 11:39 am

Cemetery:           Bell Cemetery, Limestone Cove Massacre
Name:               Sandra Bell

Date Of Photograph: May 7, 2007
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/unicoi/photos/tombstones/bell/bell129gph.jpg
Image file size: 255.9 Kb

Historical Marker produced by the Tennessee Historical Commission

“Limestone Cove Tragedy”

Here are buried the eight civilians killed at the home of Dr. David Bell in Nov 

1863.  Enroute to Kentucky to join Federal Forces, they were found by a 

detachment of Col. W. A. Witcher’s Confederate Cavalry, while waiting for 

breakfast.  They were:  B. Blackburn, Calvin Cantrel, Elijah Gentry, Jacob 

Lyons, Wiley Royal, John Sparks and two unknown.  Buried nearby is Dr. Bell's 

brother, James killed at the same time.



Preston Pruett is one of the unknown recruits as reported by Union Scout, Dan 

Ellis.  Buried nearby is Dr. Bell’s brother, James, who was later dragged from 

the house, shot and beaten.  The rebels then went and burned the house down.  

(See The Thrilling Adventures of Dan Ellis for a complete account.  The Bell 

house was across the street from the Bell Cemetery.  The newer house built on 

the old foundation.  The spring house still stands in 2007.  Within a day and a 

night, Col. Witcher who led over 400 men entered Carter County from the State 

of Virginia and  boasted of killing 21 Lincolnites along the 15 mile route to 

Watauga River toward Elizabethton, guided by townspeople who told them the 

people of East Tennessee were strongly Union sympathizers.  They started with 

the Bell home, intending to burn it down, but after finding the recruits there, 

it filled them with such anger that after the massacre they swore to show no 

mercy and clear the county of all Yankees and Lincolnites.  Others killed that 

night included Commodore Slone, 56 years old and William Bird who was staying 

at the home of William McKinney.      



The 8 men who were killed that night were buried in a mass grave.  James Bell 

was buried separately.



Additional Comments:
The Bell Cemetery, Limestone Cove, Unicoi, TN

Latitude: 36.177NZ

Longitude: 82.27W

Located on highway 107 in Limestone Cove.  From Erwin, Tennessee, travel East 

on RR 107 towards Limestone Cove.  The gravesite is on the right hand side.  

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/unicoi/photos/tombstones/bell/bell129gph.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/tnfiles/

File size: 2.8 Kb