John Bell Sr. (census)

The historian will do justice to the memories of the fallen. —John Adair Bell

The Bell Route of the Trail of Tears passed through what is now the greater campus of Sewanee—The University of the South. This digital archive is a project developed in Sewanee classrooms to better understand our local history of Cherokee Removal. This collaboration between faculty, students, and the community supports Sewanee’s Indigenous Engagement Initiative.

Title: John Bell Sr. (census)
Transcription: Note: John Bell Sr. (a white man, the father of John Adair Bell) was likely a part of the Bell Detachment, as indicated in the wagon hire records.
Wills Valley, Alabama
1 Cherokee male under 18 years, 4 Cherokee males over 18 years, 4 females under 16 years, 2 females over 16 years, 9 slaves: 5 Males, 4 Females, 5 farms, 250 acres in cultivation, 10 houses, 2000 bushels corn raised, 1000 bushels corn sold for $500, 4 full blooded, 1 Reservees
Location of Residence: Wills Valley
State of Residence: Alabama
Number of Cherokees in Household: 11
Number of Enslaved in Household: 9

“John Bell Sr. (census)”, Retracing the Bell Route: An Archive of Cherokee Removal, accessed October 22, 2026, https://cherokee-bell-route.org/s/Cherokee_Bell-Route/item/215

The historian will do justice to the memories of the fallen. —John Adair Bell