10/12/2026
At Old Cahawba’s New Cemetery stands an obelisk with a story carved on two sides. One bears the name John R. Bell, and the other, his son, John A. Bell. The monument marks the final resting place of a father and son whose lives ended on the same day under violent circumstances. But perhaps one of the most intriguing details is the epitaph engraved on their stone: “No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”
John R. Bell was born in South Carolina on September 24, 1809, and eventually made his home in Cahawba with his wife, Maybelle Matilda Mayes, and their children. His son, John A. Bell was born on Christmas in 1830. John R. Bell owned the Bell Tavern (3-D rendering images shown in graphic below). In her book Memories of Old Cahawba, Anna Gayle Fry described the establishment:
“On Vine Street, at the corner of Second North Street, stood the famous old Bell Tavern, a rambling two-story frame building, painted white with green blinds, raised only a few inches from the ground. This building was closely connected with the early history of Cahaba. For years it was the favorite stopping place of the celebrated lawyers when they visited the capital or attended court, and for the politicians and wealthy planters who gathered at this gay little metropolis on their way to Mobile.”
Beyond the tavern, John R. Bell and his son John A. Bell were involved in large-scale plantation and agricultural enterprises. John A. Bell owned the Livery Stable where people who were staying at the hotel, could take their horses. However, in May 1856, a bitter legal dispute would lead to a deadly confrontation.
One May afternoon, Bell approached Troy as he sat reading a newspaper beneath a chinaberry tree outside his office. Carrying a large hickory stick and armed with two pistols and a knife beneath his coat, Bell attacked the doctor, beating him until the stick broke and leaving him battered in the street.
Three members of the Bell family then surrounded Troy with pistols drawn. Fortunately for the doctor, his two brothers-in-law rushed to his defense. Gunfire erupted, and when the smoke cleared, John A. Bell lay dead in the street while his father, John R. Bell, was mortally wounded. Both men died on May 23, 1856. John R. Bell was 46 years old; his son John A. Bell was just 25 years old.
Today, their obelisk stands as a reminder that Cahawba’s history was shaped not only by politics, commerce, and community life, but also by personal conflicts with devastating consequences. Every monument in the New Cemetery preserves a piece of the past, and sometimes, the questions left unanswered are just as fascinating as the stories we know.
The next time you visit Old Cahawba, take a moment to explore the New Cemetery. Look closely at the monuments around you. Each one has a story to tell. We still have tickets available for our Haunted History tours on October 17th and 24th, 2026 where you will explore the New Cemetery at night and hear the ghost stories that are associated with these townspeople.
