Joshua Gardner (1800-1884), the purported childhood sweetheart of Betsy Bell, was almost certainly a real historical figure.  He was the son of John Gardner and Priscilla Whitehead, and was an older brother of the historically well known Colonel John Almus Gardner (1809-1892) of Gardner's Station, Weakley County TN.  A genealogical report re the Gardner family is available at another page of this web site.

One afternoon in April 1821, several months after her father's death, Betsy Bell broke off her engagement with Joshua, because the Witch so strongly opposed the relationship.  In Chapter 9 of the "Red Book," M. V. Ingram describes the aftermath of this tragic breakup in these words:

"The lovers separated that afternoon never to meet again.  A few days later, as soon as he could arrange his affairs, Joshua Garner took his departure, some days journey to the west and settled in West Tennessee, the place now known as Gardner's Station, Obion County, where he passed a long and honorable career, esteemed by the people for his true manhood and moral worth.  He died several years ago at the advanced age of eighty-four years."

Ingram's words, cited above, appear to contain a few errors.  Gardner's Station is located in Weakley County not Obion.  Also, Joshua moved first to Henry County and not until 1840 did he settle in Weakley County near the residence of his younger brother John A. Gardner, after whom Gardner's Station is named.  

The following biographical sketch of Joshua Gardner is taken from the book Red River Settlers by Edythe Rucker Whitley (published 1980), pages 84-85:

"Joshua Gardner, one of the seven sons and two daughters of John and Priscilla (Whitehead) Gardner and brother of Colonel Gardner, was born in Robertson County on 30 March 1800. Descendants of this branch of the family say that the Tennessee pioneers came from Southampton County, Virginia and that both John and Priscilla were born there in 1775 and came to Tennessee in 1796, first residing in Robertson and later in Weakley, where John died in 1851 and Priscilla died in 1854.

"On 28 February 1829, Joshua Gardner married Sarah C., daughter of James and Esther Donelson.  Esther Donelson, a native of Iredell County, North Carolina, was born in 1808 and died in Tennessee in 1873.

"In 1875, Joshua Gardner married his second wife, Tempie Delap, daughter of Hugh and Lucy Delap.  Mrs. Tempie Delap Gardner was born in Davidson County in 1821.

"Mr. Joshua Gardner was a resident of Henry County until 1840, when he moved to Weakley and purchased 228 acres of land.  He is said to have owned, at one time, upwards of 1300 acres of land, but at the time of his death, he held title to only 150 acres.  He was a magistrate for a number of years in Henry County.  He was a Mason, and he and his family were members of the Missionary Baptist Church."