As he traveled throughout the southern backcountry ministering to small communities of German Lutheran immigrants, Paul Henkel witnessed nearly all the bodily exercises during the peak years of the Great Revival. The first reference to “die Jerks“ in his voluminous diaries, however, did not occur until late in the summer of 1806. Returning home to Newmarket, Virginia, Henkel and his wife lodged with Peter Bowyer, a Revolutionary War veteran who operated across the New River in what is now West Virginia. The following morning, Henkel encountered a young woman who was taken with the convulsions during one of his sermons. German transcription and translation by Nadine Zimmerli. I thank Sarah Eyerly, Michelle Khan, Caroline Weist, and Rachel Wheeler for their assistance deciphering this difficult text. Conjectural readings and contextual notes appear in square brackets. Click here for a heavily expurgated version of Henkel’s 1806 travel diary.
[German transcription:] 6ten samstag. Um 11 Uhr fand sich eine stärkern Versamlung der Englishen ein als ich erwartete denen hielte ich eine rede aus Rom 2 v 4 hatte sehr Ernsthafte zu hörer die Predigt ward für Viele rürend. Und man hoft nicht gar ohne seegen. Wärrend der Predigt sahe ich ein Junges Mädgen die mit der Fremden übung. welche die Englischen die Jerks nenen. und für alle andre übung die ich unter dem Volck wahr genommen. ward ich überzeugt, das es von den Menschen selbst kante Verhindert werden; aber bey dieser kleinen Schwachen Creatur glaubte känte es nicht verhüttet werden. Sie saß auf einer bank neben andern Jungen Weibspersonen ganz still und hieng den Kopf als schläfrich und ganz unbesorgt nach dem die Predigt erst angefangen. fuhr sie Etliche mahl auf als erschrekt sahe wild um sich Etliche augenblicke dan hieng sie den Kopf wieder nach dem sie immer etwa 10 Minuten sass so schlug der Kopf etliche zu rück das ich gedacht hätte: es sey nicht möglich ohne den Hals zu brechen das es so geschehen köne. Der Kopf schlug sich von der brust auf den rücken als ob kein bein im dem ganzen Hals wäre. nach dem Mittag Essen ritten wir ab. hatten 24 Meil bis nach Lewisburg davon ritten wir 19 selben abend. herbergten bey: H. Gott lob das wir doch so weit sind, das wir nicht mehr zu Pferd reißen müßen. Unsre [Schöße] stehet nur 3 Meil von hier.
[English translation:] On Saturday the 6th [1806] at 11 o’clock, there was a larger gathering of the English than I had expected. I read them a passage from Romans 2:4, and I had very earnest listeners. The sermon was moving for many, and one hopes not without blessings. During the sermon I saw a young girl doing the strange movement that the English call the jerks. And for all of the other movements that I witnessed among the people I was convinced that they themselves could have prevented them, but in the case of this small, weak creature, I believe it could not have been prevented. She sat on a bench very still next to other young maidens and hung her head as if she were sleepy and completely without care. Yet after the sermon had begun there were several times when she rose up as if startled, cast her eyes about wildly for several moments, then she hung her head again. After she sat like that for always about 10 minutes, her head flung back repeatedly that I would have thought: it is not possible that this could happen without breaking one’s neck. The head swung from chest to back as though there were not one vertebrae in the entire neck. After lunch we rode away and had 24 miles until Lewisburg, of these we covered 19 that very evening. Stayed at H’s. Praise God that we have come far enough that we no longer need to travel by horse. Our [destination] is only 3 miles from here.
Source
Paul Henkel, Diary, 1806, September 6, 1806, box 3, Paul Henkel Family Papers, 896 THL, Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives Room, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, Va.
Images courtesy of the Handley Regional Library, Winchester, Va.
