Widely reprinted in the northern newspapers, this detailed report of the jerks in Abingdon, Virginia, precipitated the Shaker missionaries’ “Long Walk” in January 1804. For additional references to the events described in this article, see Benjamin Seth Youngs’s journal entry for February 14, 1805, and John Meacham, Issachar Bates, and Youngs’s April 27, 1805, letter to the Shaker ministry.
The following was communicated to the Editor of the Argus, by a gentleman at Abingdon, in this state.
THE Camp Meetings in the Western states, have been productive of some phenomena, which have not been satisfactorily explained and some of which are becoming very interesting.
Persons who have been greatly affected at those meetings, have been exercised in various ways. They laugh, they sing, they dance; and as it would appear, all this is involuntarily done, being what the preachers call “religious exercises:” but it is doubtful whether these extravagancies are not the offspring of free will.
There is one species of these “religious exercises” which are certainly involuntary, and they have spread from the camp and other religious meetings, in an alarming manner. These are called “the jerks.” Some of those affected with this disorder, will rise up and with their eyes fixed and staring, make their feet roll on the floor as sticks upon a drum. But generally, the person who has this disorder, is vexed with a perpetual convulsive jerking in all his limbs. I have been told some of them will vault like Sully, and appear as if they would dash themselves to pieces, if not prevented. I have seen but one man affected with this disorder—there was not five seconds of time during which some of his limbs, his neck, or his spine, were not drawn, with a sudden jerks, in one direction or another.
Yesterday there was in this town, a muster of some militia companies. Three or four of these jerkers were in town, and no sooner did the drums begin to beat, than they found themselves so violently jerked, that they were forced to run out of town with all practicable speed.
Several persons have taken this disorder who have no religion at all. Sucking children are not exempt from it, as I have been informed.
A wild young man of this place, either from seeing jerkers or from shaking hands with them, took the disorder yesterday, with great violence. A young man of the country who had this disorder on him, came into town to see his sister, who was free from it—she took the disorder immediately.
It therefore seems the jerks are a nervous disease, produced by horror, very strongly excited.
I think this subject not unworthy of the public consideration. I submit its cause to philosophers; its remedy to physicians; and, by way of prevention, I will offer to prescribe to heads of families, to keep those under their charge from religious meetings.
A SUBSCRIBER.
Source
[Richmond] Virginia Argus, October 24, 1804, [3].
