This second letter from John Meacham, Issachar Bates, and Benjamin Seth Youngs’s “Long Walk” to the settlements of the trans-Appalachian west in 1805 includes a memorable account of the jerks. Detouring into east Tennessee, the Shaker missionaries attended a mid-week Presbyterian society meeting at the home of Joseph Dobson. During the meeting, which lasted long into the night, enraptured paricipants engaged in a wide range of bodily exercises, including jerking, barking, and trance walking. Click here for the trio’s previous letter; here for corresponding entries in Youngs’s 1805 travel journal; and here for Issachar Bates’s autobiographical reflections on the Long Walk. For an annotated transcription, maps, and an analysis of the Shaker missionaries’ journey to the west, see Douglas L. Winiarski, “Shakers and Jerkers: Letters from the ‘Long Walk,’ 1805, Part I,” Journal of East Tennessee History 89 (2017): 90–110; and Winiarski, “Shakers and Jerkers: Letters from the ‘Long Walk,’ 1805, Part II,” Journal of East Tennessee History 90 (2018): 84–105 (available at www.douglaswiniarski.com).
Turtle creek, county of Warren, State of Ohio, April 27th 1805
Beloved Elders & Brethren,
We have for some time past felt an anxious desire to write & send you a letter, for we believed our brethren would be glad to know how matters went with us; & we have also had a great desire to hear from them, but circumstances, as well as the great distance have prevented us from sending information, as often as we could wish, & considering the nature of the errand we were sent upon, we had a feeling to wait untill we should be able to give some satisfactory account of the situation of the people in this country, & of the work of God among them.
Perhaps some have thought that it would not have required so long a time to have become able to give inteligence more satisfactory than we even now, after so long a time, are able to give; but you are very sensible that the work is Gods work, & not mans, & that He will carry it on in his own way, & in his own time; & therefore no man can hasten it. And all that we can do is to abide faithful in the calling wherein we are called, in such a manner that we may be excepted of God, & find our justification before Him.
But as we believe that there are those who are more able to judge of these things than we ourselves, we think it proper to give a general statement of our proceedings.
We have sent one letter before this, Dated Greenville in Virginia, January 31st. In which, if the letter was received, it is found stated that our Journey to that time had been very slow & fatigueing, on account of the uncommon severity of the season. This severity continued for about 2 weeks after that date; & we found that the winter has been uncommon severe all over this part of the world. In the Carolinas, & even in Georgia, we learn that the Snow was 2½ or 3 feet deep on a level. That letter we lodged in the Post Office at Fincastle in Virginia; but not untill Wednesday February 6th on which day the Northern Mail was to start. This was 645 miles from New Lebanon. From Fincastle we went & crossed the Alegany Mountain, & traveled 145 miles to Abingdon, where we came on Wednesday the 13th & staid in that disagreable place till Friday morning, in order to satisfy ourselves respecting the Jerkers. We found there were but few of them in those parts, & they live in a place called Rich valley, between the hills 4 miles North West of the town. The two young men by the names of Byson, who last fall fled out of town by the beating of a Drum are among those few.
From Abingdon in Virginia we went 93 miles by the way of Hawkins, in the State of Tennessee, to a remote place called Lick-creek, immediately under the West foot of Bay Mountain, in the county of Greene; where we came on Wednesday 20th & put up at one Dobbsons; where the next evening were met together a Presbyterian Society; among whom we verily found the power of God. Soon after they began to sing several were taken with the Jerks, while sitting on their seats. Their heads, & shoulders were Jerked back & forth, with such increasing violence, that in a few seconds their hats, & bonnets, & even hankerchiefs which were tied close to their heads would fly off. Some would soon be Jerked flat on the floor, in a manner very mortifying to all delicate feelings; regardless of any pride in their appearance, & solely incapible of the least resistance. Those who fell on the floor were generally taken up, by some ones who in every part of the room were watching lest any of them should be Jerked into the fire, or be dashed to pieces against the wall &c. Still their exercises were increasing; some of them to swift walking across the floor, accompanied with as quick, & loud breathing. In this walking they would continue 2, 3, & 4 hours; with their eyes fast closed, & their faces gathering a certain paleness. In short, their whole appearance & exercises was a striking emblem of what little Idea one might form of departed Souls, who feel a sence of their loss from God; who seek with unwearied pains after peace but cannot find it. These would every once in a while, give a scream, & instantly (if not prevented) jump against the wall, or the door, with the utmost violence, & without the least fear of any danger; & not one of them would be hurt. Others who were exercised in walking appeared in a very different situation of mind; these were more moderate, & calm; two or three would set out together & travel back, & forth, for half an hour or 3 quarters with great diligence, without any slack or deviation from that manner of exercise. These also, did not interfere with each other, but were punctual & regular to make way, or turn, whenever any obstruction presented, though their eyes were closed. Frequent instances occured that shortened their limits, or that someone would happen to step in their way, but it was beyond a doubt that they were altogether actuated by a spirit which saw every obstruction as clearly, if not more so, than if their eyes had been open! Some others were so violently exercised with the Jerks, that it appeard almost impossible for their limbs & joints, & limbs to keep together; these would in a kind of intermission, bark like dogs, & as much so, as human voice or art is able to imitate.
It is impossible to communicate a true & full sence of the extraordinary appearance of these things. A simple Catalogue, however, of the real exercises which we saw at this meeting may be given as follows: Jerking, Jumping, Falling-down, Shaking, Quaking, Trembling, Walking, Running, Screaming, Courtesying, Claping hands, Shouting, Leaping, Dancing, Barking, &c.
It is worthy of notice that all those who are thus exercised, pay not the least regard to anything that is said by the blind leaders, or to any sort of will worship, though it appear never so sacred; but pointedly treat the whole with disdain, & contempt; and yet they are so blind as not to see it.
After meeting we for the first time opened our mouths (since we came from Lebanon) respecting our faith, & spake a very few words, by which they might in a small measure feel that they were comprehended. This was now 883 miles South West from Lebanon; & after this we saw no exercises more extraordinary, than those at Dobbsons in Tennessee, except such as appeard to strengthen credible reports, such as “A man in Tennessee about the first of February gave orders to his family that if ever he took the Jerks they should bind him. Not long after he took the Jerks, & while they were obeying his orders he expired in their hands!” And it is evident by what we have seen & heard from persons themselves who were exercised by the Jerks, that the Jerks will not be confined in any degree, but the creature must be perfectly passive in order to escape hurt. Those who even fight against them in their minds, appear to be more evidently racked with groaning tortures, & their countenances appear awful, whereas the exercises of those who are fully reconciled are more beutiful & solemn. It is said, (& we have reason to believe it) that many curse the Jerks while they are on them, that is, when they can have an intermission long enough so to do, for some are so powerfully wrought upon that they can neither act, nor speak anything of their own for a long time. Some of this sort have been deprived of laying peacibly in bed one minute, or of eating a single mouthful of any kind of food for 5, 6, & even 9 days! All these things appear like preludes to more extraordinary things yet to come! But who can tell?
In Kentucky, & Ohio, the Exercises have much abated; but in the lower parts of Tennessee, perticularly in Blount county, about 60 miles South of Beans Station, & also in Old Cumberland South of Kentucky where the very first of all this work began, they are still prevalent; though not so much in the latter, as in the former. Exercises that are stated to us as being prevalent in Tennessee, & which we have not yet seen, are such as, Motions for war, or Shooting, Running up trees like squirels, and jumping down without hurt! Fighting, & even Swearing! Many more strange & extraordinary things might be related of these irresistible & very wonderful exercises, but our time is short, & we must leave some room for matters which we consider of greater importance.
From Dobbsons in Greene county we went on 26 miles to Beans-Station, which is at the entrance into the Wilderness of Kentucky, & is on the main Post road from Washington City, to Louisiana, leading through Virginia, Tennessee & the Mississippi territory.
Our general course to this place, from New Lebanon has been nearly South West except such necessary windings as we have made in this State to satisfy ourselves respecting the people, & in this we went as far as our feelings would admit of, so that our minds were now fully bent on Lexington in Kentucky.
On Saturday 23d We left Beans Station, Set out a North West course & traveled through a Wilderness of very tedious Mountains, & lonesome rivers, & some disagreable inhabitants, for the distance of 122 miles to the Crab-Orchards on the border of Kentucky Settlement, where we came on Friday, March 1st.
On Sabbath morning we left the Lexington road & went to a place called Paint-lick Meeting-house, in the county of Garrett, 15 miles from the Crab-Orchard. Here we found one M. H. giving good reasons to his congregation for renouncing the Calvinistic doctrine. He is the last of Seven Presbyterian Preachers who have all broke off from the Synod of Kentucky. With this man we had several agreable interviews, & his feelings were, & as far as we know still remain very tender. On Thursday March 7th a collection of about 150 persons were made at the Meeting-house, to whom we spoke, & read the Letter from the Church. At first the people appear’d very hard; but before meeting was dismissed they felt very solemn, & many were in tears. In these parts we visited familys, & attended several Societys, speaking our faith, & they were a people who felt nearer to us than any we had yet found, Are separated from the Presbyterians, & will own no other name than that of “Christians” though they had never yet found anything against the flesh! But they may with great propriety be called “New-Lights.”
On Saturday 9th we left Paint-lick; & on Monday 11th came to Lexington, which is 46 miles from the Crab-Orchard. And on Wednesday 13th we came to Cane-ridge Meeting-house, in the county of Bourbon, 29 miles a little East of North from Lexington. This is the place where the greatest Camp-meetings were held, that ever were held in this country. In this neighbourhood we spent some time; perticularly with B. W. S. another of the 7 with whom we had a free conversation at his house. But not feeling yet satisfied to tarry in these parts, On Friday 15th we left Cane-ridge, & went about a North West course Down Licking River, 82 miles to Cincinnatti in the State of Ohio (& on the North banks of that River) which is in what is called the Miamia country, & is bounded by the Indians on the West & North. Here we came on Teusday 19th, & from thence went North 30 miles to Turtle-creek in the county of Warren, (4 miles West of Lebanon the county town), where we came on Friday March 22d & entered into the house of Malcom Worley. The next day we went to Richard McNemars another of the 7. At first he opposed us with hard judgings, but being a man of Sincerity & great penetration, he observed with diligence the effect it had, both on himself & us, & found something in the testimony, which he never had met with before, so that 4 weeks after our first interview with him he opened his mind. He is a Metaphorical Preacher, was born in Pensylvania, (an Appolos indeed) mighty in the Scriptures, has had true light respecting the works of the flesh, & has truly been an instrument in the hands of God of doing much good, especially in this revival. He was the first & principal breaker, in all this separation which has taken place in Kentucky, & Ohio, since the summer of 1801. Since March 27th to the present date about 30 persons have opened their minds; & it is with satisfaction that we see the man & woman coming in together in about every instance. Believers appear to increase in faith & number, And so also do evil reports, tumults, & commotions!
God only knows what he himself will do; but by all that we can hear, & feel, we do not conceive that the Gospel in this part of the world will be confined to a small place, or to any small number of people, but will spread far & wide. In all places that can hear from the conviction of sin continues to increase, a conviction that all that is of the world, flesh, & devil, must be done away & have an end, & that this must be attained unto in this world in order for Souls to be prepar’d to inherit the kingdom of God. Those who have broken off from their former connections, boldly testify against the mistaken notions, & vain flatterys of those who imagine that they are going to be sav’d from the punishment of their sins, without being first sav’d from the practice. The Calvinistic doctrine is pointedly detested. Many of them place no confidence in anything they have received in time past, but believe that they must press on to perfection, to be completely purified, & redeem’d, not only from actual practice, but from the very spirit & nature of sin, in thought, word, & deed; & that in this world. And the main thing that seems to be in the way, is the question, How, & by what means these things are to be attained? Some are laboring & striving hard to gain it on their old ground, without confessing their sins, & taking up a full cross against the actual works of the flesh. Others begin to be convicted that they can never obtain it in that way, & that they must come in at the door. Thus the multitude is divided. Some in this country have received special light & conviction respecting the carnal works of the flesh, & have been expecting that God would open some way for their deliverance from these things. They believed the time was short when there would be no such thing as marrying, nor giving in marriage, but how these things were to be brought about they could not tell. These convictions appear to be growing in different parts of Ohio, Kentucky, & we belive also in Tennessee. Commotions of a religious nature appear to be considerable, in North Carolina, & in Cumberland in Tennessee, as from both those places they have sent to Kentucky, to those who are broken off, for Preachers. We also learn that a work has broken out among the Tennessee Indians. Thus what a large field is opened, & an extensive harvest a ripening, & how shall three weak children be able to secure all this, that nothing be lost? We humbly trust that it will be seen, & felt, how needful it is that more labourers should be sent to the harvist. But who, or how many shall come, is not for us to say, for we feel ourselves unable to judge; & therefore are willing to submit to that gift that may be felt in the Church. But if we had one more brother with us it would seem in a measure, to supply the present lack, for then we might be labouring in different parts & yet not be alone, but as it is now, some one of us has to be alone most part of the time. But perhaps it may not be thought proper or expedient for one to undertake such a journey alone, & probably it may be, that by the time that any could arrive here, neither one, nor two would be able to supply the want; but of these things we cannot judge, nor tell beforehand what will be.
As we expect that you will desire to know how the work goes on from this time, we shall endeavor to write again soon. You may therefor look for another letter in about a month from the time you receive this, or, two months from this date; as we expect that letters will be nearly, or quite a month on their passage. And we shall also have a great desire to know whether this letter is received or not, for we think it a matter of importance for us to know, & we shall be thankful to be informed by letter as soon as may be. We have a great desire to hear from our Brethren & Sisters, & to know how they do. It does not appear as though any one of us could at present be spared to return back; but if on any ocasion it is thought best for either of us to return, we expect it will be signified.
We should all be very glad to return to our brethren, if we could be justified in so doing, but we believe that if we seek altogether to please ourselves we shall not please God. And we believe it will be for our best good to take up our cross, & labor to be reconciled to the mind & will of God in all things, though we should see New Lebanon no more; for we believe that however distant fields we are called to labour in, in this world; when the time is come for the fruits of our labors to be gathered in, God himself will cause us all to rest, & rejoice together. Yet, we comfort ourselves with the pleasing hopes that we shall yet have the privilege of seeing our Brethren, & Sisters, once more in this World. We feel ourselves dependant on the Church of Christ for strength & council, & we sincerely desire an interest in all their prayrs to God.
We Shall look for a letter in about two months from this date, & if one is sent it may be directed, to Malcom Worley, near Lebanon Post-Office, in the county of Warren, & State of Ohio. This Worley was formerly from Virginia, & a noted man, has a great part of his days been a teacher of the languages, was a number of years a member of the Presbyterian Synod of Kentucky, untill this revival, in which he has been very forward, & in a remarkable manner, deeply convicted of the works of the flesh, previous to our coming. He received us with gladness, was the first who opened his mind, & at present has an unshaken faith. He will deliver the letter to us unopened.
It is now Saturday evening near Sunset, & this letter must yet be taken to the Post-office, yet, we shall mention one, of two things more, which deserves a place among the treasures of Gods Prophets. The first of this great work began in Cumberland in Tennessee State. Two children there were taken with the Power of God, went into the woods, & there took hold, & held fast of each other so powerfully that none could part them. They spoke in unknown tongues, & then would interpret. Some of the interpretations was this “that God was about to raise an army, that would take the earth! And that Malcom Worley would be at the head of it!” This name was unknown & unheard of both to the children & people. It has but lately come to our hearing, & remains as yet a secret, even to the person whom it respects.
John Meacham
Issachar Bates
Benjamin S. Youngs
The distance that we have come to the Miamia country by way of the wilderness of Kentucky, is 1217 miles, but probably the way from Albany by Fort-Pitt would not exceed 900 miles, if so much.
The Post road from Pitt to this country is first to Wheelan, & from thence to Chillicothe, the seat of Government in Ohio, & from thence to Lebanon. The whole distance from Fort-Pitt to Lebanon by land does perhaps not exceed 300 miles. By water it is 500 miles to Cincinnatti & 30 from thence to Lebanon, or Turtle creek.
The horse we brought with us, we have left at Caneridge in Kentucky. He had been a burden to us ever since we left Abingdon, though in crossing bad waters he frequently was a benefit.
The Pamphlet containing Elder James’ letter, Benjamin would be glad to have it sent if ever a suitable oppertunity offers.
N.B. We are all in very good health.
To David Osborn at Watervliet, near Albany In the State of New York To be left with G. W. Mancius Post Master in Albany
Tribble
Source
John Meacham to David Osborn, April 27, 1805, IV:A-66, microfilm, reel 24, Shaker Manuscripts, 1723–1952, MS 3944, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
