Circuit rider Thomas Mann witnessed the jerks at several Methodist meetings in piedmont North Carolina during the spring and summer of 1805. Like most Methodist ministers, Mann had grown accustomed to—and even welcomed—emotional outbursts and somatic phenomena disrupting his preaching, but the jerks were altogether different. “I never Saw Aney person Have them befour,” he noted, “and I Cannot Account for it. God only know the Causes.” Mann composed his journal in a torrent of poorly spelled and unpunctuated sentences. Conjectural readings and textual defects appear in square brackets.
Sat[ur]day [May] 18 [1805]. Our Quarterly Meeting begun at Freemans. Brother William Jean preached from St. John 3:16. I preached from 2 Chonicels 7:1, 2. We had a Shout & a cry. I Hurt myself. Spoke to[o] loud lord have marcy on me. We had Quarterly Conference. I persided. Lewis Taylor & Brother Hize McLelland licenct [licensed] preachers. William Jean local preacher. William Lundon Jermiah King Ira Ellis Ethreldad Ellis Brother Smith Brother Summers and others present Jones & Smith tho not members of this conference. I sung & prayd and perseeded to business. Read the adress of the Verginia Conference. Renewd the Licnes [licenses of] Ethreldad Ellis and Smith and considerd S[a]muel Hoosers case Who had been turnd out and he Absent at the last quarterly conference and as He was Sick and could not attend We thought and knew he was not Delt with according to Rule and that conference took up a Bony Idia [bonne idée] with Regard to his conduct and he apply to see for admitting [illeg.] this conference considered him to Stand as a member among us as befour as his former tri[a]l was not according to Rule nor the acuations [accusations] Such as en[ou]gh to exclude a member from Society. The members all voted and his Recived. We had night Meeting. Ebenezer Jones preached from Hebrews 11:7. S[a]muel Hooser exhorted. Som Shouted Som cryd Som Had the Jurks and I was powerful tempted. I never Saw Aney person Have them befour and I Cannot Account for it. God only know the Causes.
Lords day [May] 19. We had Sacrament and love feast in the morning. One Woman made me cry telling of the ways of god. We had a comfortable tim. Som Shouted and we had Som of the Jurkers in the Room bouth parfect Religion. At a 11 oclock I preached from Revelation 21:6, 7 Out of Door in the Sun. Lewis Taylor preached after me from goe to the ant ye Slugard and larn his ways and be Wise. Ira Ellis & Jermiah King exhorted and We went among the people and Sinners got moor of the Devil in them. I told Some of Our friends not to [talkd] With them. Then I calld on them that Wanted to get converted to com up near the Stand. All that was on the lord Side Com and they that ware on the Devils Side to Stand of[f] or goe [a]way and we prayd and the lord Heared prayer. Som got wo[u]nded. Three I hop got converted. Our meeting Held eight hours or moor. I hope much good done. Som of the friends meet again at night. Brother Jean Hooser & McLelland Cearread [carried] it on. Brother Taylor & I went and Stayd all night at Brother Kings….
Sunday [July] 13. We had love feast and we had the Jurks and Dance and Shouts in the Camp. Afterwords Brother Shion Smith preached from Proverbs 1:22, 23. Brother Edword Morris preached from Hebrews 11:7. Brother Green Hill exhorted. Brother Garrard prayed then we administerd the Sacrament in publick. One backslider perfest to be Reclamd and had the Dance. Appeard to be happy. Som Sinners apperd to be happy and Som wept and wonded to the hart I hope. We had the Jurks and Dance a new exercise to many. We Road to Brother William Pegrams. Sister Honour Wilks Henrys mother in his hous Joind the Methodest or was Set on that class. The lord blesst me with a comfortable nights Rest….
Sat[ur]day [July] 27. Brother Jones Rode With me to Quarter Meeting at Whitakers Meeting House Sailsbury Circuit. I preached from St. James 1:26, 27. Brother Algood Hooser & Weaver exhorted. We [had] A profetable Meeting. A Sweet Shout. My Soul comforted. I have had Some Greate temptations lately. We held Quarterly conference. We Renew the Licenes [licenses] of four preacher. At night Brother Hooser preached for all the book of Jonah. Brother Jean & Hill exhorted and I prayd and a number of others all out and we had a greate Shout and Jumps….
Friday [August] 2. We Rode to the Camp ground on Snow creek Iredell County North Carolina. Brother Briddey Wheller preached from St. Mathew 11:28. Brother Matthews from South Carlona Exhorted. At five oclock Brother Algood preached. Brother Dan Asbury exhorted. The work went on.
Sat[ur]day [August] 3. A lettle after Sunup Brother Bruce preached from Hebrews 6:1, 2 let us goe on to peretion [perfection] and concluded a comfortable time. At two Brother [Dan] Asbury preached. Brother Hayns and I exhorted. Great Shout. At three oclock, John Hall, a Pres[by]tarian preached a long cold Sermon. Brother Wheler exhorted. The Work wend on all night mor or less or nearly.
Lords day [August 4]. First Brother Wheller preached from Lamentation of Jeremiah 3:26. The best discourse I think that was Delivered. An exhortation. A heavenly time. At 10 oclock Brother Matthews preached from Hebrews 4:7. A good Sermon. Perhaps an exhortation. Afterwords Brother Bruce administerd the Sacrament With others. A good number of Methodest and Prespetearn [Methodists and Presbyterians] commund togather. Then I tryd to preach from Revelations 1:5, 6 but made a poor [out] I thought. Then calld the morners up to be prayed for and they cam and we had a great time. The work Went on all night and a number got Converted. I felt much hurt and Destrest and mortifyd. Monday the 5. In the morning Joseph Kilpatrick preached from Ezekiel 33:11. Brother Richard King prayd. Then after Breakfast Brother King preached from Proverbs 8:17. Brother Wheler exhorted. One near the close got converted. How many got converted I do not know but Brother Lewis Taylor thought 30. It was a greate and good meeting indeed. And now we conclude betwen three and four oclock I think and on the Whole the people behaved well as far as I Saw. One Shouler calld the Sinners Cu[r]sed sinners Which hurt my feelings. I have felt very poorley throughout the meeting. The fortrige [fatigue] of body and mind might be the greates Cause. I Saw many of my Old friends hear. I felt Awfull When parting time came but what will this be to the Day of Judgment? The Prespetearins [Presbyterians] are greate Shouters and prayers. Sometims perhaps tow [two] or three hundard wear [were] apraying out at a time and Shouting. Tow [two] of them preached and preached long over two hours. They pray and preached longer then the Methadest hear. The people had the Dance and Jurks and the lord Save me from them all. I pray without they can make me better and nothing else can that is better. We parted and I and others went to Brother King.
Source
Thomas Mann, Journal, 1805–1808, [13–15, 34, 38–42], David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University, Durham, N.C.
