“They have now the dancing exercise, the Jerking, exercise, the running exercise, the standing exercise, & even the shooting exercise…. I am afraid what I believe was a gracious visitation from heaven in the first instance will be brought into disgrace by these extravagances….”
“I had heard about a singularity called the jerks or jerking exercise, which appeared first near Knoxville, in August last, to the great alarm of the people….”
“The religious people now have the Jirks which operates like Hickups….”
“Those who withdrew themselves last fall from the Presbyterian Church, perhaps, go to greater lengths, than any set, or sect, of people ever did. The Tenesse exercise has got very comon among them….”
“The jerking & barking exercises were astounding….”
“[M]et with…Lorenzo Dow at a meeting at Liberty Hill on Nashville. There I saw much of the dancing and jerking exercises among those of the best standing in society. This was and still is in many respects an unaccountable exercise to me….”
