The awful malignant fever at Newburyport, in the year 1796. An elegiac epistle to the mourners, on the death of forty persons ... Together with a short account of that alarming disorder--- / By Jonathan Plummer, Jun.

The awful malignant fever at Newburyport, in the year 1796. An elegiac epistle to the mourners, on the death of forty persons ... Together with a short account of that alarming disorder--- / By Jonathan Plummer, Jun.

Table of contents

THE AWFUL MALIGNANT FEVER AT NEWBURYPORT, IN THE YEAR 1796. AN ELEGIAC EPISTLE to the Mourners, on the Death of FORTY FOUR Persons, who died of a Malignant Fever in Newburyport and the adjacent towns, in the Summer and Autumn of the Year 1796—Together with a short account of that alarming disorder—

LIST of those who died.

ELEGIAC EPISTLE.

A short account of the ravages of the Yellow Fever, at Newburyport in the year 1796.

INVITATION to the Inhabitants of Newburyport, who have fled to the Country, on •ccount of the Malignant Fever

[Page]

THE AWFUL MALIGNANT FEVER AT NEWBURYPORT, IN THE YEAR 1796.
AN ELEGIAC EPISTLE to the Mourners, on the Death of FORTY FOUR Persons, who died of a Malignant Fever in Newburyport and the adjacent towns, in the Summer and Autumn of the Year 1796—Together with a short account of that alarming disorder—

BY Jonathan Plummer, jun.

LIST of those who died.

MISS Flood, Mr. Davis Lamber, Miss Hannah Cilley. Mr. Zachariah Atwood, aged 48, Mr. Joseph Jewett, aged 44, Major Benjamin Gage, Mrs. Priscilla Gage, his consort. Mrs. Susanna Gage, aged 86, Miss Sally Gage, aged 11, Master Arnold, aged 11, Miss Nancy Stone, aged 21, Miss Phebe Boynton, aged 12, Mrs. Hill, widow, the consort of Mr. Enoch Toppan, aged 63, Dr. John B. Swett; aged 45, Mr. Jacob Boardman, Miss Susanna Moody, Mr. Phineas Atwood, Miss Polly Long, the consort of Mr. Enoch Somerby, Mrs. Sarah Woodhouse, Mr. Jacob Pearson, Mrs. Sarah Boardman, Miss Polly Patten, Mr. James Lord, Mr. J [...]remiah Tyler, aged 34, Mr. John Stone, Mr. Ebenezer Greenleaf, his consort Mrs. Hannah Greenleaf, Miss B [...]tsey Keazer, Mr. Moses Todd, Master Benjamin El [...], Mr. Silas Noyes, aged 43, Miss Mary Nowel, 53, Master John Carnes, the consort of Doctor Charles Coffin, Miss Mary Smith, Mr. David Moody, jun. aged 24, Mr. John Wood Brown, Miss Eleanor Ford. Miss Elizabeth Timmons, Ebenezer Pike, Mr. Moses Rogers, jun. and Mrs. Mary Brazier.

ELEGIAC EPISTLE.

DAUGHTERS of Eve and sons of men

We all must die we know not when.

Nor where nor how—We only know

That very soon we all must go!

And since 'tis so, we ought to be

Prepared for our destiny:

Prepar'd to go at any hour

That he who reigns with matchless pow'r

Thinks fit to call us to th [...] skies,

By his contrivance g [...]d and wise.

Some think they long grim death can shun,

Until their race is nearly run.

They eat and drink, and work and play,

Quite debonair, alert and gay,

And rarely think at all of death

Till he's prepar [...]d to stop their breath.

Others borne down with dismal sorrow,

Expecting they must die to-morrow.

Wide from the track of duty stray,

And shun the sweets of life to day.

All these are wrong in the extreme,

Though to themselves they right may seem—

We oft should think about the grave,

And from above protection crave.

We well our courses ought to run,

And sin and folly ought to shun;

But never baneful grief should chuse,

Nor blessings of the world refuse.

We should not now our friends are gone

Too much their dreadful fates bemoan;

Nor give to grief too great a scope;

We mourn; but yet we've blessed hope—

Hopes that the Sovereign Lord of all,

Who has of late thought fit to [...]ll

So many of our comrades hence,

From all the joys of time and sense,

Has greater joys prepar'd for them;

Joys too sublime for us to name.

This thought should moderate our grief,

This ought to give our souls relief.

Great is our loss we must confess,

And great our sorrow and distress.

The wise, the learn'd, the good and gay,

Quite suddenly were snatch'd away—

The skillful Swett, we see no more!

Good Madam Boardman we deplore!

No art the Doctor's life could save,

And ah! the Lady's in her grave!

Her goodness could not death disarm,

Her lovely beauty could not charm

The ruthless monster in the least;

He plung'd his dagger in her breast

Up to the hilt, without remorse,

Nor did the deed obstruct his course.

Long did the days of darkness last!

Dull were the nights of grief we pass'd.

No sooner had we heard with dread

That a companion good was dead,

Than we had news of others seiz'd

With pains that were not often eas'd,

Till conqu [...]ring death had with his dart

Pierc'd the poor patients to the heart—

The lovely blooming Polly Long

Is worthy of a deathless song:

And many others we have lost,

In whom our hopes are sadl [...] crost,

Are worthy of the same renown,

And are lamented by the town.

Long will our streaming eyes confess

Our sorrow and our deep distress,

While we reflect with silent dread

Upon the virtues of the dead,

Who by this fever have been kill [...]d.

Which has with grief our lodgings fill'd.

But let us not forget to praise

The multiplier of our days,

Who yet bestows upon us life

So free from sickness, grief and strife,

And yet affords us joys sublime,

Which can [...]t be told in prose or rhyme.

He with the fever did engage,

And stop'd the ruthless monster's rage—

He sent us showers like a flood,

Which cleans'd our atmosphere and mud:

And from his sable cloudy car,

His glitt'ring lightnings stream [...]d afar.

He on our side the battle fought,

And brought a happy change about—

Then let us all with joy profound

Forever make his praise resound,

From sea to sea, from shore to shore,

Till we can talk or write no more.

A short account of the ravages of the Yellow Fever, at Newburyport in the year 1796.

ALTHOUGH the execution done by this disorder in that town is, through the kindness of God, extremely small compared to its baneful effects in some of our southern cities. it yet seems by no means improper to publish a brief and impartial account of the matter— Every circumstance relating to this disease ought to be recorded and remembered on account of its being very likely that all the experience [...] in it, will be wanting to enable us to withstand future attacks from this mortal foe.

Many of our country brethren, who have heard alarming news of 30, 40 or 50 persons dying of the yellow fever in a night in Newburyport, will be surprized, when they read here that less than 40 h [...]e died there with it in the whole; but they must rest assured that 'tis a fact; and one I hope that will make them more cautions for the future about believing falshoods. They ought to remember that people in the neighbouring seaports were interested in deceiving them about this matter, and that some of them have actually much misrepresented the affair. We must however acknowledge that many others have done us the justice to propagate true accounts from time to time of the sickness, and our thanks are due to most or all the editors of newspapers in the States for publishing the authentic reports of our committee of health.

Whenever a malignant disorder has established itself in a populous place, the people will find it to their advantage immediately to organize a committee of health, and to make it the duty of the committee to publish authentic accounts of the distemper. By this mode of conduct, men of sense in the country, who read the public news learn the truth, deal in out to their neighbors, and are enabled to contradict the extravagant and exaggerated stories of their more ignorant and superstitious townsmen—'Tis ten times as well to have the truth told in such cases, by Tom Wiseman, Esq. or Doctor Knowall, as it is to have the alarming reports of Deacon Longface or Dick Kickstraw spread abroad. The Papers in Newburyport were too long silent about the fever, and the town was too long without a Committee of Health.

This Fever in Newburyport was attended by symptoms nearly similar to those which attended it in Philadelphia: it was however more acute here than there in general. There the sick commonly lived from 5 to 8 days, but here their career was often finished sooner.

The disease was new to all our Physicians, and at first their endeavours were crowned with small success; nor were they at any time very able to beat the enemy especially when not sent for at the beginning of the battle.

Dr. Swett who fell a victim, was seized with vomiting, and immediately pronounced his fa [...]e. "I (said he to his amiable consort) am seized now with a disorder that I have been trying to check in others—I can do nothing for it: nobody in this place can, and I must fall by it!" The Doctor's mind at this time must have been awfully agitated! An hour before perhaps in perfect health, with a shining prospect of thirty happy, uncommonly happy years, and now as certain of dying in a few days, as if his neck had been under a French guilo [...]ne! No language could express his feelings! No pen is adequate to the task of doing justice to the affecting, the melancholy subject! Drop, courteous reader, drop with me a tear to his memory, and let us endeavour to be ready to travel after him, through the dark and awful valley, and to hail him triumphantly in the realms of light, by the assistance of him who is able to save. Oh! may his first address to us, when we quit this transitory world, be as follows, viz,

You're welcome to the blissful shore,

Where racking death can kill no more!

Where not a single ill can harm you,

And where ten thousand raptures charm you.

You're welcome from the painful strife,

And all the ills of mortal life.

It is uncertain whether the fever was imported or took its origin in the town; but 'tis certain that it was seldom or never caught any where only in a small part of a street that I shall presently speak of, and it seems likely that it originated there.

By the best accounts I can get of the matter it appears that one Miss Flood, a servant girl who lived with Mrs. Sally Woodhouse, in Water street, was the first victim among us to this disorder. She was seized towards the last of June, and repairing to her father's house in Newbury, died there soon after.

On the 3d of July Mr. Davis Lambert, who lived in the same house that Miss Flood was seized in, died of the same disorder and on the 5th Miss Silley in the same house also died. The disorder now began to be considered as a little alarming, and Miss Silley was prudently buried without the customary ceremonies, the same morning she died.

The scourge thus got footing in a place rendered by several circumstances very capable of supporting it. That part of Water-street of which I am speaking is situated low, by the Merrimack, while a very considerable part of the town is built on higher ground, all along at the S. W. of it, which is the point from which the Summer breezes generally come. Thus situated, it must be expected that the air in that part of the town will sometimes in the hottest part of the year, stagnate, and become extremely unwholesome; the effluvia from all the filth in the city, S. W. of this spot is naturally wasted over and hovers there. But besides these natural disadvantages, the people in Water-street laboured under a very formidable one, hatched by an inhabitant who paid his life for his inattention. A very considerable quantity of the heads and entrails of a kind of fish were suffered to lie and putrify on a wharf. So insupportable was the stench arising from this nuisance that when an officer of Police was appointed, he was not able for love nor money to hire any man to remove it, and was actually obliged to cover it over with earth where ever he found it.

It was yet early in July; full four months longer the fever might naturally be expected to rage with encreasing fury! Considering this that 30 or 40 persons have died with it is not the wonder; but that at least four times as many have not died.

About a week after the death of Miss Silley, master Arnold died in the same house.

On the 16th of July Mr. Jonathan Gage was seized —he recovered; but his wife and a daughter died soon after, and his parents from Bradford having visited him during his illness were infected and died at home, one on the 28th and the other on the 29th of July. On the 19th Mr. Z. Atwood died.

The town now began to be a little more alarmed, and appointed an officer of Police. Many groundless fears were entertained by many, while others did not take the necessary precautions.

A girl at Mrs. Atwoods and another at Mr. Gages were the next victims. It seemed now to be time for the surviving part of these bereaved families to fly from their infected abodes; but they had the hardiness to stay: and what is more surprizing, the lovely Miss Long now or a little before, flew right to the jaws of death, by going to keep Mr. Gages house. On the 15th of August Mrs. Hill died, and on the 16th Dr. Swett took his departure.

On the 20th of August four persons died of the fever, one of which was Miss Long and another Mr. P. Atwood, who had been only two or three days out of his deceased brother's house. I was surprised at the hardiness of those people who still continued at the infected houses in Water street, and thought it high time to try to alarm them; fearing among the rest that the lovely Mrs. Atwood would lose her life 40 or 50 years too soon, and hoping that what I said to her might have some effect on others who were in danger, I immediately hove the following note into her house, viz.

Newburyport, Aug. 20, 96

DEAR MADAM,

For Heaven's sake, if you prize your life, fly immediately from your present abode—Fly lovely nymph to the country, some western higher part of the town, or any where else—Your life where you now are will probably, and almost beyond doubt, be very short—stay not to the funeral of Mr. Atwood—get some negro to take care of your house or shut it up—I am, &c.

Mrs. PEGGY ATWOOD.

This lady having took conderable pains to cleanse her house, thought herself pretty secure; but about a week after another of her family, Mr. Stone, was seized by the iron hands of the fever, and she wisely fled from his fatal dart. Nothing however could give Mrs. Woodhouse a proper idea of her danger, till it was too late for her to retreat.

Many before the death of Mrs. Woodhouse and many afterwards fled, some from danger & others from where there was none—'Tis good however to be careful.

The fever continued with unabating fury through the first week of September, it then began to decrease. Five persons, of whom we had but little hopes, recovered. There were few new cases, and on the 5th of October not one person in the town remained sick with it.

The narrow circle in which the adversary moved, and its very seasonable end are pretty evident marks of the friendly interposition of him who lives forever. During nearly the whole season he sent us very healthy favourable weather. In July he sent us two showers, in which the rain fell very plentifully, and twice as fast perhaps as the oldest person living ever saw it [...]orne before. These were probably the same rains which entirely stopped the course of the Yellow-Fever in New-York. On the 25th of Aug. he sent us a great shower attended with a very uncommon quantity of lightning; and on the 29th it being so amazing warm that the thermometer stood at 96, he caused such an alteration in the weather that the thermometer soon altered to 64. In the course of four days it grew so much colder that it actually froze, and no further north than Portsmouth, ice of a considerable thickness was seen.

From this we ought to take encouragement still to strive, by leading virtuous lives, to secure the kindly aid of indulgent heaven: or if we believe we cannot do this by any of our own works, let us take care not to draw the vindictive vengeance of an Almighty arm down on our guilty heads, by vicious practices.

INVITATION to the Inhabitants of Newburyport, who have fled to the Country, on [...]ccount of the Malignant Fever

THE dreadful Fever is no more;

It now no longer can distress us;

Our frightful troubles now are o'er.

And rosy health has come to bless us.

Then blithful swains and lasses gay.

Come from the country, come away.

II.

The trade and commerce of the town

Quite slowly moves with body stooping;

We have not yet deserv'd renown,

And all the sciences are drooping.

Ahoi! ye merchants, do not stay,

Ye men of science come away.

III.

No fever now but that of love,

In all the town remains to harm us;

And that the Ladies can remove,

Though they will never cease to charm us.

Then lovely nymphs without delay

Quick from the country come away.

IV.

Again our smiling streets parade—

Bless me how winning God has made you!

Trip in fine sattins or brocade,

And have the homage proper paid you.

[...] my summons nymphs I pray,

Quick to the city come away.

Newburyport, October 6, 1796.

Printed for and sold by the Author—Price 4 ½d.

Information about this book

Title statement

The awful malignant fever at Newburyport, in the year 1796. An elegiac epistle to the mourners, on the death of forty persons ... Together with a short account of that alarming disorder--- / By Jonathan Plummer, Jun.

Plummer, Jonathan, 1761-1819.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2008-09.

ID [DLPS]

N23432

ID [TCP]

N23432

ID [STC]

Evans 31018

ID [NOTIS]

APY6379

ID [IMAGE-SET]

31018

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99033672

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 31018.

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(Evans-TCP ; no. N23432)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 31018)

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Source

— The awful malignant fever at Newburyport, in the year 1796. An elegiac epistle to the mourners, on the death of forty persons ... Together with a short account of that alarming disorder--- / By Jonathan Plummer, Jun., Plummer, Jonathan, 1761-1819..

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. (relief cuts) ; 56 x 44 cm.

s.n.] Printed for and sold by the author.,. [Newburyport, Mass. :: [1796]. (Elegiac epistle, first line: Daughters of Eve and sons of men.) (Includes also List of those who died, and four additional stanzas of verse entitled, Invitation to the inhabitants of Newburyport who have fled to the country, on account of the malignant fever.) (Dated: Newburyport, October 6, 1796.) (With fory-four coffins in two rows in midst of title.) (Text in four columns; printed area measures 51.8 x 37.7 cm.)

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