“John Clark Edwards”
Date
7-10-1812
Newspaper
Raleigh Star
Page and Column
Page 111 Column 2
Newspaper Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Serial Number
140
Abstract
Comments on the supposed death of John C, Edwards and laments the loss of his fictional accounts of earthquakes.
Transcript
John Clarke Edwards--Extract of a letter from a friend in Asheville (Buncombe county) in the editors dated June 27.-From recent information I am fully convinced that your conjecture respecting the authorship of the "Buncombe Earthquake, Volcano and death of the Tailor" is correct. By the last Raleigh Mail I received a scrap of a newspaper inclosed in a letter to my address giving an account of the death of that great Earthquake Manufacturer John Clarke Edwards. What a pity? Had this original genius lived only a few months longer, no doubt he would have invented a Volcano emitting streams of Molasses and showers of Coffee in some part of the United States, perhaps in Buncombe County, or what would have been still better, in New England. This would have been the most accommodating thing imaginable to the Yankees, and almost made amends for their Commercial Restrictions. But I find his successor has made a grand blunder in placing this delicious Crater at Bartholomew Island, where they can procure these precious articles without the assistance of Volcanos, I hope the account of this circumstance will never reach the Eastern States, for I am persuaded that an inexhaustible stream of Molasses is a bait too alluring for my countrymen to withstand-of course they must and will be tempted to violate the Embargo Law, and if in pursuit of this illicicit attempt, their vessels should fall into the hands of Ograbme, or having eluded the vigilance of that watchful foe, they should after arriving safe at the Island, find (too late) that the Edwardised effusion of the sugar planter was promulgated merely to decoy them into the grasp of John Bull's Kidnappers (together with their vessels and cargoes of Fish, Onions and other notions,) what an unfortunate circumstance this would be!!!
Recommended Citation
"“John Clark Edwards”" (1812). New Madrid Compendium Far-Field Database. 138.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cas-ceri-new-madrid-compendium/138
