Richmond Enquirer

Reviewed to date: LVA film 23a: reels 17, 18, 21, 22 (to Dec. 31, 1835), 25 (to Dec. 31, 1839); 28 (Jan. 2-Oct. 1 1844)

Jackson

Oct. 10, 1828 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 17)

p. 2: Letter to editor about Jackson’s political enemies:

"They publish these bills of sale in Jackson’s own handwriting to show his defects in orthography. But, when he writes rapidly, his penmanship is like some of our other great men–the letters are so clustered together, and so hard to be defined, that an adversary may easily take one letter for another-thus., we have two printed versions of these very bills of sale , from two different opponents who write them very differently–thus–one spell it Missesseppi, one records it cheldren, the other, children–one warrant; the other warrant" n.b.: later charges by supporters of incumbent, John Quincy Adams, that Jackson had taken part in a massacre during the war w/ the Creek Indians.

Humor & "Features"

"Miscellaneous" column includes all sorts of materials ranging from cultural to tabloid: book reviews, accounts of tourists to America or from it, local-color sketches, scientific reports, descriptions of Siamese twins, even discussions of duels, suicides, and military actions against Native Americans. Often reprinted from other US and foreign papers such as London Morning Herald.

Bad poetry

Under Cooper's "Much yet remains unsung," the Enquirer committed its own literary offences, reprinting poetry of varying degrees of badness that had been published elsewhere, works with titles that electrify, such as "Boundary Lines of the United States." The editors should have added "thank God!" to Cooper's quotation!

From "Weep Not for Her!" first appeared in Blackwood; it is described as a "beautiful dirge. . .a fine specimen of that style of poetry" (Richmond Enquirer 21 May, 1830, p. 4). (LVA, main, film 23a, Reel 18)

Weep not for her: By fleet or slow decay

It never griev'd her bosom's core to mark

The playmates of her childhood wane away,

Her prospects wither and her hopes grow dark.

Transplanted by her God with spirit shriv'n,

She pass'd, as 'twere, on smiles from earth to Heaven!

Weep not for her!

Thus Poe's poetry and "Stephen Dowling Botts."

July 6 , 1830 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 18)

"Diet" (p. 4)

Humorous poem from unknown original. Makes fun of a vegetarian, "Newtonian," diet.

July 3 (title page missing from film) , 1829 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 17)

"Dinner of the Months" by Harry Neble. In a section called "Miscellaneous," a humorous account of a dinner at which the months of the year gather. This is genteel humor written in prose unlikely to ruffle anyone’s feathers. Still, early example to show that humor would appear in Enquirer.

July 21 , 1829 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 17)

(in column three) "Re-animation of Frozen Fish," a paragraph reprinted from another source (the Philadelphia Journal?) about Canadian ice-fishermen reviving fish frozen after being caught.

July 31 , 1829 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 17)

(page 4, column 3, under "Micellaneous")

"Broad Humor. The Sleigh Ride." A tale from The Yankee about a group of young people on a wild sleigh ride, fooling the church deacon, "a sworn enemy to all frolicking," and borrowing his sleigh to woo a local beauty, Patty Bean. Narrator Johnny Biddle lies to the deacon, telling him that he needs the sled to go to the mill. Patty’s mother, the Widow Bean, insists that Patty’s overweight cousin Dolly go along, and the narrator gets her into the sleigh "like a shot from a shovel, or a cart load of pumpkins into a gondola. It was chuck full of her. O she is a whopper, I tell ye." Johnny runs the sleigh too fast and they crash into a snowdrift "under a half ton of Dolly Fisher."

Note that this "Yankee humor" still shows an interest in the doings of the common folk though not from the SW perspective. Theme of deceit and deacon as one fooled–though no sex here beyond Patty’s blushing cheeks and a dance down the road after the sleigh is pulled out of the snow..

Other humorous tales came from England, such as "Miseries of Taking the Census" (Richmond Enquirer July 2, 1830, p. 4) (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 18) provide "local color" sketches from other parts of the world.

Accounts of Travel:

June 1, 1830 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 18)

Letter dated May 16, 1830 from Charlottesville, describing the journey to the town and the visit to Monticello. Peaks of Otter thought to be highest peaks in VA. Good description of UVA grounds and Rotunda (in some disrepair). No humor here; the tone is that of a travelogue.

October 10, 1834 (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 21)

"Aerial Voyage." Two accounts of trips in balloons, including measurements of temperature and atmospheric pressure taken by one "aeronaut." Other accounts appear on p. 2 in the Oct. 31 and p. 4 of the Nov. 14th issues (and others thereafter). N.B. Poe's story "Hans Phaall," about a balloonist (appeared in S. Lit. Messenger 1.10 (June 1835), p. 565.

On S. Literary Messenger (LVA, main, film 23a, reel 21)

Aug. 5, 1834, p. 2. First issue of the Messenger received by Enquirer Editors.

On Morality

July 9, 1839, p. 4. (LVA, film 23a, reel 25) "Suicide" "Mr. George H. Elliot, well known in this city for several years past as a cotton broker, terminated his existence early yesterday morning, by stabbing himself in the left breast, near the region of the heart, with a dirk-knife. For some time previous, the deceased had been addicted to intemperate habits. Thus, united to misfortunes in business and pecuniary embarrassments, occasioned partial derangement, under the influence of which, it is believed, he perpetrated the rash act."

Jan. 23, 1844, p. 2 (LVA, film 23a, reel 28)

"To all whom it may concern.--Take notice, that I shall not pay any debts contracted by my wife, Temperance Bartland, as she has left my bed and board; and, by her conduct, has forfeited all protection from me as a husband."

William Bartland. Chesterfield, Jan. 23, 1844

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