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August 12th, 1806

I had written the foregoing part of my Letter at sundry times, finishing the paragraph respecting George on Sunday morning the 10th instant, after which I passed my time at home, being somewhat indisposed, till about 12 o'clock when there came on a heavy shower of rain with some distant thunder. My wife was in a bedroom, Betsey Pugh and Sally Loffer were in the kitchen, and I happened to walk there and make a stand about 6 feet from the fireplace when I observed Betsey at the fire attending to a pot that was boiling. Then I lost all sensation, occasioned by a body of lightning coming down the chimney, which I cannot recall-neither feeling the stroke nor hearing the thunder. Betsey was in a worse condition, having received a more severe shock and having her foot badly scalded by the pot being overturned. Sally was but little hurt. My wife, coming in frightened almost to distraction, ordered Sally to run for help. It rained excessively and the nearest neighbor was about 200 yards off and most people were at church.

The first thing I recollect was that I was lying on my back on the floor with several people around me raising my head. The circulation from my body downward seemed totally suspended, and my thighs and legs felt like solid masses of lead which I was totally unable to stir. I told the people my legs and foot were dead-they then stripped them and by chafing and rubbing with camphor oil encouraged the circulation, which proceeded gradually downward until the dead weight was in a manner removed and I could stir my foot. As the floor was covered with fire, ashes, soot, broken brick, and lime, I was removed to another room.

Here I discovered Betsey grasping for breath in the utmost agony, which was all the symptom of life I could discern in her. The sight of this revived in me a heartfelt grief which I had not felt for myself.

After some time I began to move my legs and foot, was washed, and put to bed. Betsey was also put to bed in a much more alarming condition, and my heart still melts when I recollect what my wife must have felt on this tragical occasion.

I proceed now to give you a short and imperfect account of some of the wonderful and incomprehensible properties of lightning. The top of the chimney was broken to pieces and fell on the back of the house. As it was attached in the middle of the house, the rafters and roof kept the part that was confined standing. After which, one side was burst off almost to the second floor. The lightning then proceeded down the fireplace where two trammels were hanging. The lightning then seemed to have operated into a number of parts. One stream struck the jamb of the chimney- a solid wall of brick about 12 inches thick- and drilled a hole through which was not more than a quarter of an inch in diameter at the entrance and not so big as a goose quill on the other side. It then went through the floor, with a diversion out of a sleeper to the door which had a stairway of 3 steps. One of the side planks of which it split and followed to the ground. Another stream entered at the floor at the opposite end of the fireplace, took a sliver out of the underside of a plank running nearly in a direct line with the first-mentioned stream, to another door, and descended to the ground exactly in the manner of the first.

Between the two streams, we all three stood, and Betsey received a violent stroke on the left side of her neck, which proceeded down her breast inclining towards her side until it took her arm and proceeded in a spiral manner around her arm and ended in a point. The discoloration appeared of a dark color, the streak in the widest part about an inch, growing less towards each end. Although the wound itself is neither much sore nor painful, her whole body is in disorder, being sore and painful in every part. It is with difficulty she can

swallow any kind of nourishment and she is still in a low state, but we have good hopes of her recovery.

I now proceed to give an account of myself during this uncommon scene. It has been long known that one property of lightning is that it is of so subtle a nature that it will pass through a bar of solid iron without impeding its force or velocity. Another property of this inexplicable something, I find, is that when it meets a brick wall, which it somewhat resists its subtlety, though the stream is not bigger than a straw, it will bore its way through with great velocity. I have reason to believe that a stream of incomprehensible something passed through my clothing without any visible mark and coincided with my body a little below my armpits-glided down my side near to my hips. It then became forked-one stream continued its course in a pretty direct line down my thighs and leg and went off at my heel, bursting my shoe behind. The other streak went down the right side of my body directly to my watch-melted the silver on the edge of the case and left a black tarnish on the edge of the crystal without doing any other damage. The stain in these streaks is of a deep red color, in some places an inch wide and in others less. In parts that are fleshy, the skin was colored but not injured, but in the bony portions down the side of my body, the skin seemed seared and was of a dark color, and some small blisters appeared. Under the crystal of my watch, there remains still a very deep red spot. All this is done without scorching a thread of my clothing as I can perceive, although they

have been washed. The streaks and blisters are neither sore nor painful, and the smart of the whole is not more than what I have felt in one day from being sunburnt.

This, my dear friends, though laboring under much bodily infirmity, I have, through mercy, been enabled to give you an imperfect account of this visitation. If the shock had proved violent enough to have put an end to my existence, I should have died without pain or clamor, but as it did not, I revived with a calm composure of mind which has continued without one terrifying reflection, or any grief of mind except that I feel for Betsey's misfortune and the grief and trouble of my wife and friends. My thoughts are chiefly employed in endeavoring to make the whole a lesson of useful instruction. I have in it a striking view of the mighty power of God together with a full conviction that His goodness is equal to His power. I can rely with confidence on His protecting mercy in full assurance that all His dispensations toward me are for the best. I will endeavor to wait my appointed time with patient resignation, constantly praying to be instructed in the knowledge of my duty and inspired with resolution to persevere therein to my life's end.

My eyes are weary. Farewell.

Mr. John Lofferts