Tallmadge, Nathaniel Pitcher (1795-1864)

views updated

Tallmadge, Nathaniel Pitcher (1795-1864)

United States senator from 1833-34, governor of Wisconsin from 1844-46, and one of the early converts to Spiritualism. His experiences with the Fox sisters, recounted in a letter to a friend under the date April 12, 1853, were published in most of the newspapers of the time. He stated that he had received messages in direct writing from the spirit of John Calhoun and also witnessed very strong physical manifestations, notably the levitation of a table with himself on top of it. He also reported experiences in his own household. His thirteen-year-old daughter, who never touched the piano, began to play classical works and popular airs in trance.

In April 1854, a memorial was presented in Congress by James Shields, asking for an inquiry into the truth of Spiritualism. Tallmadge's name topped the list of the 13,000 signatures that were attached. Tallmadge contributed an introduction to The Healing of the Nations by automatic writing medium Charles Linton, published in 1855 by The Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge. He died November 2, 1864.

Sources:

Brown, Slater. The Heyday of Spiritualism. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1970.

Jackson, Herbert G., Jr. The Spirit Rappers. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1972.

Pond, Mariam Buckner. Time Is Kind; The Story of the Unfortunate Fox Family. New York: Centennial Press, 1947. Reprinted as The Unwilling Martyrs. London: Psychic Book Club, 1947.

About this article

Tallmadge, Nathaniel Pitcher (1795-1864)

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article