American Spiritual Magazine.
Devoted to Spiritualism, its History, Phenomena, Philosophy and Teachings from a Christian Standpoint.
Other titles: Spiritual Magazine
1876--1877 Monthly
Memphis, TN. Publisher: Baptist publication society, printed by Boyle & Co.; . Editor: Rev. Samuel Watson (1813-1895).
Succeeds: Spiritual Magazine (Memphis) Succeeded by: Voice of Truth (consolidated with)

2/1, January 1875 [misprint for 1876]-3/12, December 1877. $2.00 a year, 32 pp. Volume numbering carries over that of the Watson’s Spiritual Magazine. "American" was added to the title to distinguish the journal from from the contemporary magazine being edited in London. Articles or notes on spirit photography, "spiritual clothing," extravagant spirit materializations, especially those at Terre Haute, Indiana, rebuttals of "so-called exposures" of mediums, Christian Spiritualism, optimistic reflections on "The Decline of Spiritualism," the difficulties of attempting to organize spiritualists, etc. The journal prints the important article by Emma Hardinge Britten on "The 'Double,' or Apparition of Embodied Spirits," but also gives space to such pieces such as "Marrying a Ghost" (the spirit of a dead woman mediated by Anna Stewart of Terre Haute, re-married to her husband by Rev. Watson). Watson later repeated the process by marrying a man to the materialized form of a dead woman in Memphis. "Another Spirit Bride," Spiritual Scientist 6/9 (May 3, 1877): 101. In the final months of the journal, Watson complained repeatedly about non-paying subscribers--a complaint echoed constantly by all spiritualist journals. "We have looked over our books, and find that not one-half of our subscribers have paid for this year. A considerable number owe for last year, and some have never paid anything. We have put a red X opposite their names on the mail book, and expect to put it on their Magazine or wrapper until it is erased by the payment of what they owe. This we hope they will do soon, which will enable us to pay what we have borrowed, and pay the additional cost of adding one-third more matter from the commencement of the new volume." About half of his subscribers were receiving the journal gratis, without even an expectation of payment, and of the supposed paying subscribers more than a thousand were a year in arrears, with some never paying anything at all. In December 1877, Watson thundered that he would expunge those delinquent for two years from the subscription list and send their accounts out "to collection," whatever that may have meant, but instead, following the guidance of the spirits, consolidated the journal with the Voice of Truth published in Memphis by Mary Shindler and Annie Hawks, which itself ceased to publish in July 1878. NSAC Lily Dale; Boston Public Library.

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