Early Account of Chang and Eng Bunker

On this day in 1834, the Miners’ & Farmers’ Journal in Charlotte published a long account of the “Siamese Twins,” Chang and Eng Bunker. The twins were in the midst of a world tour, attracting considerable attention wherever they went. A few months after this was published, the twins visited the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, no doubt making note of the state that they would call their home starting in the late 1830s.

In looking through the article, this part stood out to me: “They are very fond of hunting, are quite expert with the fowling piece, and carry with them their shooting apparatus.” Regular readers will remember that the North Carolina Collection Gallery recently acquired a rifle once owned by the Bunkers, perhaps the very “fowling piece” mentioned here?

Click over to the full edition of the newspaper in the North Carolina Newspapers collection to read the whole story. The text is faded in parts, but you can make out all of the words if you zoom in all the way. To learn even more about the Bunkers, visit the Eng & Chang Bunker digital project.

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