Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 132: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, Dec. 29, 1875,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), pp. 379-382 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 379, continued:]

132. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman

My dear Providence,

As I have been fearing, for some time past, that I have omitted answering much you have spoken about, I have just rushed thro’ your last dozen or so letters & jotted down such things as I fancy may still require a reply. Some, perhaps, may already have been responded to.

Hasty & disconnected as usual, now-a-days, I’ll begin at your last letter of the 14th inst., bringing back my hurried scrawl to the Tribune. ’Twas late in the field ’tis true, but Reid might have used it, as it shows the style of Poe's slanderers. I think I’ll print it, together with my letter [page 380:] to the Nation & distribute both together, privately. But I’ve so much to get about. I wish I could clear out of everything & get a twelvemonth to myself to work out my “Memoir” calmly. I will not publish ‘till it is as it should be — worthy of its theme.

I must look up the Union Maga. & “The Bells.” I fancied Sartain's was another name for the Union. I’ll put that straight.

You evidently don’t know all Mr. Gerry Fairfield's little games! I have lots of his papers on Poe published in 1864 &c., some coolly compiled from Poe, & passed off as his (Mr. Gerry's!) own! — one in Home Journal, 1864, is on “Poe's Plagiarisms” — the substance of it was in my Tribune letter.

I must see Swinburne's letter to the Committee — had not even heard of it. I wonder if Appleton's Journal had my remarks to Williams re. history of “The Bells.” I gave you the full account, did I not? It was written long after “Ulalume,” but, perhaps, before autumn of 1848.

Yes! I have seen your Rose — as I have told you — looking charming again.

Don’t doubt about facsimile in Scribner's, ’tis clearly Didier's, as Scribner's know now, although Mr. Stoddard won’t choose to acknowledge it. A correspondent has spoken to Didier about the caligraphy not being Poe's, suggesting it might be a copy, but he (Didier) was “rather indignant,” & said it was photographed direct from the lady's album, but refuses to give the name of the owner of the book. I’ll force him.

Harper's Weekly copy of the photo was very good. We must get a real photo copy. What does Miss Rice say? Is it from the daguerreotype in the possession of the Poe family?

Have you heard anything of Le Corbeau? Pray forgive me! I’ve not yet sent the enclosure to Mallarmé, but will at once. Perhaps Miss Peckham may like to see Mallarmé?

Mrs. Shelton's reminiscences are not very full yet, but I’m to write & she’ll answer fully. Pray don’t whisper of this! You shall know more of her data in my next. I’m so glad you like Browne — Dr. Browne — but you could not help it. And his friend Valentine — the sculptor — has been invaluable, chiefly with regard to Poe's early days.

Where can all Poe's letters have got to? Many destroyed, & many, doubtless, in collections, public & private. Such collections might be seen & copies made. Do you know any possessors of autographs: we might get some letters (copies) from them.

T. C. Clarke, I know, could have done more than anyone. Even his present collection must be valuable. Who can have got it? Gill said, in letter to me, that he had bought it, but I doubt him — he would have made some use of it, & he represented it to me as chiefly verbal [page 381:] reminiscences, whereas Clarke had, or knew of, publications, &c. But I’m working out the clues.

Mrs. Hale has not replied. I do want a correspondent in Philadelphia very badly — there is much to unearth there. How about Mr. J. Hart? Is he there? Have you his address? That letter published by Dr. Brooks (whose testimony I don’t value much for known reasons), I doubt, & fancy can throw grave suspicions on.

What a world of rogues this is! Dr. Porteus, I’m told, ’tis sub rosa, left England to avoid his creditors. I was told he was a rascal & the news of his death was deemed only a hoax to stop pursuit. Poor Miss Poe got little of his lecture proceeds, I fear.

No news of Mary Star. The Poes say they don’t know, & Mrs. Shelton says ditto — but then who was the “M——” to whom Poe wrote his early lines? I don’t remember having seen the lines (satirical verses) of Poe's about Joseph Locke at West Point, & yet seem to have heard of them. Were they in paper in Harper's? If so, I have that. It was by Gibson, who was also court-martialled at W. Point, & was favorable to Poe, but Stoddard garbled the paper shamefully. I don’t think Gill will ever do much anyway & may go over to the Stoddardites, but he is too weak to do much harm. Is Laurel Leaves out? I must get it.

En passant, in former days Fairfield thought Eureka magnificent. His words next time. I am afraid your lines “To Helen,” i.e., the MS., will never come back from Dr. Buchanan. How shameless his conduct seems — he must have known it had a money value apart from other considerations.

I’m afraid that I’m not giving any news with all my writings this time.

I must find out Mrs. Locke, & will, if she be alive. She must have had letters from Poe. Fancy Mr. Lewis alive again! And I’ve been led to fancy him dead long ago — but it makes no difference — they’re of no use — the L[ewise]s.

In my third edition I want to give the dates of first publication of all the poems & tales. Do you think Mr. Harris could give me any information about the Museum for 1842-3 or 4 of Philadelphia, or the Stylus of 1843 of same place — or of the Tales of the Grotesque & Arabesque for 1839 (with “Siope”). Also of the vols. of The Gift.

But now a short respite for you to this scribble. I do pray that your health is better with my truest & most sincere wishes, I am, ever yours,

P.S. I have not spoken of the New Year, but you know that all good wishes for your happiness will be fervently wished by me. [page 382:]

I hope you’ve not put my name to those stupid impromptu “Love Letters” lines. Editor of Pic. World did give name in full, to my annoyance, & now they’ve spread past recall.

Au revoir,