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We were square when I sold you the “Versification” article; for which you gave me first 25, and afterward 7 — in all - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $32 00
Then you bought “The Gold Bug” for - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52 00
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I got both these back, so that I owed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $84 00
You lent Mrs. Clemm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 50
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Making in all - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $96 00
The review of “Flaccus” was 3 3/4 pp, which at $4, is - - - - - - - - - - 15 00
Lowell's poem is - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 00
The review of Channing, 4 pp is 16, of which I got 6, leaving - - - - - - 10 00
The review of Halleck, 4 pp. is 16, of which I got 10, leaving - - - - - - 6 00
The review of Reynolds, 2 pp. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 00
The review of Longfellow, 5 pp. is 20, of which I got 10, leaving - - - - 10 00
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So that I have paid in all - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59 00
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Which leaves still due by me - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $37 50
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Notes:
This letter was first printed by George R. Graham in “The Late Edgar Allan Poe,” Graham's Magazine, March 1850, p. 225. Written as a letter to N. P. Willis, it is actually a harsh critique upon the obituary by Rufus Wilmot Griswold. This obituary is generally referred to as the “Ludwig” article, after the pseudonym under which Griswold published it.
The date, assigned by Ostrom, is in part based on Graham's comment that it is “an account sent to me in his own hand, long after he had left Philadelphia. . . .” Poe moved from Philadelphia to New York in April of 1844.
The “ ‘Versification’ article” article referred to as the first item on the list, was printed first as “Notes Upon English Verse” and later as “The Rationale of Verse”.
Graham notes “I had returned him the story of ‘The Gold Bug,’ at his own request, as he found that he could dispose of it very advantageously elsewhere.” Poe submitted the story to the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, and won a prize, paying $100. It was published in 1843.
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[S:0 - MS, 18xx] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Letters - Poe to G. R. Graham (LTR164a/RCL457a)