Text: Frederick W. Thomas to Edgar Allan Poe — July 10, 1845

Washington   July 10, 1845.

My dear Poe —

I should long ere this have thanked you for your speedy translation of the cypher I sent you, but that I hoped to do it more pleasantly than by letter — I hoped to shake you by the hand. I expected to visit New York on my way to Boston, but I have been compelled to make up my mind for a summer in Washington —

Many thanks for your translation — It comports with the facts in the case — it made you quite the talk among the officials — I have obtained your book published by Wiley and Putnam and have been delighted with it — I have just loaned it to a lady friend of mine who is an admirer of yours.

I have had a correspondence with Wiley & Putnam about publishing a volume of sketches of mine — I sent them my MS on their writing me that they had no doubt that their reader (who is he) would approve of it, and that they would be glad to publish it — Since which I have received a letter from the saying “We hoped to find them”) (the Sketches) “more full and approaching nearer to a memoir of the different individuals. We are afraid of making the series slight and fragmentary and need for the most part complete entire books” &c. A polite way of saying, you know, that they don’t think the sketches will sell. — As I have got them ready I should like to publish them — do you know of any bookseller who would undertake them? Poe, if I do not give you too much trouble I should be glad if you would obtain the MS from Wiley & Putnam, and put it in a safe place for me — If any of the sketches suit your journal they are very much at your service — If this gives you the least trouble let me know and the MS can remain with Wiley & Putnam until I can get some travelling friend to bring it on to me — The franking privilege is abolished & I do not wish to pay postage on it — Should you see the MS write me frankly what you think of it — One or two of the sketches I think you have seen —

Do you know a gentleman formerly of New York, who is now here in office, named Eames? He was a fellow boarder of mine — “What manner of a man is he”? Mr Bancroft has given him a Fourteen hundred dollar situation —

I seldom see Dow — he is deep in politics and his daily paper — He is well and full of enthusiasm about his prospects. — Did you ever see any of the poetry or literary addresses of Judge Meek of Alabama? He is here in a good office — I like him and think him a man of decided talent — We often talk of you — he cottons to your doings as they say in the South — that is he likes your books —

I hear good accounts of you — I am told your journal takes — Writes me a long letter, Poe — What are your politics? Are you friendly to the powers that be — they seem to be partial to literary men, at least of their own persuasion — I wish you were in a snug office — I nurse the hope, notwithstanding my disappointment, that you may one of these days be so placed in office as to have a handsome support with leisure to exercise your pen — My notions are that if the government won’t give us an international copyright law, she should take care of her literary men — How is Mrs. Clemm and your good lady — Remember me kindly to them — Impatiently — I shall await a letter from you — Good luck to you always —

Yours ever —
F. W. Thomas

Edgar A. Poe, Esq —