Text: Richard Hinton, “Poe’s Last Poem,” Southern Bivouac, vol. 2, no. 1, June 1886, p. 66

[page 66:]

The April number of the SOUTHERN BIVOUAC has an article signed “Henry W. Austin.” Mr. M. J. Kent will, I understand, make clear the manner in which Mr. Austin errs. I confine myself to correcting his statements relating to myself.

I never saw the poem “Lilitha” till the article containing it (the theory of which Mr. Austin practically appropriates as his own) was received by me from Mr. M. J. Kent for publication in the Sunday Gazette, of Washington City, a paper I was then (1882) unfortunate enough to own and edit. Mr. Austin knew when the paper was received, as he was about the Gazette a good deal at that time, and was anxious to earn some of the little income it was receiving.

The yarn he spins about Mr. Kent and myself nursing the “alleged “ Poe poem, is woven out of the flimsy cobwebs of Mr. Austin’s brain. I printed Mr. Kent’s article with an editorial reservation, using it only as an interesting contribution. I am not myself a special admirer of Poe, either as man or poet, and have never set up as his critic or judge. I was and am in doubt of Richard Realf’s special interest in Poe. There is something said of Realf’s manuscript “falling into the hands of M. J. Kent and Richard Hinton.” Let me say, if you please, that my dear friend Realf left an holograph will, in which I am named as his literary executor. Mr. Kent has not had his manuscripts in possession, either in whole or in part, though he was a close friend as he remains a sincere admirer of the dead soldier and poet. There never was any attempt made, “feeble” or otherwise, to publish Realf’s poems in my paper. A few of them so appeared, preparatory, as I then hoped, to their publication in book form. My poor purse, not my will, has heretofore prevented that publication.

NEW YORK, April, 1886.

RICHARD HINTON.