Text: Anonymous, “Connecting Links in Poe's Life,” Book News Monthly (Philadelphia, PA), vol. 25, no. 12, August 1907, pp. 804-805

[page 804, unnumbered:]

IT has been mentioned that Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809. It has not been stated, however, that his place of birth was Boston. In the course of tracing Poe's career some other facts — of more or less importance — have been omitted. It would, perhaps, be as well to give them here, lest confusion as to the time of the poet's residence in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond arise in the minds of the readers.

After Poe's gambling debts, contracted during his college year, 1826, had made difficulties between him and his foster-father, Poe was placed in Mr. Allan's counting-house. We have heard how uncongenial he found this occupation; and knowing the disposition of the young poet, we are not surprised to find him enlisting in the United States Army. This was in 1827, and let it be explained to Poe's credit that he served his term of two years faithfully, and received an honorable discharge. Mr. Allan was reconciled — he went to the trouble ot procuring an appointment to the Military Academy of West Point for his fosterson. But by this time military enthusiasm had waned; Poe had succeeded in publishing, in Boston, his first book of roems — Tamerlane and Other Poems (1829) — and he now neglected to perform his West Point duties; read and rode, and [column 2:] wrote instead, and concluded this portion of his career, in six months’ time, by being dismissed by court-martial. Left to h's own resources, for Mr. Allan was done with him, he went to New York; and in 1831 issued a second volume, Poems. The book brought favorable comments but no money, and he passed on to Baltimore. Here he lived with his father's widowed sister, Mrs. Clemm, and here he fell in love with Mrs. Clemm's daughter, Virginia, a child of eleven years, whom he married two years later.

In 1834 there began, in Richmond, the publication of a new periodical, “The Southern Literary Messenger.” To the editorial staff of this paper Poe was called in the later months of 1835. During 1836 he distinguished himself as the “Messenger's” editor, as a literary critic, and as a writer of short stories and poems. In May he married Virginia Clemm, her mother continuing to live with them.

Just what caused Poe to sever his connection with the “Messenger” is not known. But the announcement was made in January of 1837, and immediately after Poe returned to New York, where he published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. From New York he went to Philadelphia, in 1838; and this story Dr. Oberholtzer has already told.

The last residence in New York began in 1844; and Poe, with his wife and mother-in-law, made his home in the now famous cottage at Fordham. During this period “The Raven” was published; and after it, “The Bells” and ‘”Ulalume.” They all served to make Poe popular, but they did not make him rich. Neither did the collected edition of his poems, which was now brought out. In these days the shadows about Poe lengthened rapidly. His wife had become desperately ill; they had no money; the struggle with sickness and poverty could bring but one thing — death. And in January of 1847 the loved little wife gave up the battle — literally starved and frozen in a cottage where there was no fuel, no food — only the mighty and passionate love of a strong man who was [page 805:] yet too weak to conquer that self which was in himself, and was the self he hated. Neighbors had to furnish burial clothes, and the body was laid in the family vault of a Mrs. Briggs, who still lives close by the cottage, and who remembers the poet and his wife perfectly. In 1875 Mrs. Poe's remains were taken to [column 2:] Baltimore, where now they rest beside those of her husband.

Poe was ill for many weeks after Virginia's death. He never regained his health. He wrote Eureka, finished The Domain of Arnheim, and in June, 1849, returned to Richmond. The rest of the story we leave for someone else to tell.