Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 025: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, Mar. 16, 1874,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), pp. 79-85 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 79, continued:]

25. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman

My dear Mrs. Whitman,

I am going to commence another letter to you today, although I may not finish it for another day or so, being so busy preparing to move into the above new residence — or rather, I should say old — the house being, I fancy, quite two hundred years old, and having room in its many ingles & angles for a whole regiment of ghosts.

To my everlasting questioning, however. You give me Poe's birth date as 17 Feby. 1809: in my last, I pointed out that this would bring his age higher than the maximum allowed by West Point Academy — it also throws out other dates — as for instance if he returned from his English schooling in 1823, it would make his age 13 and alter the date of his tuition at the Richmond Academy — when he first met Mrs. Helen S[tanard]. By the way, although the version of “Lenore” printed in S.L. Messenger in 1835 mentions the name of Helen — as “Helen, thy soul is riven,” an earlier version, that of the vol. of poems published in 1831, omits the name, reading “Thy life & love are riven.” Now it is a question whether the earlier vols. of 1827 & [18]29 read it [page 80:] thus. 1827, I rather fancy, is merely an imaginary volume. Have you ever seen it, or know any one who has? On page 70 of E. Poe & His Critics you give an interesting “pencilled note” referring to “later poems” — do you refer to any particular poems or the whole collection?

You must not think I trouble you needlessly about dates, &c. Every question has a bearing on some point or the other, although I do not explain each one more fully. I must be particular about my dates — in fact — work them all out with mathematical precision, otherwise, every critic who can detect the slightest act of omission or commission on my part will have the whole reputation of my purposed work at his mercy. Almost every publication I have asked to buy is merely for verification of dates, & if I can get these dates without buying the books, so much the better — although there are still a few I would like to purchase, such as the early editions of the poems, &c. Perhaps you can see in your institutions Graham's & Burton's Gentleman's magazines. The former — I want date of first number & the date of Poe's leaving, probably at end of 1842 — & of the second — date of Poe's leaving, if he did leave before the amalgamation in Nov. 1840 with Graham's Casket. 1st no. of Graham's, in Nov. 1840 (?) would probably mention Poe. None of these publications, unfortunately, in the British Museum. If they could be got at, I might settle the story of Burton & the Penn Magazine recorded in Griswold's “Memoir.” I wish I could ascertain whether Poe published a vol. of “Marginalia” during his life. It is not mentioned in any list of American publications, but in the 3rd vol. of Griswold's collection Poe is frequently made to refer to it as if it were a published book. You sometimes speak of publications, not mentioned in Griswold, for which Poe wrote. I should like to get the names of said publications & particulars of what he did for them. Reviews, editing, or what? What did he write for the American Metropolitan, for instance? Mr. Gowans’ “Recollections” I must get — they will fill a gap in the life. Do you know what Miss Royster's (i.e., Mrs. Shelton's) Christian name was? May I make use of Mrs. Ritchie's information? Do you know anything of Dr. Shelton Mackenzie, whose unfavourable opinion of Griswold is given in Allibone? W. R. Wallace's Literary Criticisms may be in your institution — he speaks of Poe, and probably favorably, as Poe spoke highly of him in the “Literati.” When did Mr. Pabodie first make Poe's acquaintance? Is he alive & if so, could and would he give a few words of reminiscence? You, I rely upon to do so for the book. I shall try & submit proof sheets to you when I go to print. Do you know Baudelaire's exalted critiques on Poe? B[audelaire] spent several years of his life in making Poe's works known in France. Do you know anything of Mrs. M. St. Leon Loud (née Barstow) or of her connection with Poe? In E.P. & His Critics you quote a notice of Willis on the illustrated poems of Poe. I do not know [page 81:] it. The Home Journal I cannot get here — does the notice give any reminiscence or allusion to Poe's life? Amongst your letters I see you had one alluding to the English libel suit. I should be thankful for copies of any parts you would allow me to see, but would not ask you to send me the originals, after the unaccountable non-arrival of your much-looked-for book. I shall not send anything valuable without registering. Can you think of anyone likely to have letters from Poe from whom I might ask for copies? I live in hopes of getting much from the South shortly. I shall be anxious to hear from Mr. Clarke. I fancy he knows more & can give more information about Poe's early & middle period of life than anyone. If he has sold his facts to Mr. Gill, I should think that gentleman would dispose of copies to me. I don’t want originals & should not interfere with his elocutionary projects. He appears to me, from your letters, well meaning, but careless thro’ press of other matters. Is not that your opinion? As for Mr. Stoddard, I think his paper as bad almost as Griswold's “Memoir.” On rereading your first letter, I perceived that only Mr. Pabodie's first letter was printed: you will see that I was careful in my “New Facts” No. 2 not to commit myself. What do you think of “New Facts”? Every letter I write to America I send a copy with it. You I have sent three. In a subscription I am trying to raise for Miss R. M. Poe, I have found “New Facts” useful because they are quite new in England. I have sent away some dozen of them already.

 

My dear Mrs. Whitman,

Yours of the 3rd Instant just arrived with the cuttings — some of which seem very useful. Mr. Gowans’ are good, but not so valuable as those recorded in Mr. Latto's letter, but each separate paper of real personal evidence shall be made use of. The paper on Willis in the Northern Monthly, Jany. 1868, is very good for our purpose. Can you not give me the writer's name?(1) It would be invaluable: he styles himself a publisher, & as having given a gold medal prize for a poem in 1826! Is he alive, think you? He says Poe was associated with him in the editorial conduct of a paper previous to his introduction to Messrs. Morris & Willis — that is to say before 1845. Then, as you have deeply scored, he adds, “I published a life of Mr. Poe, with a portrait from a daguerreotype,” &c. This is most important. The author's name would be a clue to get the book, in all probability, & then what evidence may await us! I will try & ascertain if the Northern Monthly is alive & write its editor for name of author of this paper on Willis — & may I trouble you to do your best for me? I am ashamed of throwing so much on you, but hope to repay your labours by the production of such a life of our hero as even you shall be satisfied with. Poe's fame is yearly increasing, whilst that of nearly all his contemporaries in the States is [page 82:] gradually fading. In a century, it requires no prophet to foretell, whilst Edgar Poe's name & fame will have made him a star of the first magnitude, the other writers of his generation will have gone down below the horizon. I do not mean that Bryant, Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne, & one or two others will not be remembered but, save the last, they will be emphatically of the past. This is not my own sole opinion, but the prevalent idea of “the coming men.”

As for Horne's “Orion” — whose farthing (1/2 cent?) edition of the poem I have — his epic is slowly regaining its forgotten fame — its author is again in England & recently republished “Orion” at — fancy — three dollars. I was writing to him a day or two ago at the suggestion of Mr. Swinburne, who alluded to Poe's eulogy on the poem, to ask him to help me on behalf of Miss Poe. How the whirligig of time veers round!

En passant, Mr. Gowans’ reminiscences include a few lines on Howard Payne, of whom I mean to write a short sketch some day to vindicate his claim to “Home Sweet Home,” but he was not much as a poet & must wait.

As to Mr. Savage's paper in the Democratic: he must be an Irishman — there is no doubt of that. There are just a few scraps of information, but only a few, not in Griswold & those are the same as some of Thomas Powell's life in The Living Authors of America.

Do you know anything of Mangan's writings? Mr. Savage repeats his countryman Mitchell's absurd theory that Mangan was as good a poet as Poe. I need scarcely say that that is utterly absurd. Not one literary man in a thousand, in England, knows Mangan's name, and, need I remark, no amount of literary prejudice would create that amount of ignorance if the poems, after having appeared in widely circulated publications, as Mangan's have, were valuable. My acquaintance with the poetic literature of Europe is most extensive &, therefore, I have read the works of James Clarence Mangan, published with “Memoir” in New York; & his Anthologia Germania, published in Ireland; & his Poets of Munster, & some few stray pieces not included in the above.(2) About three months ago I wrote a sketch of Mangan's life, including one or two of the best peoms I could find of his. I offered it to Temple Bar, but they said they did not think the subject suitable, & they accepted my paper on Edgar Poe before it was written! Of course that does not prove anything. Publishers & their advisers are often bad judges, but in this case I think they would have the true connoisseurs with them. As for Poe copying Mangan's style of poetry, does bright Hesperus extract its silver beams from a gasjet? What I have said proves that Mangan's style is not “well known in the British Isles.” I have utterly failed to discover in all our English publications more than two allusions to him; one, a very severe notice of his German [page 83:] Anthology, when it appeared, & a reprinted poem in Carpenter's Penny Readings, in the usual short biographical sketch appended to which it is stated that Mangan is alive & holds a government appointment in Newcastle! So much for the poor fellow's fame! He died in 1849 & never was in England. I have spoken to several well-educated Irishmen about him & they have never heard of him & will have that I must mean Dr. Wm. Maginn, a much more talented man.(3) See Dr. Shelton Mackenzie's sketch of him, reviewed in Knickerbocker for 1857. When I publish my sketch of Mangan you shall see it. But there, enough of that! I do get annoyed that literary men will talk such humbug!

To return to Mr. Savage's paper: he states that Poe wrote a work on “Phases of American Literature.” Have you ever heard of it? I have not. Mr. M. A. Daly is his authority. Do you know anything of that Irish-named gentleman? What could have become of Poe's MSS.? He must have left a large quantity. Mrs. Clemm probably had them but must have disposed of them to some one. Oh, if Poe had only left a child to defend his fame & preserve his writings! Were I not stuck like a limpet on “our old home,” I should have visited America long ere this, chiefly to gain all the information I could about Poe & his works but for the fist of Fate. My annual leave of absence cannot be expanded into more than five weeks, but I hope in course of a year or so to get some chance of visiting you. Meanwhile, my book shall appear & if anything valuable “turns up” subsequently I can use it in a later edition.

For the present, then my dear Mrs. Whitman, gratefully & faithfully, I am yours,

P.S. Can you give me any idea of the charge for a few advertisements in good, well-circulated American papers for information & copies of Poe's letters? You doubt Mr. Gowans’ remark about Poe being engaged on A. G. Pym at the time he knew Poe. Have you any reason for so doing? A portion of it appeared in S. Lit. Messenger in Jany. & Feby. 1837. Early in 1838 Poe was in New York & in June (?) 1838 Harper's published the complete work. Who did write that paper on Willis? I must learn. The medical extract you include must be the one which my doctor told me a few days ago first introduced the name of Poe to him! About Graham's Magazine — have told you in this letter the dates of most importance, but it will be useful if it can be shewn that the 4-vol. edition with notice of Poe by Lowell contained any really important “alterations & omissions,” or, indeed, any great deviations, either in story of life, or estimate of genius to the paper in Graham's of Feby. 1845. In the spring of 1843 Poe obtained the 100 dollar prize for “The Gold Bug,” given by the Dollar Magazine. Do you know anything of that publication, or where it appeared?(4) [page 84:]

I throw out all these hints, as perhaps one may give a clue to you to something new. My skeleton framework of a memoir is gradually filling in. “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” was published in November 1842. Was it in Graham's?(5) If so, another disproof of Griswold is made. Oh, for Mr. Graham's letter! So often spoken of. Mr. G. R. Graham — entre nous — went to the bad & died of destitution.(6) “The Purloined Letter” followed soon after — was that in Graham's!(7) Did you know the Columbian Magazine? Previous to Nov. 1845 “Mesmeric Revelation” appeared in that.(8) Do you think Mr. Stoddard correct in saying that Poe only got ten dollars for “The Raven”?! Is the Life alluded to by writer on Willis the “autobiography” mentioned by Allibone & spoken of by Griswold? I fancy it may be.

I greatly fear your sight has suffered through writing so much lately; if it be so, at all risks discontinue for a time, although by so doing you deprive me of so much pleasure, as well as valuable information. Perhaps you can get some young friend to help you. I am grieved at the non-arrival of your poems. Poe's autograph letter shall be registered when returned — for goodness sake do not trust another to the mercies of the post, but only send copies. Yours ever,

I am going over some old Baltimore papers in hopes of proving date of Poe's birth, but fear that is lost labour.

 

1. “The Late N. P. Willis, and Literary Men Forty Years Ago,” Northern Monthly Magazine, 2 (Jan. 1868), 234-42. Item 544 in the Ingram Poe Collection. The author of this article quotes from Willis’ writings sentences that reveal his working relationship with and his respect for Poe. In letters ahead Ingram will write that he believes the author to be Thomas C. Clarke, a statement disputed by the late Professor T. O. Mabbott who, in 1965, filed a letter with this item in the Ingram Poe Collection, stating his belief that Ingram and Miller were both wrong, that Maj. Mordacai M. Noah (1785-1851) was the author. Professor Mabbott did not, however, attempt to account for the fact that seventeen years passed after the Major Noah's death before this article was published. Perhaps, too, he forgot that my job in preparing the bibliographical calendar of the Ingram Poe Collection was to report the materials in the collection.

2. James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849), The Works of ... Biographical Introduction by John Mitchell (New York: P. M. Haverty, 1859); Anthologia Germania (Dublin: W. Curry, Jr. & Co., 1845); The Poets and Poetry of Munster (Dublin: J. O’Daly, 1849).

3. Dr. William Maginn (1793-1842), poet, journalist, founder in 1830 of Fraser's Magazine.

4. The Dollar Magazine was published in New York, with N. P., as one of the editors, from Jan. 1841 to Dec. 1842.

5. Poe's “Mystery of Marie Rogêt” was first printed in Snowden's Ladies Companion, Nov. and Dec. 1842, Feb. 1843.

6. George Rex Graham (1813-1894) was editor, publisher, and owner of Graham's Magazine in Philadelphia. He was Poe's employer and longtime good friend during Poe's lifetime; after Poe's death he published in his magazine, Mar. 1850, a long letter to N. P. Willis in defense of Poe. In the letters ahead Ingram and Mrs. Whitman will refer [page 85:] many times to Graham's death; as they were writing, Graham had nearly twenty more years to live.

7. “The Purloined Letter” appeared first in The Gift for 1845.

8. “Mesmeric Revelation” had appeared in the Columbian: Household Monthly, Aug. 1844.