The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-02-16
Biographical. =,
E. A. POE'S DEATH AND BURIAL.

per IA spirited little monthly, edited by Mrs.
Mary c. Vaughan) gives the following state
mcnt by DR.. Snodgrass, formerly of Balti-
morc-where Mr.. Poe entered the spirit
world
On chilly and wet November afternoon,
| received note, stating that "a man, an
swering to the name of Edgar Allan Poe, -
| who claimed to know me, was at a drinking
house in Lombard street, Baltimore, in a
state ofdcep intoxcation ard great dcsttu-
ton. | repaired Immediately to the spot
1t was an election day. When entered the
bar-room of the house, instantly recognized
the face of one whom had often seen and
knew well, although it wore an aspect of va
cant stupidity which made me shuddef.-
| The intellectual flash fhis eye had vanished.
or rather had been quenched in the bowl;
hut the broad, capacous forehead of the
author of THE Raven" as you have appro-
priately designated him, was still there, with
width, in the region of ldealty, such as
few men have ever possessed. But perhaps
| would not have so readily recognized him,
had not been notified of his apparel. His
hat-or rather the hat of somebody else, for
he had evidently been robbed of his clothing,
or cheated lii an exchange-was a cheap
palmleaf one, without band, and soiled;
his coat of commoncst alpaca, and evidently
''second hand;" and his pants of grey mixed
cashmere, dingy and badly fitting. lie wore
neither vest nor neckcloth, if | remember
Alright while his shirt was sadly crumplcd
and soilcd. lie was so utterly stupiied with
liquor, that thought it best not to seek re.
cognition or conversation, especially as he
was surrounded by crowd of drinking men
actuated by idle curiosity rather than sym.
path. l Immediately ordered room for him
where he could he comfortable until | got
word to his rclativcs-for there were several
in Baltimore. just at that moment one o,
two of the persons referred to, getting infor-
nation of the case, arrived at the spot. They
declined TO take private care of him. assign
ing, as a reason, that he had been every
abusive and unglatcful on former occasions,
when drunk" and advised that he be sent
to hospital. lie was accordingly placed in
a COACH and conveyed to the Washington
College Hospital, and placed under the care
of the competent and attentive resident phys.
ican of that institution. So inscnsble was
he, that we had to carry him to the carriage
as if a corpsc. The muscles of articulation
seemed paralyzcd to spcechlcssness, and
mere incohcrent muttcrings were all that
were heard.
lie died in the hospital, after some three or
four days, during which time he enjoyed
only occasional and f,ful seasons of con-
seriousness. His disease, as will have been
anticipated. was mania a pofu-a disease
whose finale is always fearful in its maniacal
manifestations. In one of his more lucid
moments, when asked by the physician
whether he would like to see his friends, he
exclaimed: Friend My best friend would
be he who would take pistol and blow out
my brains, and thus relieve me of my agony -
These were among his last words.
So much for the manner of the death of
Edgar A. Poe. 1t has not been called forth
by anything in your "Womcn's Temperance
Paper but in other papers that have pub.
hlishcd a statement limiting that he had died
"by his own hand"
Now for the manner of his burial:
The remains ofthc author of The Raven"
do not 'lie moldering in n corner of the Pot
tcr's Field at Baltimore. The truth. as |
remarked, is bad enough, and discrcditable
enough to his relatives, not 10 say the city
where he died. lie was inferred in an old
Presbyterian burying ground in Green street
which has not been much used for many
years. On a portion of il church has since
been erected, butnot over his grave. In the
rcmoval of the dead, which will sooner or
later take place, it is quite probable the
bones of "Poor Poe" will be collected among
the remains of the fricndless and the un
known, and removed beyond recognition, for
nothing but couple of pine boards We're
placed at his grave, in lieu of grave-s stones
But, worse than this, and far more dscredit.
able to relate, there were no planks placed
over the coffin, as is usual in all ''deccn,
burials,' and the earth was thrown directly
upon it.
This was most narrowing circumstance
to my feelings. The impression Of it has
never been erased from my memory. Even
now, as write this hurried letter, seem tc
hear the clods rafting upon that unprotected
coffin, in contc,npti,ous derision of the tran.
sccndcnt genius Of its occupant! 1t must
have been equally so to the two relatives, III,
single other attcndent, besides the officiating
clergyman, who was himself relative of tho
deceased, and who. with the undertaken, tn.
two coachmcn and myself, made up the en-.
tire funeral coricge.