The times., 1899-12-10
PoE's ARMY EXPERIENCE.
Interesting Record OF the Authors
Military Service.
Fram che New York Jowall


Military Service.
Orom the New York J5ural)
Il is surprising that a character so brill
liantly erratic and so little ameEsbIe tc
discipline as the poet Edgar Allan Pos
| should have on two occasions voluntarily
! bound himself to the stern mouotouy of
military service. These two episodes are
| briefly touched upon in the several uusat-
iSfactory efforts TO write the life of Poe
but new light is thrown upon thz poets
| military service by a discovery recently
made in the Rolls Bureau Of the War De
I partment by one Of the clerks.
The bulky age-yellowod tome which was
! brought TO light from musty corner. pre-
serving the names Of several thousand en-
listments in the American army during the
period following the war of 1872 was found
to contain data showing that the au,hor OF
! The Raven and "Aunabel Lee" served as
q private and later as sergeant major in
the First United States Artillery from the
spring OF 1927 until the middle Of April.
1929. when nc secured an honorable dis
charge by furnishing an acceptable substi-
tute.
He gave an assumed name when he ap-
piled at the recruiting station in Boston
having used ms own initials. E A. P
upon which he built a fictitious surname
-
in the minds Of the people by reason of the
splendid achievements of Commodore Perry
in the battle of Lake Erie
The poet was enrolled as Edgar Allen
Perry. This is TO be found very legibly
written in copperplate script in the res
urrected enrolment book and extended
across two large pages on a single line is
to be seen the following data opposite the
enlistment number (Z96l on page 153.
Edgar A. Perry, private. feet S inches
( nigh; twenty-five years Old; born in BOs-
ton, Mass; gray eyes. brown hair gair
complexion; occupation. clerk; enlisted By
Lieut. II. Griswold May IS, 1921 for hve
years; Company Fl, First Artillery; trans
ferred to non commissioned staff and dis
charged April 15, 1929. Substituted
Marginal numbers refer to the discharge
papers, which were found in another dle.
and contain the following annexation oppo-
site the name Perry (PCe).
Discharged April 10. by special order
No. 2S. Department OF the East dated April
4. 1929, on furnishing an acceptable sub=ti-
tute."
The document contains the information
that the discharge occurred at Fort Mon
roe. and that Poe was sergeant major at
the time.
Further investigation has brought to
/
to POe's service in the army and mis- en-
trance Unto he Military Academy 1T West
Point, July +, 1853. He then gave his cor
rect name. Edgar Allen Poe. and his age
as nineteen years and five months. It is
surmised tEst he declared himself young
er than was through fear that he might he
considered too old to be received as a "a
det if his real age was known. He s
discharged from West Point March 8. 1s.a
having been court maTtialed.
Among the papers is a brief memoran-
! dun prepared during the time Robert Lin
( coin was Secretary of War when it appears
that Poe's military record was sought by
/ interested parties:
( Edgar Allan (POel Perry enlisted at
Boston Mass, May 26 1927. in Battery
H. First Artillery. then stationed at Fort
independence, Boston Harbor The battery
changed station under date OF October 81
1921 to Fort Monroe, Moultrie. s c.. and
remained there until April 81, 1928 when
it changed TO Fort Monroe, Va. While
stationed at Fort Monroe. Perry served
( as an aTtificer from May l. 1928. to the
date cf his appointment as sergeant major
January 1, 1929 On the muster roll Of the
battery. dated February 2S 1923 he is re-
ported present for duty at Fort Monroe.
Va and on the next roll OF the battery is
reported discharged April Is. 1929. by sub
Eastern Department dated April p 1929
At date of enlistment May %. 1920. Per
ry gave his age as twenty-five years. He
was admitted tc the Military Academy
July l. 1880, and discharged March g. 1881
! by sentence OF court-martial per Military
Academy order No. T. Engineer Depart
ment dated February S 1881"
The reference in the memorandum con-
ccruing the presence of Poe at roll call on
the morning Of February 2S. 1929. is due
/ to the fact that during research into the
records while Secretary Lincoln was at
the head Of the department, it was aIleg-
ed that Poe had disappeared from the fort
February 81 and was absent until March
,, on a claudestine visit TO his patron. The
muster rolls clearly show that such a
movement was very unlikely.
The manner i'm which il was ascert8iued
Jhat the Perry who served in the army
was one and the same with the genius who
afterward moved the literary world with
his peculiar style and spirit is tod in
third paper. which is written in the hand
( OF the Adjutaut General under Secretary
/ Lincoln, and is C0u2tersigued by the latter
/ The paper says in part.
1t appears in records OF this Office that
Edgar Allan Poe was admitted to the Nj j.
( tary Academy July 1, 1880, and dismissed
March s. 1881. The papers upon which he
was appointed cadet show that he s=rv-
/ in Battery H. First Artillery. and as ser
geant major. Fifth Artillery. The name
( Edgar Allan Poe does not appear at all on
/ the records of the First Artillery, bIt the
name Edgar A. Perry is borne, who en-
listed May % 1927 was assigLeI to Bat
terry II, First Artillery, appointed sergeant
major First Artillery, and discharged April
/ l5 1929 by substitute, a sergeant major.
The Life of Freight Cars.