The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-06
LETTERS RELATING
TO POE'S EARLY LIFE
found Among the E1lis-Allan Papers
in the Library of Congress
at Washington.
at Washington.


81. II. Witty, of Richmond, Va, in
New York Evening Post.)
New and important letters touching
the early life Of Edgar Allan Poe have
come to light in the Library Of Con-
gress. They are among the Ellis-Al-
Ian papers, a collection Of some 442
portfolios and volumes of office books,
and letters Of an I'D Richmond. Va,
firm. The dates run from 1895 to
1889. John Allan, Poe's foster-fath-
er, was a m of the firm. Poe
was also employed there in 1927, but
doubtless received his sole pay in
board and lodgings from Allan.
A letter from Poe's aunt, Eliza Poe.
dated baltimore, February 8, 1913,
about two years after he had been
taken into the Allan. family, is ad-
dressed to Mrs. Allan. asking about
the welfare Of Edgar. A previous let
ter had met with no response. 1t
should seem that up to that date
there had been no intercourse be-
tween the two families Eliza Poe af-
forwards married Henry Herring. 1t
was her daughter, and Poe'S cousin,
Elizabeth Herring. TO whom Poe
made love and wrote verses about the
Year 1929.
John Allan wrote a letter to Poe's
brother. William Henry Poe, dated
November /, 1924, but did not de-
stroy the copy. At that date Poe was
fifteen years old, a member Of the Ju-
Nior Morgan Tifeman. and very like
~ knew something of the town. In
this letter Allan wrote: II have just
seen yOur letter of the 25th nit. to
Edgar. and ! am much afflicted that
he has not written YOU. He has had
little else to do for me he does moth
ing x seems quite miserable, Suiky
& ill-tempered to all the Family
How We have acted to produce
this is beyond my conception why |
have put up so long with his conduct
is little less wonderful. The boy pos
sesses not d spark of affection for US,
not a particle of gratitude for all my
care and kindness towards him. l
have given him Il much superior Edu-
cation than ever | received myself
| fear his associates have led
him to adopt a line of thinking &
acting very contrary to what he pos
ScSSed when in England"
Allan seems to have been watchful
OF POeS actions, and to nave read his
letters. Surely, the strife between
the two which was to end in Poe's
had now started. Mrs. Allan was sus-
picious Of her husband. and not with
out cause. Most likely Poe kept her
informed of some of Allan's secret
movements. When Poe's mother died
in Richmond, Allan took charge of
the few family trinkets and a packet
of letters. Several Of these letters
were always supposed to have told the
story Of q skeleton in the Poe family
closet. Allan gave these effects to
Poe, but as he was addicted to read
ing letters. he probably knew the
contents Of the entire packet. Mrs
Clemm. POe'S mOther-in-laW. AND
aunt, later on had possession Of sew
cral of the letters, which she de
stroyed just before her death. She
spoke Of a dark Poe family secret
and left the impression that by hel
work all knowledge Of this was nov
hlotted out. Perhaps Allan wished
Poe to feel that he held this family
secret. In any event. there also ap.
pears in his letter to Poe's brother
the following: At least she (Rosali'
Poe) is half your sister, and God for
bid dear Henry that we should ViSi
upon the living the errors and frail
ties of the dead" Here the secret i
evidently told for the first time. Poe
brother pretended to +. w. Tnoma
that he did not know what had be
come Of his father, but an attorney o
the family stated to Thomas tina
David Poe deserted his family in New
York. 1t now seems a question
whether this charge Of Allan's wa
the cause for Poe's alleged desertion
Poe's brother also stated to +. w
Thomas that the cause for Edgar
leaving Allan was a quarrel about tn
pittance Of money he was receiving
This is now ~ubstantiate Two let
tiers to Allan from George w. Spots
wood from the University Of Virginl
are in evidence asking for pay for us
Of his Servant-POe not having, wha
other students had, a servant to loo
after his room. There is also a Char
lottesville, Va, tailor bill from Samue
Ieitch. which never seems to haV
been paid. An interesting letter t
Poe is one from a friend named Ed
ward G. Crump. 1t is dated March 2!
1927, and shows that Poe was in f
nancial straits. The letter was ev,
IDENTIFY received by Ellis & ALA
after Poe had left Richmond on h
sea voyage. It is addressed to PO'
49, $1,000 tho haoi urQhah