Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1829-06-25

Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1829-06-25 Historical letter date: 1829-06-25. Source edition: Mary Newton Stanard, Edgar Allan Poe Letters Till Now Unpublished, 1925, letter thirteen. This is repository machine OCR of the printed transcription; spelling and recognition errors remain. Consult the accompanying local scan excerpt and manuscript facsimile. [Source scan page 175] LETTER NUMBER THIRTEEN Baltimore June 25 1829 Dear Pa, I wrote you on the io th of June in reply to yours of the 8^ in which I urged my reasons in further support of my request to he allowed to publish a poem & I did intend, but forgot to say, in conclusion, that as I had submitted the question of its being expedient to your decision I should by no means publish it without your approbation I say this now, because I fear from your silence that I have offended you in pressing my re- queft any farther. The poem is now in the hands of Carey, Lea & Carey and I am only waiting for your answ r er to withdraw it or not It was my wish immediately upon receiving your letter to return home thro' Washington & ascertain the fate of my application ^ which I am induced to think has succeeded as there were, I understand several reje<5led This I will do immediately upon hearing from you, In whatever errors I may have been led into, I would beg you to judge me impartially & to believe that I have a&ed from the single motive of trying to do something for myself & with your assistance I truft I may I have left untried no efforts to enter at W. Point & if I fail I can give you evidence that it is no fault of mine but I hope to succeed 145 [Source scan page 176] 146 EDGAR ALLAN POE LETTERS I am afraid you will think that I am trying to impose on your good nature & would not except under peculiar circumstances have applied to you for any more money hut it is only a little that I now want. I will explain the matter clearly _ robbed me at Beltzhoover's Hotel while I was asleep in the same room with him of all the money I had with me (about 46$) of which I recovered $ IO hy searching his pockets the ensuing night, when he acknowledged the theft I have been endeavouring in vain to obtain the balance from him he says he has not got it & begs me not to expose him & for his wife's sake I will not. I have a letter from him referring to the subject, which I will show you on arriving in Richmond. I have been moderate in my expences & $50 of the money which you sent me I applied in paying a debt contraded at Old Point for my substitute, for which I gave my note the money necessary if L* Howard had not gone on furlough would have been only 1 2$ as a bounty but when he & Col: House left I had to scuffle for myself I paid $25 & gave my note for $50 in all 75$. Since I have been in Baltimore I have learnt some- thing concerning my descent which would have, I am afraid, no very favourable effe6t if known to the War Dep* viz : that I am the grandson of General Benedict Arnold but this there will be no necessity of telling [Source scan page 177] LETTER NUMBER THIRTEEN 147 CT no W g > < 3 a N> ,? oc K) Give my heft love to all my friends I hope you will give me a favourable answer concerning my poem tho' I will ftridtly abide by your decision I am yours affedtll E. A. POE