Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson — about October–November 1847
Poe asks Bronson whether a poem meets his requirements and invites him and his daughter to Fordham. The preserved object also contains M. E. LeDuc’s later account. Read the locally hosted manuscript images and searchable letter text.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
Original publication
Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson — about October–November 1847
Date
1847-10/1847-11
Credits
Edgar Allan Poe; Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin (source images)
Published in
Fordham, New York
Where to find it
4 source images; 1 Poe letter
Reference collection
Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Collection reference
PS 2605 A1 1901b copy 2
Checklist identity, source metadata, date, recipient, signature, complete supplied views and file hashes checked. No matching individual document found in existing holdings. Modern source commentary excluded.
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File / copy authenticity
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Transcription / extraction
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All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
Compare reading text with the preserved source. Line breaks and spacing are retained; long lines wrap to fit the screen. A file's role does not establish that its text has been checked.
Checked letter reading text
Reading transcription · Review label: Known limitations
Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson — about October–November 1847
All four repository images are preserved. The first shows Poe’s letter and address; the other three show M. E. LeDuc’s accompanying November 1888 account and endorsement. These later pages are retained as provenance evidence, not attributed to Poe. Only Poe’s letter is transcribed. Poe wrote “Monday”; “June 1847” is an annotation in another hand. The repository and scholarly checklist prefer about October–November 1847, while retaining the conflicting June date. The poem is identified as Ulalume by the scholarly source, not named in the letter. The later account contains historical claims that have not been independently verified. The reading was checked against the visible handwritten letter, with comparison to the Poe Society transcription. Line breaks and superscripts are simplified; this is a reading text rather than a diplomatic transcription. The scans remain authoritative for punctuation, cancellations and layout.
Monday —
My dear Sir,
I am anxious to see you for many reasons — not the least of which is that I have not seen you for so long a time — but among other things, I wish to ascertain if the poem which, at your suggestion, I have written, is of the lenth, the character &c. you desire: — if not, I will write another and dispose of this one to Mrs Kirkland. Cannot Miss Bronson and yourself, [erasure], pay us a visit at Fordham — say this afternoon or tomorrow?
Truly your friend Poe
“Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson — about October–November 1847.” 1847-10/1847-11. Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson — about October–November 1847. Crypt of Echoes evidence ID LED-2026-9e7b57cc4fae48189ac403e731697d6a. https://cryptofechoes.com/evidence/LED-2026-9e7b57cc4fae48189ac403e731697d6a. Accessed [date].
Catalogue citation: Edgar Allan Poe to Cotesworth P. Bronson, about October–November 1847. RCL-688a. Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin; PS 2605 A1 1901b copy 2.
The Harry Ransom Center identifies the supplied object as No Copyright - United States (NoC-US). Poe’s letter was printed in the Home Journal, July 21, 1860. Credit: Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. Images are unchanged.
