Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud — September 18, 1849
Read Edgar Allan Poe’s September 18, 1849 letter to poet Marguerite St. Leon Loud about her proposed book and a visit to Philadelphia. Complete local reading, including the postal address, checked against the museum manuscript.
Independent local reading of the complete signed letter and postal address displayed by the Poe Museum, object 1026 (online record 612, images 5066 and 5067). The manuscript date reads Sep. 18 — 49; September 18 is also the date in the museum catalogue and correspondence checklist RCL-827a. Poe discusses a proposed poetry volume and a visit to Philadelphia. The mention of September 26 concerns his intended visit, not the letter date. Punctuation and line wrapping are normalized. The abbreviated closing means Most respectfully, your obedient servant. Faint later notes on the address face are not transcribed. Public text only; no locally held facsimile or poem collection is claimed.
Original publication
Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud — September 18, 1849
Date
1849-09-18
Credits
Edgar Allan Poe; Crypt of Echoes (independent reading)
Published in
Richmond, Virginia
Where to find it
1 letter face and 1 address face represented in reading
Reference collection
The Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia
Collection reference
1026; online object 612; RCL-827a
Manuscript date, place, recipient, full body, signature and postal address visually inspected. Catalogue key, date/correspondent and published-text overlap checked.
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Complete local reading — Poe to Loud, September 18, 1849
Independent local reading of the complete signed letter and postal address displayed by the Poe Museum, object 1026 (online record 612, images 5066 and 5067). The manuscript date reads Sep. 18 — 49; September 18 is also the date in the museum catalogue and correspondence checklist RCL-827a. Poe discusses a proposed poetry volume and a visit to Philadelphia. The mention of September 26 concerns his intended visit, not the letter date. Punctuation and line wrapping are normalized. The abbreviated closing means Most respectfully, your obedient servant. Faint later notes on the address face are not transcribed. Public text only; no locally held facsimile or poem collection is claimed.
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.
Complete local reading — Poe to Loud, September 18, 1849
Reading transcription · Review label: Known limitations
Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud — September 18, 1849
Independent local reading of the complete signed letter and postal address displayed by the Poe Museum, object 1026 (online record 612, images 5066 and 5067). The manuscript date reads Sep. 18 — 49; September 18 is also the date in the museum catalogue and correspondence checklist RCL-827a. Poe discusses a proposed poetry volume and a visit to Philadelphia. The mention of September 26 concerns his intended visit, not the letter date. Punctuation and line wrapping are normalized. The abbreviated closing means Most respectfully, your obedient servant. Faint later notes on the address face are not transcribed. Public text only; no locally held facsimile or poem collection is claimed.
Richmond.
Sep. 18 — 49.
Mrs. M. St. Leon Loud,
Dear Madam,
Not being quite sure whether a letter addressed simply to Mr John Loud would reach your husband — not to say not remembering whether he had a middle name or not — I have taken the liberty of writing directly to yourself, in regard to a proposition which he made me while here; having reference to your Poems.
It was my purpose and hope to have been in Philadelphia by the 7th of this month; but circumstances beyond my control have detained me; and I write now to say that I find it impossible to leave Richmond before Tuesday next — the 25th. On the 26th I hope to have the pleasure of calling on you at your residence in Philadelphia.
There will be quite time enough to have your book issued as proposed: — but should this unavoidable delay on my part have caused you to change your views in any respect, may I beg of you the favor to let me know, by return of mail, if convenient? Under any circumstances I should, of course, feel honored in receiving a letter from you.
Most Respy Yr. Ob. St.
Edgar A. Poe.
[Address face]
Mrs. M. St. Leon Loud
Care of Mr. John Loud
Philadelphia
Pa.
Source: The Poe Museum, online object 612, catalogue number 1026, images 5066 and 5067. Checklist RCL-827a. Reading visually checked November 8, 2026.
“Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud — September 18, 1849.” 1849-09-18. Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud — September 18, 1849. Crypt of Echoes evidence ID LED-2026-efc4b97566344a13b4350e71fe8e6771. https://cryptofechoes.com/evidence/LED-2026-efc4b97566344a13b4350e71fe8e6771. Accessed [date].
Catalogue citation: Edgar Allan Poe to Marguerite St. Leon Loud, Richmond, September 18, 1849. The Poe Museum, object 1026, online object 612, images 5066 and 5067. Correspondence checklist RCL-827a. Manuscript, museum record and checklist agree on September 18; September 26 in the letter is a proposed visit.
Underlying 1849 manuscript by Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849); independent visual reading prepared by Crypt of Echoes. Source credit: The Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia, object 1026. The museum’s modern catalogue commentary and photographs, and modern edited letter editions, are not redistributed.
