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Wm. Graeff Jr.

Edgar A. Poe

GRAVES, SERGEANT SAMUEL “BULLY”

Text: Edgar Allan Poe to Sergeant Samuel “Bully” Graves — May 3, 1830

Richmond May 3d, 1830.

Dear Bully

I have just received your letter which is the first I have ever got from you — I suppose the reason of my not getting your other was that you directed to Washington — but I have not been there for some time — As to what you say about Downey Mr A (John Allan) very evidently misunderstood me, and I wish you to understand that I never sent any money by Downey whatsoever — Mr A is not very often sober — which accounts for it — I mentioned to him that I had seen Downey at Balto., as I did, & that I wished to send it on by him, but he did not intend going to the point.

I have tried to get the money for you from Mr A a dozen times — but he always shuffles me off — I have been very sorry that I have never had it in my power as yet to pay either you or St (Sergeant) Griffith — but altho’ appearances are very much against me, I think you know me sufficiently well to believe that I have no intention of keeping you out of your money — the very first opportunity, you shall have it (both of you) with interest & my best thanks for your kindness. — I told St (Sergeant) Benton why I never had it in my power — He will explain it.

I suppose some of the officers told you that I am a cadet — If you are, at any time, going to leave the point, write to W. Point (West Point) and let me know your station. You need be under no uneasiness about your money.

Give my respects to the company to St (Sergeant) Benton & wife & sister in la[w.]

I remain,

Yrs truly

E A Poe

remember me to Mrs Graves St (Sergeant) Hooper & Charley — Duke &c

GREELEY, HORACE

Edgar Allan Poe to Horace Greeley — February 21, 1847

New-York: Feb. 21 — 47,

My Dear Mr Greeley,

Enclosed is an editorial article which I cut from “The Tribune” of the 19th ult. When I first saw it I did not know you were in Washington and yet I said to myself —”this misrepresentation is not the work of Horace Greeley”.

The facts of my case are these: — In “Godey’s Magazine” I wrote a literary criticism having reference to T. D. English. The only thing in it which resembled a “personality,” was contained in these words — “I have no acquaintance, personally, with Mr English” — meaning, of course, as every body understood, that I wished to decline his acquaintance for the future. This, English retaliates by asserting under his own name, in the Mirror, that he holds my acknowledgment for a sum of money obtained under false presences, and by creating the impression on the public mind that I have been guilty of forgery. These charges (being false and, if false, easily shown to be so) could have been ventured upon by English only in the hope that on account of my illness and expected death, it would be impossible for me to reply to them at all. Their baseness is thus trebly aggravated by their cowardice. I sue; to redeem my character from these foul accusations. Of the obtaining money under false presences from E. not a shadow of proof is shown: — the “acknowledgment” is not forthcoming. The “forgery,,’ by reference to the very man who originated the charge, is shown to be totally, radically baseless. The jury returned a verdict in my favor — and the paragraphs enclosed are the comments of the “Tribune”!

You are a man, Mr Greeley — an honest and a generous man — or I should not venture to tell you so, and to your face; and as a man you must imagine what I feel at finding those paragraphs to my discredit going the rounds of the country, as the opinions of Horace Greeley. Every body supposes that you have said these things. The weight of your character — the general sense of your truth and love of justice — cause those few sentences (which in almost any other paper in America I would treat with contempt) to do me a vital injury — to wound and oppress me beyond measure. I therefore ask you to do me what justice you can find it in your heart to do under the circumstances. (over())

In the printed matter I have