The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1424]
Very truly & respectfully Yours
Edgar A. Poe
Edgar Allan Poe to John Neal — June 3, 1840
Philadelphia. June 4. (June 3.)
My Dear Sir
As you gave me the first jog in my literary career, you are in a measure bound to protect me & keep me rolling. I therefor now ask you to aid me with your influence, in whatever manner your experience shall suggest.
It strikes me that I never write you except to ask a favor, but my friend Thomas will assure you that I bear you always in mind — holding you in the highest respect and esteem.
Most truly yours
Edgar A Poe
John Neal Esqr
John Neal to Edgar Allan Poe — June 8, 1840
Portland, June 8, ‘40.
My dear Sir,
Yours of June 4, directed to New York, reached me but yesterday. I am glad to hear of your new enterprise and hope it may be all that you desire; but I cannot help you. I have done with the newspapers — have abandoned the journals — and have involved so many of my friends of late by becoming editor, or associate editor of so many different things for a few months at a time — and always against my will — that I haven’t the face to ask any person to subscribe for anything on earth.
But, as I have said before, I wish you success, and to prove it — allow me to caution you against a style which I observe to my great alarm is beginning to prevail at the South. You say “I will be pardoned,” for I shall be pardoned. “For assurance that I will fulfil” &c., for shall &c. Are you Irish — or have you associated much with the Irish — the well-educated Irish I mean? They always make this mistake, and the Scotch too sometimes; and you, I am persuaded, are either connected by blood or habits with the Irish of the South. Forgive me this liberty I pray you, and take it for granted that I should not complain of these two little errors, if I could find anything else to complain of.
Yours truly,
John Neal
NORRIS, JOHN SAURIN
Edgar Allan Poe to W. H. Carpenter, J. S. Norris, and James Burns — February 28, 1837
New York
Feb. 28, 1837.
Gentlemen,
Your letter of Janry 30 had but just reached me — having been forwarded from Richmond to this city.
It would give me the greatest pleasure to aid you in your design of a “Baltimore Book”, and I would be quite willing to forward an article by the 1rst April, if so late a period would answer. I am afraid my other engagements would not admit of my sending any thing at an earlier date.
I would like to be informed (by return of mail if possible) what number of pages will be open for me — also what will be the form &c of the book, and should like some hint of the nature of the article or articles desired, with any other particulars. In the meantime I will prepare something in case the theme should be left to my own choice.
Very resply
Gentlemen,
Yr. ob. st.
Edgar A. Poe.
Mess: {
W. H. Carpenter {
J. S. Norris {
James Burns {
NOURSE, SEMPLE AND THOMPSON
E. A. Poe to Nourse, Semple and Thompson - early September 1836]
Most respy
Gentlemen
Your Obt. St.
Edgar A. Poe.
[This fragment is all that was preserved when Dr. Maurice E. Wilson, as a 14 year old student, came across Poe's letter among the papers of the Franklin Literary Society in 1869. Unfortunately, he cut out Poe's signature and discarded the rest of the letter, the contents of which he recalled only as "thanking the Franklin Literary Society of Jefferson College for having elected him an honorary member." (Dr. Wilson's comments are recorded in an article by Ross Well, "Franklin Society of Jefferson Made Him Honorary Member," The Richmond Times Dispatch, October 6, 1935, p. 3) Although Dr. Wilson felt that the letter "must have been written between 1846 and 1849," the minutes of the Franklin Literary Society record a September 9, 1836 entry stating, "A. E. Poe (sic) Honorary member Nourse, Semple & Thompson Jr. com. --." In Poe's list