Seine Autobiographie

memo. Born January 1811 . Family one of the oldest and most respectable in Baltimore. David Poe, my paternal grandfather, was a quarter-master general, in the Maryland line, during the Revolution, and the inti- mate friend of Lafayette, who, during his visit to the U.S., called personally upon the Gen's widow and tendered her his warmest acknowledgements for the services rendered him by her husband. His father, John Poe married, in England, Jane a daughter of Admiral James McBride, noted in British naval history, and claim- ing kindred with many of the most illustrious houses of Great Britain. My father and mother died within a few years of each other, of consumption, leaving me an orphan at 2 years of age. Mr. John Allan, a very wealthy gentleman of Richmond Va, took a fancy to me, and persuaded my grandfather, Gen. Poe, to (nicht lesbar= suffer?) him to adopt me. Was brought up in Mr. A's family, and regarded always as his son and heir -- he having no other children. In 1816 went with Mr. A's family to G. Britain -- visited every portion of it -- went to school for 5 years to the Rev. Doctor Bransby, at Stoke Newington, then 4 miles from London. Returned to America in 1822. In 1825 went to the Jefferson University at Charlottesville, Va, where in 3 years I led a very dissipated life -- the college at that period being shamefully dissolute -- Dr Dunglison of Philadelphia, President. Took the first honors, however, and came home greatly in debt. Mr. A refused to pay some of the debts of honor and I ran away from home without a dollar on a Quixotic expedition to join the Greeks, then struggling for liberty. Failed in reaching Greece, but made my way to St Petersburg, in Russia. Got into many difficulties, but was extricated by the kindness of Mr. H. Middleton, the Am- erican consul at St. P. Came home safe in 1829, found Mrs. A. dead, and immediately went to West Point as a Cadet. In about 18 months afterwards Mr. A. married a second time (a Miss Patterson, a near rela- tive of Gen. Winfield Scott) -- he being then 65 years of age. Mrs. A and myself quarrelled, and he, siding with her, wrote me an angry letter, to which I replied in the same spirit. Soon afterwards he died, having had a son by Mrs. A. and, although leaving a vast property, bequeathed me nothing. The army does not suit a poor man -- so I left W. Point abruptly, and threw myself upon literature as a resource. I became first known to the literary world thus. A Baltimore weekly paper (The Visiter) offered two premiums -- one for best prose story, one for the best poem. The Committee awarded both to me and took occasion to insert in the journal a card, signed by themselves, in which I was very highly flattered. The Committee were John P. Kennedy (author of Horse-Shoe Robinson), J. H. B. Latrobe, and Dr. J. H. Miller. Soon after this I was invited by Mr. T. W. White proprietor of the South. Lit. Messenger, to edit it. Afterwards wrote for New York Review at the invitation of Dr Hawks and Professor Henry, its proprietors. Lately have written articles continuously for two British journals whose names I am not permitted to mention. In my engagement with Burton, it was not my design to let my name appear -- but he tricked me into it