E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore

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Text: Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — June 28, 1830

West Point
June 28^th

    Dear Pa,

    I take the very first opportunity which I have had since arriving here of acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 21^rst May inclosing a U. S. note for $20[.] I received it 3 days ago — it has been lying some time in the W. P. post office where it was forwarded from Balt^o by Henry. As to what you say about the books &c I have taken nothing except what I considered my own property.

    Upon arriving here I delivered my letters of recommⁿ & was very politely received by Capⁿ Hitchcock & M^r Ross — The examination for admission is just over — a great many cadets of good family &c have been rejected as deficient. Among these was Peyton Giles son of the Governor — James D Brown, son of Jas Brown J^r has also been dismissed for deficiency after staying here 3 years. I find that I will possess many advantages & shall endeavor to improve them. Of 130 Cadets appointed every year only 30 or 35 ever graduate — the rest being dismissed for bad conduct or deficiency [—] the Regulations are rigid in the extreme. [page 2:]

    Please present my respects to M^r and M^rs Jas: Galt, Miss Valentine & Miss Carter.

I remain
respectfully & truly
Yours
Edgar A Poe

I will be much pleased if you will answer this letter.

I am in camp at present — my tent mates are Read [[sic]] & Henderson (nephew of Major Eaton) & Stockton of Phila

Notes:

This letter is printed here with permission from the Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia. A photographic facsimile of this letter was published in Mary Newton Stannard, Edgar Allan Poe Letters Till Now Unpublished in the Valentine Museum Richmond, Virginia, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1925.

[S:1 - MS, 1830]