Text: John H. Ingram, “Edgar Allan Poe,” Academy (London, UK), whole no. 430, July 31, 1880, p. 83, col. 1

[page 83, column 1:]

EDGAR POE'S LIFE.

London: July 26, 1880.

Mr. Moncure D. Conway did me such friendly service in America when reviewing my 1874 Life of Poe that I am pained to differ from him now. But it is necessary. Misled by the New York Independent, which has considered it requisite to sustain its allegations against Poe by personal abuse of his would-be vindicator, Mr. Conway has ventured to question my data. He deems Poe could not have been born on January 19,1809, as stated by me, because Mr. Stoddard, in the Independent, avers that he “has found files of the Boston Gazette of that year showing that Poe's mother appeared on the stage on January 20.” If Mr. Conway will refer to the Boston papers for 1809 (copies are in the British Museum) he will see that Mrs. Poe did not appear between January 13 and February 10, but that she did perform on the 21st and 24th of the latter month, so that her son could scarcely have been born on February 20 , as alleged by Mr. Stoddard. This latter authority forgets how he settled in his own mind (vide Independent) the date of Poe's birth; it was from an incorrect “copy” of Mr. Wertenbaker's memorandum, now in my possession. I obtained the original also, and found that January 19 had been really given by Poe and by Mr. Wertenbaker.

Mr. Conway questions my statements about Poe's school-days at Stoke Newington. I have letters from Mrs. Clemm and relatives of the first Mrs. Allan (Poe's adoptive mother), in proof of their correctness, as also from pupils of the poet's English schoolmaster, Dr. Bransby. The Athenaeum for October 19, 1878, contains corroborative evidence. I cannot ask or desire space sufficient for a refutation of all Mr. Conway's statements, but I may refer him to the verbatim report of the Court Martial, pp. 89-91 of my work, to prove that Poe was not expelled from West Point “for obstinately refusing to attend church,” and may add that my account of the poet's death is not derived from any published source, but from long and patient investigation, verbal and epistolary. As regards the article in the Southern Literary Messenger — which Mr. Conway, probably because of some chance words of mine some years ago, deems written by a deceased relative of his own — I can but refer him to the words of the editorial proprietor, Mr. J. B. Thompson, of the number in which it appeared, as to what was thought of it then and as to how it came to be published: it was the basis of Griswold's vilest slanders, slanders which Mr. Conway himself formerly contemned. The allegation that of Poe's acquaintances “few or none of them remained his friends” is certainly disproved by facts that general statements will not refute. I am sorry to have to differ so widely from Mr. Conway, but personal feelings may not be permitted to interfere with public truths.

JOHN H. INGRAM.