The Religion and Political Views of Edgar Allan Poe

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5. He was a soldier

"Poe had enlisted in the Army in 1827, rising to the rank of sergeant major. In order to attend West Point, he hired a soldier named Samuel Graves to finish his term. But Poe never paid Graves, claiming in a letter that Allan “was probably drunk and had forgotten to send the money,” Semtner said.

Graves sent Poe’s note to Allan, who then sent Poe a letter saying their relationship was over. Poe responded by saying he intended to resign from West Point.

But that didn’t deter Poe from trying to pursue a military career. A month after leaving West Point, he asked the school’s superintendent for a letter of recommendation so he could join the Polish army. There’s no evidence he got a reply."

http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/why-was-edgar-allan-poe-kicked-out-of-west-point-1.133805