How Edgar Allan Poe Got Kicked Out Of The Army

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Poe was officially tossed out of the military on March 6, 1831 (via U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) for gross neglect of duty and insubordination (via History Net). Poe was fortunate that he was no longer considered an enlisted soldier when he was discharged. The reasons for his expulsion certainly would have meant great discipline, and perhaps even imprisonment, if he were more than just a cadet at that point.

Poe settled in Baltimore with his aunt and cousin (via National Park Service). From there, the three of them moved to Richmond, New York City, and Baltimore, while Poe worked as an editor for numerous publications, including Graham's Magazine, and writing his own work on the side, including (per Biography) "The Raven," published in 1845.

Tragedy always seem to befall Poe, however. His struggles with alcohol addiction and depression might even have led him to an early grave. His lifeless body was found outside of Gunnar's Tavern in Baltimore on October 7, 1849 (via National Park Service). Though there were countless rumors that surrounded his death (including being the victim of a robbery, an overdose of opium, and alcohol poisoning), the actual cause of Poe's death remains a mystery.

His funeral was sparsely attended. However, to this day, Poe's poems and short stories are still in publication, and loved by readers all over the world. Who knows if these works of literature would have even been penned had Poe stuck it out at West Point?

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