A Real Soldier

Poe like many great writers spent time in the military. According to Philip Beidler, author of Soldier Poe, "Poe had more actual, hands on experience, professionalized military experience than any other in our history." (329) Many people do not realize how the military was a crucial point in Poe's life. During his time in the military, Poe published his only free standing poetry collections until later in his career near his death. During his service he published  Tamerlane and Other Poems of 1827, Al Araaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems of 1829. Aspects of Poe's three years of military life can been seen in many of his works including the Cask of Amontillado. Poe began his army career after running away from the University of Virginia to avoid debts and countless disciplinary actions against him. Fleeing to Boston with a new name, he enlisted in the army. While in the army Poe was put in a battery unit stationed on the east coast far away from the battles along the frontier at the time with the Indians. Being in a bttery unit required Poe to read an follow "complex instructions and make mathematical calculations." (Beidler 333) Poe because of his years of schooling and somewhat upper middle class upbringing was able to fly through the ranks showing that he was able to handle a large workload of tasks. Poe ended up becoming a "regiment sergeant major, at the time the highest non-commissioned officer rating available in the army."(Beidler 334) In his time with the army one place had the most profound effect on his work, Sullivan's Island. A desolate island off of the coast of South Carolina. "It was everything one might have imagined it to be, a hot, fetid, disease-infested, place of ghostly shipwreck terrors and pirate legends." (Beidler 335) This setting became a starting point for many of Poe's famous stories including "The Gold Bug." After distinguishing himself in the service and fighting his way to West Point, he threw it all way. It is now Known that Poe purposely flunked out West Point after his step-father, John Allen, disowned him. Going to West Point was Poe's way of attempting to reconcile with his step-father after running away from the University of Virginia and enlisting. The sad part is he was disowned for calling Allen a drunkard, which was ultimately Poe's fate as well. He became the man the type of man he hated later in life.