was appointed "Assistant Deputy Quar-
    termaster," which meant that he was a
    local purchasing agent of military sup-
    plies for the Revolutionary Army. He
    is said to have been of considerable aid
    to Lafayette during the Virginia and
    Southern campaigns, and for this pa-
    triotic activity he received the courtesy
    title of "General." His wife Elizabeth
    took an active part in making clothes
    for the Continental Army. David and
    Elizabeth Poe (Sr.) had seven children
    David, the eldest son, becoming the
    father of the poet. Two sisters of
    David, Eliza Poe (afterward Mrs. Henry
    Herring) and Maria Poe (later Mrs.
    William Clemm) enter into the story of
    the poet's life, the latter particularly,
    as she became his mother-in-law in ad-
    dition to being his aunt. With her he
    lived from 1835 to 1849.
     Young David Poe was destined for
    the law, but as previously mentioned,
    he finally left his native city to go on
    the stage. His first professional ap-
    pearance took place at Charleston, S. C.,
    in December, 1803. A dramatic notice
    of this performance in a local paper
    describes David Poe as being extremely
    diffident while-
     ". . . His voice seems to be clear,
    melodious and variable; what its com-
    pass may be can only be shown when
    he acts unrestrained by timidity. His
    enunciation seemed to be very distinct
    and articulate; and his face and person
    are much in his favor. His size is of
    that pitch well fitted for general action
    if his talents should be suited to sock
    And buskin. . . ." This is perhaps the
    only direct evidence extant of the phys-,
    ical appearance of the poet's father. No
    pictures of him are known to exist. His
    histrionic powers were at best very
     The father of the poet was one David
    Poe of Baltimore, Maryland, who had
    left the study of the law in that city to
    take up a stage career contrary to the
    desire of his family. The Poes had
    settled in America some two or three
    generations prior to the birth of Edgar.
    Their line is distinctly traced back to
    Dring in the Parish of Kildallen, County
    Cavan, Ireland, and thence into the
    Parish of Fenwick in Ayrshire, Scot-
    land. Hence they derived from Scotch-
    Irish stock, with what trace of the Celtic
    is doubtful. The first Poes came to
    America about 1739. The immediate
    paternal ancestors of the poet landed at
    Newcastle, Delaware, in 1748 or a little

    




    earlier. These were John Poe and his
    wife Jane McBride Poe who went to
    settle in eastern Pennsylvania. This
    couple had ten children in their family,
    among them one David who was the
    grandfather of the poet. David Poe
    married Elizabeth Cairnes, also of
    Scotch-Irish ancestry, then living in
    Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whence, some-
    time prior to the outbreak of the Amer-
    ican Revolution they moved to Balti-
    more, Maryland.
     David Poe and his wife, Elizabeth
    Cairnes Poe, took the patriot side in
    the Revolution. David was active in
    driving the Tories out of Baltimore and
    Paternal Ancestry
    actors, David, and Elizabeth (born
    Arnold) Poe. His parents were then fill-
    ing an engagement in a Boston theatre,
    and the appearances of both, together
    with their sojourns in various places
    during their wandering careers, are to
    be plainly traced in the play bills of the
    time.