How did Edgar Allan Poe leave the U.S. Army?

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Master of the macabre — Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe did not leave the U.S. Army through a standard discharge; rather, his foster father, John Allan, purchased his release following the death of Poe’s foster mother.1

Poe had originally enlisted in the army under the pseudonym Edgar A. Perry due to financial hardship. After securing his release, he was assisted by John Allan in obtaining an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.1