On August 29, 1849, about five weeks before his untimely death, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a letter from Richmond, Virginia, to his mother-in-law/aunt Maria Poe Clemm in which he complained of his inability to pay his hotel bill. Since Richmond’s moderately priced Swan Tavern had confiscated Poe’s trunk until he was able to remit at least half of the amount due, he planned to take up lodgings at an even more moderately priced hotel, the Madison House. Despite his strained resources, Poe is known to have found the funds to purchase gold lockets for both his fiancée, Elmira Shelton (1810–1888), and her only daughter, Ann Elizabeth Shelton Leftwich (1830–1909); a gold engagement ring for Shelton; and probably also a dress coat for his planned wedding. As difficult as it may be to believe that he was able to make these purchases, some of Shelton’s descendants recently revealed that Poe may...
