#29: Edgar Allen Poe

Rank: Sergeant, United States Army

Duration: 2 Years

Contrary to the image of a solitary writer lost in his dark imaginings, Edgar Allan Poe’s early life was marked by military service. Enlisting in the United States Army under the pseudonym Edgar A. Perry, Poe embarked on a journey that would shape his future literary endeavors.

Serving as a soldier, Poe’s experiences in the military undoubtedly influenced his later works, infusing them with themes of loss, despair, and the macabre. Despite achieving the rank of sergeant, Poe’s military career was fraught with personal struggles, including multiple attempts to secure his discharge, which ultimately came after the tragic passing of his beloved wife, Virginia.