What alias did Edgar Allan Poe use when he enlisted in the U.S. Army?

Edgar Allan Poe used the alias Edgar A. Perry when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He joined as a private on May 27, 1827, because he could not support himself and had become estranged from his foster father, John Allan. Poe claimed to be 22 when enlisting, although he was actually 18.

Under the name Edgar A. Perry, Poe first served at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor, where he earned five dollars per month. His artillery regiment was later posted to Fort Moultrie in Charleston, South Carolina. He was promoted to artificer, an enlisted specialist who prepared artillery shells, and eventually became sergeant major for artillery—the highest rank available to a noncommissioned officer.

Poe wanted to end his five-year enlistment early and pursue an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He eventually revealed his real identity and circumstances to his commanding officer, Lieutenant Howard. With John Allan’s cooperation after the death of Allan’s wife, Frances, Poe secured an honorable discharge in April 1829. The alias is therefore distinct from John Allan, Poe’s foster father, and from Poe’s later literary name.