What rank did Edgar Allan Poe achieve in the U.S. Army?

Edgar Allan Poe achieved the rank of sergeant major in the U.S. Army.

Poe enlisted on May 27, 1827, using the name Edgar A. Perry. He initially joined as a private because he was struggling financially and could not support himself through writing. He served in the First Regiment of Artillery, beginning at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor and later moving to Fort Moultrie near Charleston, South Carolina.

During his service, Poe was promoted to artificer, an enlisted specialist responsible for preparing artillery shells. After about two years, he rose to sergeant major for artillery—the highest rank available to a noncommissioned officer. This was not a commissioned officer rank such as second lieutenant, and Poe never completed the path to becoming an officer.

Poe sought an early discharge so he could pursue an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was honorably discharged in April 1829, later entered West Point, and soon abandoned the academy to pursue literature. His military experience is an often-overlooked part of the career of one of America’s best-known poets and short-story writers.