Before his death, Edgar Allan Poe was found on the street, delirious and in heavily soiled, shabby clothing that was clearly not his own. On his deathbed, he was wracked with fever dreams and vivid hallucinations, while calling out for someone named Reynolds.
Below is an account of his final days:
Edgar Allan Poe left Richmond, Virginia, on September 27, 1849, headed for Philadelphia to edit a collection of poems. Instead, he was found in Baltimore six days later. His journey from Richmond to Baltimore remains a mystery, with no sightings or explanations to fill the gap.
When discovered, Poe’s clothing was dirty and ill-fitting, suggesting foul play or extreme disarray. His incoherence and inability to explain his state added to the mystery.
Joseph Walker, a local typesetter, found Poe and managed to alert Joseph E. Snodgrass, an acquaintance with medical training. Despite their efforts, Poe’s condition only worsened, and his final days were marked by delirium and confusion.
Unable to explain his circumstances or how he got there, Poe’s condition rapidly deteriorated.
For four days, Poe languished in Washington College Hospital, plagued by hallucinations and fever dreams. He repeatedly called out for a mysterious “Reynolds,” a person unknown to his friends and family. On October 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe passed away, his cause of death listed as phrenitis, or swelling of the brain, a diagnosis that has since been called into question.
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