Issue

  • Publication Details

    • Journal

      • Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and American Monthly Review

    • Issue

      • September 1839 (Vol. 5, No. 3)

    • Editors

      • William E. Burton and Edgar A. Poe

    • Approximate publication date

      • August 1839

  • Table of Contents (sequential)

    • “Biography of Richard Penn Smith” by [William E. Burton] (pp. 119-121)
    • “The Privateer. A Tale of the Late American War: Chapter IV. Scenes at Sea. Chapter V. The Interview” by [Alexander Jones] (pp. 122-128)
    • “Lays of the Early Martyrs” by Rev. Thomas Dale (p. 129)
    • “The Martyr to His Apostate Judge” by Rev. Thomas Dale (p.129)
    • “The Infernal Box” by [unattributed] (pp. 130-134)
    • “A Morning’s Meditation’s in a Burial Place: Dirge Suggested by Mary’s Death” by S.D.A. (pp. 134-137)
    • “The Dying Wife” by Catharine H. Waterman (p. 137)
    • “Sketches from the Log of Old Ironsides: Bearding the Bey, Cruize off Texel and Down the Channel, The Chase, The Escape” by [Jesse Dow] (pp.138-144)
    • “Silence” by [Edgar A. Poe] (p.144)
    • “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar A. Poe (pp. 145-152)
    • “Discovery of America by the Northmen in the Tenth Century” by Hall Grandgent (pp. 153-155)
    • “The Summer Moon” by Charles West Thomson (p. 155)
    • “A Rummage in My Old Bureau by a Nonagenarian” by William E. Burton (pp. 156-160)
    • “Things I Love” by John Hickman Jr. (p. 160)
    • “A Chapter on Field Sports and Manly Pastimes by an Experienced Practitioner” by [William E. Burton] (pp. 161-163)
    • Review of Sir Walter Scott’sThe Waverly Novels by [William E. Burton] (p. 164)
    • Review of Fitz-Greene Halleck’sFanny and Other Poems by [William E. Burton] (p. 164)
    • Review of Samuel F. Glen’sA Reply to the Critics by [William E. Burton] (pp. 164-165)
    • Review of Reverend J.M. Austin’sA Voice to Youth by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 165-166)
    • Review of Henry Lord Brougham’sHistorical Sketches of Statesmen by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 166-167)
    • Review of Caroline Gilman’s (arr.)Letters of Enza Wilkinson by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 167)
    • Review of Mary Howitt’sBirds and Flowers by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 167)
    • Review of Thomas Bingley’sTales of Shipwrecks by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 167-168)
    • Review of Edward Sayers’sThe American Flower Garden Companion by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 168)
    • Review of Edward Sayers’sThe American Fruit-Garden Companion by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 168)
    • Review of Delia Salter Bacon’sThe Bride of Fort Edward by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 168-169)
    • Review of William A. Alcott’s (editor)Charles Hartland, The Village Missionary by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 169)
    • Review of J.P. Robertson’sSolomon Seesaw by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 169-170)
    • Review of Grenville Mellen’s (editor)Undine by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 170-173)
    • Review of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’sAlgic Researches by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 173)
    • Review of Captain W.H. Sleeman’s (pub.)The Thugs or Phansigars of India by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 174)
    • Review of John Galt’s (editor)Continuation of the Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 174)

  • Table of Contents (genre)

    • Non-fictional prose

      • Articles

        • “Biography of Richard Penn Smith” by [William E. Burton] (pp.119-121)
        • “Discovery of America by the Northmen in the Tenth Century” by Hall Grandgent (pp. 153-155)
        • “A Rummage in My Old Bureau by a Nonagenarian” by William E. Burton (pp. 156-160)
        • “A Chapter on Field Sports and Manly Pastimes by An Experienced Practitioner” by [William E. Burton] (pp.161-163)

      • Reviews

        • Review of Sir Walter Scott’sThe Waverly Novels by [William E. Burton] (p. 164)
        • Review of Fitz-Greene Halleck’sFanny and Other Poems by [William E. Burton] (p. 164)
        • Review of Samuel F. Glen’sA Reply to the Critics by [William E. Burton] (pp. 164-165)
        • Review of Reverend J.M. Austin’sA Voice to Youth by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 165-166)
        • Review of Henry Lord Brougham’sHistorical Sketches of Statesmen by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 166-167)
        • Review of Caroline Gilman’s (arr.)Letters of Enza Wilkinson by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 167)
        • Review of Mary Howitt’sBirds and Flowers by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 167)
        • Review of Thomas Bingley’sTales of Shipwrecks by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 167-168)
        • Review of Edward Sayers’sThe American Flower Garden Companion by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 168)
        • Review of Edward Sayers’sThe American Fruit-Garden Companion by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 168)
        • Review of Delia Salter Bacon’sThe Bride of Fort Edward by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 168-169)
        • Review of William A. Alcott’s (editor)Charles Hartland, The Village Missionary by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 169)
        • Review of J.P. Robertson’sSolomon Seesaw by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 169-170)
        • Review of Grenville Mellen’s (editor)Undine by [Edgar A. Poe] (pp. 170-173)
        • Review of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’sAlgic Researches by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 173)
        • Review of Captain W.H. Sleeman’s (pub.)The Thugs or Phansigars of India by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 174)
        • Review of John Galt’s (editor)Continuation of the Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 174)

    • Prose fiction

      • Original tales

        • “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar A. Poe (pp. 145-152)

      • Reprinted tales

        • “The Infernal Box” by [unattributed] (pp. 130-134)

      • Original serialized novels

        • “The Privateer. A Tale of the Late American War: Chapter IV. Scenes at Sea. Chapter V. The Interview.” [Alexander Jones] (pp. 122-128)
        • “Sketches from the Log of Old Ironsides: Bearding the Bey, Cruize off Texel and Down the Channel, The Chase, The Escape” by [Jesse Dow] (pp. 138-144)

    • Poetry

      • Original

        • “A Morning’s Meditation in a Burial Place: Dirge Suggested by Mary’s Death,” by S.D.A. (pp. 134-137)
        • “The Dying Wife” by Catherine H. Waterman (p. 137)
        • “Silence” by [Edgar A. Poe] (p. 144)
        • “The Summer Moon” by Charles West Thomson (p. 155)
        • “Things I Love” by John Hickman (p. 160)

      • Reprinted

        • “Lays of the Early Martyrs” by Rev. Thomas Dale (p. 129)
        • “The Martyr to His Apostate Judge” by Rev. Thomas Dale (p. 129)

    • Illustrations

      • Richard Penn Smith
      • Mr. Barrett’s Gymnasium

  • Cultural Threads

    • Melancholy in literature

      • “A Morning’s Meditation’s in a Burial Place: Dirge Suggested by Mary’s Death” by S.D.A. (pp. 134-137)
    • Gothic literature
      • “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar A. Poe (pp. 145-152)

    • Masculinity

      • “A Chapter on Field Sports and Manly Pastimes by an Experienced Practitioner” by [William E. Burton?] (pp. 161-163)

    • Ancient America

      • “Discovery of America by the Northmen in the Tenth Century” by Hall Grandgent (pp. 153-155)

    • United States – History - War of 1812 – Naval 0perations

      • “The Privateer. A Tale of the Late American War: Chapter IV. Scenes at Sea. Chapter V. The Interview.” by [Alexander Jones] (pp. 122-128)
      • “Sketches from the Log of Old Ironsides: Bearding the Bey, Cruize off Texel and Down the Channel, The Chase, The Escape” by [Jesse Dow] (pp. 138-144)

  • Commentary

    • Romantic and nationalistic topics abound in this September issue ofBurton’s Gentleman’s Magazine. Two different pieces romanticizing the naval engagements of the War of 1812, a celebratory profile of playwright-novelist Richard Penn Smith, and a review of letters from a Revolutionary War era woman illustrate the inclination to craft national identity from war memory and hero-worship. Another article helps to envision a history of ancient America in recounting early Viking expeditions to Vineland (possibly North America). Burton’s “A Rummage in my Old Bureau” expresses nostalgia at the disappearance of the heroic generation of Revolution-era leaders as a “nonegenarian” sifts through mementoes of a long American life. Botany and nationalism come together neatly in two American guide books for flowers and fruit, both of which were reviewed by Poe in this issue. One of Poe’s greatest gothic tales, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” fits comfortably alongside several melancholy poems about death and loss.

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