The Cask of Amontillado

January 27, 2006 6:41 PM

Many years ago, (late 1950s?) I read in Yankee magazine that the Edgar Allen Poe story "The Cask of Amontillado" was based on an event in Poe's life. The article went something like this: Poe had joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor. While he was there he heard a tale about a very unpopular officer at the fort that had been walled into a room by some of his men and left to die. When the fort was modified for harbor defense in WW1, the engineers saw a room indicated in the original drawings that did not seem to exist. They broke through the wall at the point where the drawings showed a room and found a skeleton dressed in an Army uniform of the 1830s. Can this be verified or is it BS?
posted by Raybun to writing & language (10 comments total)

Wikipedia's "Cask" discussion page has coverage on this possibility, including several links.

I agree with their consensus that the story is apocryphal, given the suspicious lack of corroborating detail.
posted by The Confessor at 6:52 PM on January 27, 2006

According to this book, it's a true story. And it's all over the internets, for whatever that's worth.
posted by JekPorkins at 6:54 PM on January 27, 2006

Interesting question. That is one creepy story, and being buried alive obviously was much more of a lurking worry back in the old days.

The fort itself refers to the story Poe heard as a legend. You'd think if anyone would have verified it by now, it would be the fort itself, with access to all the records, blueprints, etc.

Another site offered other ideas, saying, kind of vaguely, "Several sources for the story have been suggested in the last century and a half: Edward Bulwer-Lytton's historical novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1843); a local Boston legend; a collection of Letters from Italy; and a real quarrel Poe had with two other poets."
posted by GaelFC at 6:58 PM on January 27, 2006

According to this book, it's a true story.

"This book" being Ghosts of Boston Town: Three Centuries of True Hauntings. I don't think further comment is required.

And it's all over the internets, for whatever that's worth.

It's worth, as you surely know, exactly zero.

This story doesn't even begin to pass the bullshit test. It's right up there with the hook on the door handle. But it gave Poe the idea for a great short story, so it's all good.
posted by languagehat at 5:30 AM on January 28, 2006

languagehat: that's why I didn't comment further. And the term "internets" was intended to demonstrate the lack of credibility of the source, as was "FWIW."

But hey, thanks for (probably intentionally) misreading my post so you could snark about it.
posted by JekPorkins at 9:10 AM on January 28, 2006

I doubt it was intentional, because I read it the same way, and I've no beef with you. Or, rather, didn't. Seems you're wanting to be a bit of an asshat.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:01 AM on January 28, 2006

Yeah, you're definitely in asshat mode. I wasn't attacking you personally, I was pointing out that your "answer" didn't answer anything. And if you agree, why did you post it?

Develop a thicker skin if you're going to hang out here.
posted by languagehat at 10:55 AM on January 28, 2006

I guess I'll have to develop a thicker skin. Sorry.

Also, while I see the term "asshat" on here all the time, I've never heard anyone in the real world say it. It has a nice ring to it as an insult, but it doesn't make sense -- does it mean I'm a hat that's worn by an ass (so, I'm trousers), or does it mean I'm wearing an ass as my hat?
posted by JekPorkins at 11:03 AM on January 28, 2006

I've never really understood that myself, nor have I heard the word used in real life—to me, it's a charming but inexplicable part of MetaFilter Dialect. (And though I have many hats, I have not tried wearing any of them on my ass; it seems somehow undignified.)
posted by languagehat at 1:20 PM on January 28, 2006

[a few comments removed. please take asshat etymology discussions to Meta or email at least until someone has given the poster a few more answers to his/her question, thanks]
posted by jessamyn at 5:43 PM on January 29, 2006