A South Carolina Island, an Old Fort, and the Legend of the Gold Bug
Even those that keen on the topic of American Romanticism and great works of literature, may not understand the link between a South Carolina island, an old fort and the legend of the gold bug. On November 18, 1827, an eighteen year old U.S. army private, Edgar Allen Poe, arrived by ship to Charleston Harbor to report for military duty. His station, Fort Moultrie, was located roughly nine miles southeast from the bustling port city of Charleston on a picturesque piece of marshland called Sullivan’s Island.
Edgar Allen Poe ( author of The Raven, Tell-Tale Heart, and more)
Private Edgar Poe’s occupation as an army clerk allowed him ample time to engage in idle activities such as exploring the island and perfecting his craft as a writer. There remains no doubt that the area’s storied history of notorious pirates such as Blackbeard (Edward Teach) inspired Poe to take to the pen and create his fascinating tale of pirate treasure and the legend of a gold bug. His short story, The Gold Bug, tells the tale of a man bitten by a mysterious gold bug that eventually leads him to uncovering a buried fortune on the South Carolina island. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Great Dining, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged Edgar Allen Poe, Gold Bug, Sullivan's Island by Big John with no comments yet.