On July 1, 1830, Edgar Allan Poe entered West Point as a new cadet with the Class of 1834, after having served in the Army for two years. But he was dismissed from the Academy less than a year later in February of 1831 for "neglecting his duties."
Legend has it that Poe was dismissed from West Point after he appeared at a parade drill on the Plain out of uniform--in fact without any clothing at all! He was reportedly only wearing white ammunition belts across his chest and a hat. But the more likely truth may be that he just stopped attending classes and training.
Poe published his third book of verse, "Poems," in 1831, dedicated to his fellow West Point cadets & funded by their subscription. After Poe left West Point, he continued to write, becoming known for his poems and short stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart," now considered classics of American literature.
I got to meet Poe's great nephew who also attended West Point and graduated in 2017. He was a WR for Black Knight football team, which if you know the offense is akin to being that extra card you get in a new deck of cards. He did have 6 TDs in the 2015 season. Life's twists and turns with whom you meet and how paths are interwoven are so amazing, and IMHO, interesting.