Amasa Converse (August 21, 1795 – December 9, 1872) was an American

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

minister and senior editor of the ''Christian Observer''. Converse performed the marriage of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

to Poe's teenage cousin, Virginia Clemm Poe.

Early life

Converse was born on August 21, 1795, in Lyme, New Hampshire. He attended

Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...

and

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

before entering

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...

Newspaper publication

In 1827, Converse left his evangelical work in Virginia to become editor of the ''Richmond Visitor and Telegraph''. In 1836, he performed the marriage of Edgar Allan Poe and Virginia Clemm. "Late on the evening of May 16, Mr. Cleland, with Mrs. Clemm, Poe and Virginia, left Mrs. Yarrington's, and, walking quietly up Main street to the corner of Seventh, were married in Mr. Converse's own parlor." Converse noted the bride "looked very young". She was 13. In 1838, he took over the ''Philadelphia Observer''. The publications were merged in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and became the ''Christian Observer''. After the death of Amasa Converse in 1872, his son F. Bartlett Converse became editor of the ''Christian Observer''.

Civil War

Converse's Southern sympathies and such disagreements over the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

brought the publication office South to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, and later it was in

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

. Converse was arrested by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

's administration and freed after three months. Converse said the South had been guilty of idleness and intemperance, had been a proud and ungrateful people, and that these sins were partially responsible for the war.

Death

On December 9, 1872, Converse died in Louisville.

References

Works cited

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Converse, Amasa 1795 births 1872 deaths American Presbyterian ministers Dartmouth College alumni Editors of Pennsylvania newspapers Editors of Virginia newspapers Religious leaders from Louisville, Kentucky People from Lyme, New Hampshire Clergy from Philadelphia Mass media people from Richmond, Virginia Religious leaders from Richmond, Virginia Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Phillips Academy alumni