RIFFS
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Riffs Augustus Ely Silliman |
"I ADDRESS not, then, the shallow or hurried worldling; but the friendly one, who, in the calm intervals from worldly cares, grants me the aid of a quiet and thoughtful, and, if it may be, a poetic mood." ― Scenes and Adventures in the Army
So here is the problem. Abundant, to me overwhelming
textual evidence betrays the hand of Herman Melville in ghostwriting the
military memoirs of career army officer Philip St.
George Cooke. But the biographies of Cooke and Melville do not
admit of any connection, ever, between the two men. To date, no
documentary evidence has been located to link Melville with Cooke in any
way. If textual evidence alone could establish authorship―why,
the thing is done in my Done, I say. Gift-wrapped even. All we need to claim this business finally for Herman Melville is a scrap or two of a manuscript letter or note or legal paper or military record or log or diary entry or journal jotting― something, anything! in the way of documentary evidence linking Melville and Philip St. George Cooke. I myself have not been idle in this noble quest, but I may have missed something in my explorations over the last five years or so at the National Archives, New York Public Library, New York State Library, Berkshire Athenćum, Duke University, and Virginia Historical Society. Hey, sometimes the police do not solve a hard case until they publicize it on America's Most Wanted. So I figure the more people know about the possibility of a link between Melville and Cooke, the better chance of actually finding something good someday. And who knows, you might stumble upon a crucial piece of evidence in this case while looking for something else. Or if you are lucky enough to be a Cooke, or a descendant of Cookes, that old trunk in the attic or barn or garage might have a rare letter from Herman Melville in it! Anyhow, your help is sorely needed. What's in it for
you? Any and all information, tips, and leads in The Case of H. M. the Ghostwriter will be gratefully accepted and (if you want) appreciatively acknowledged to the world. Contact me via e-mail here: scott@eastworth.com My sincere thanks for your attention and interest. Now, back to poetry and romance... Yours,
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