University of Virginia Library

When the Southern Patriot and Commercial Advertiser of June 9, 1825, announced that "a Society of Young Gentlemen" was planning to publish by subscription "a Weekly Literary Miscellany to be termed The Album," probably few Charlestonians raised their eyebrows. Magazines and newspapers came and went in Charleston, and the appearance of a prospectus was old news to the citizens of the old city. Hardly a handful of readers could have known that included among the "young gentlemen" editors was a nineteen-year-old litterateur named William G. Simms, Jr.; and certainly those informed few found their knowledge no reason for excitement. Gilmore Simms in 1825 was to them yet a nonentity; and the magazine he was to help edit attracted so little attention that its name was never mentioned by the Charleston press after the few encouraging comments inspired by its prospectus.

Perhaps this early lack of interest in the Album helps to account for its strange "disappearance" for more than a century and a quarter. Simms's biographer, W.P. Trent, apparently knew nothing of its existence; Guy A. Cardwell, in an unpublished study of Charleston periodicals, dismissed it as follows: "No copies located; or, projected but probably did not appear";[1] and William Stanley Hoole, the one writer to associate Simms's name with the Album before its recent "discovery" by Alexander S. Salley, also concluded that it "failed to materialize, perhaps because of the lack of guaranteeing subscribers"[2] —a natural assumption since no mention of its actual appearance was made by the contemporary newspapers. Not, then, until the publication of the first volume of Simms's Letters was the existence of

the Album established—by the owner of its only extant file, Mr. Salley.[3] For the past decade and a half Mr. Salley has had in his Simms Collection an inconspicuous little half-leather-bound volume made up of the first twenty-six numbers of the Album—the first and perhaps the only volume of an early Charleston literary journal that has waited long and patiently for its first review.

But, since the title-page of the Album does not list its editor or editors and since the contributions are either unsigned or signed with initials or pseudonyms, the fact that Simms was associated with the Album is not nearly so evident as the fact that the Album did exist. Included in the magazine's 210 pages, however, are at least twenty-six poems that later appeared in volumes of Simms's poetry, and in addition there are at least thirty-one other contributions, discussed below, which may be added to a list of his writings. That Simms's connection with the Album was closer than that of a mere contributor is indicated by his statement in a letter to James Lawson, October 15, 1841: "Prior to this [the editorship of the Charleston City Gazette, 1830-1832] however, I had more than once been engaged in editing Literary Journals. My editorial career (in letters) commenced when I was yet quite short of eighteen."[4] One wishes, however, that Simms's correspondence of 1825 were extant: none of the later letters mention by name the "Literary Journal" that he first edited. Thus, although one has proof that Simms at an early age edited a Charleston literary journal called the Album, one still is faced with the problem of showing that the magazine which Simms edited was the same magazine to which he contributed so heavily. Since external evidence is not conclusive, one must

look at the Album itself for confirmation of Simms's editorial connection with it.

Although evidence derived from an examination of the Album is not sufficient to prove that Simms was the only editor, it can be clearly demonstrated that he was at least one of the editorial board. In the Album for October 29, 1825, appears an essay, labelled simply "For the Album" and signed "Numpo," that obviously is the work of the editor or editors. Dreaming that he is a mouse in the "Communication Box" of the Album, "Numpo" discloses information about contributors that could be known only to someone actually engaged in reading manuscripts for the magazine. "Numpo" reveals, for instance, that "Almirez," "Wilton," "Sydney," and "Triptolemus Twig" are pseudonyms for the same person; and since poems signed "Almirez" and "Wilton" were later published under Simms's name, it cannot be doubted that the "Poet" described in the following paragraphs is Simms:

The picture of Simms as one holding "some seat of consequence in the wigwam" lends irrefutable support to the belief that he was active in the editorial management of the Album.

One might even hazard a guess that young Gilmore was the only editor, posing as the "Society of Young Gentlemen" in an effort to hide his identity

and to win supporters for what seemed a community project.[7] Nevertheless, whether Simms was the magazine's only editor or not, the fact that he had a part in making policy and in setting standards means that any study of the Album is certain to throw light on his early development as an editor.

Perhaps the best way to understand the aims of the Album is to allow its editors to speak for themselves. In the prospectus already referred to, the "Society of Young Gentlemen" self-consciously announced that "this is our first sin, our debut in the Literary world":

That some Charlestonians were sympathetic and quick to encourage the efforts of these literary-minded young men is indicated by two letters that appeared in the Southern Patriot and the Courier, respectively, almost immediately after the publication of the prospectus. Addressing himself to the editor of the Patriot, "Candidus" remarked, "I have long thought that for the credit of our city, and the improvement of taste, particularly of the younger part of our community, a publication like the one announced was much to be desired."[9]

A few days later an urgent appeal for the public support of the Album appeared in the Courier, again in the form of a letter to the editor. The writer, who styled himself "A.B.C.," asserted that "If anything were wanting to induce us to patronize the work in question, the sole consideration of those to whom its superintendance [sic] is committed, would prompt us to

promote their ends." Because the Album's editors were "young Charlestonians, not excited by any sordid or pecuniary view, but urged by the laudable and honorable motive" of establishing in their native city a literary periodical which "will be of an advantage to the rising generation," the "liberal public" owed the projected work its support. "A.B.C." emphasized that the Album would be devoted largely to "such original matter, as may be sent to their [sic] columns by those at home," and added that he had "every reason to believe" that the journal would be "well-conducted."[10]

The writer of this long letter seems so thoroughly familiar with the aims and plans of the yet unpublished Album that one wonders if "A.B.C." was not somebody among the "Society of Young Gentlemen"—perhaps Simms.[11] At any rate, in view of the publicity the Album received before publication, it is strange that apparently not a word was written in notice of the first number, issued on Saturday, July 2, 1825. Even if it was published without the "100 subscribers" asked for in the prospectus, the new journal obviously had at least limited backing; and in the October 22 number its editors (assuming that there was more than one) assured it readers that "our form will, at the commencement of the second volume, be considerably enlarged and otherwise materially improved"[12] —a statement which suggests high hopes if not prosperity. An announcement in the issue for August 27, however, had indicated that some subscribers had been "neglectful" in the "prompt payment of their subscriptions"[13] —a bad omen. Nevertheless, with the completion of the first volume, the editors, "grateful for the encouragement" their journal had received, again proposed to issue it "in a more enlarged form."[14] If the second volume ever materialized, however, it has escaped notice.[15]