Frank H. (Frank Heath) Alfriend

Born in Richmond, Virginia, on January 10, 1841, Frank Heath Alfriend studied at the College of William & Mary and later received a master's degree there in 1866. He worked as a teacher and became known in literary circles as a journalist and editor.

Alfriend is most closely associated with The Life of Jefferson Davis, published in 1868, a substantial biography of the former Confederate president. Archival records also describe him as a biographer of Jefferson Davis, and other historical notes connect him with editorial work for the Southern Literary Messenger and later service as an assistant librarian of the U.S. Senate.

He died in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 1887, at just 46 years old. Though not widely read today, his writing remains of interest to readers exploring 19th-century American biography, Civil War memory, and the literary culture of Virginia.