Frederic S. (Frederic Swartwout) Cozzens

Born in New York City in 1818, Frederic Swartwout Cozzens was an American writer remembered for humorous poems, sketches, and essays. He sometimes wrote under the pen name Richard Haywarde, and his light, observant style made him a familiar voice in magazines of his day.

Cozzens was not only a man of letters but also a businessman. He was trained for mercantile work, entered the grocery and wine business, and later served as editor of The Wine Press. That mix of practical trade and literary playfulness helped shape the amused, conversational tone readers found in his work.

He is especially associated with The Sparrowgrass Papers, the book most often linked with his reputation today. Cozzens died in Brooklyn in 1869, but his writing still offers a warm and witty glimpse of 19th-century American life.