Charles Godfrey Leland

Charles Godfrey Leland (born Aug. 15, 1824, Philadelphia—died March 20, 1903, Florence) was an American poet and journalist, best-known for the “Hans Breitmann Ballads,” which reproduce the dialect and humor of the Philadelphia Germans (also called Pennsylvania Dutch). Leland studied for two years in Germany, where he became fascinated with German culture. On his return to America he studied and then practiced law. In 1853 he turned to journalism and worked for a number of...