Representative Henry William Hoffman

Henry William Hoffman (November 10, 1825 – July 28, 1895) was a U.S. Representative from Maryland and later a jurist and federal customs official whose public career spanned the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the late nineteenth century. Born in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, he was educated in the local public schools and at Allegany County Academy, an important regional preparatory institution of the time. He subsequently attended Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (now Washington & Jefferson College), from which he graduated in 1846, marking the beginning of a professional path that would combine law and public service.

After completing his collegiate studies, Hoffman read law and prepared for admission to the bar, following the traditional method of legal training in the mid-nineteenth century. He was admitted to the bar in 1848 and commenced the practice of law, establishing himself in his native Cumberland. His early legal career unfolded in a period of growing sectional tension in the United States, and his professional standing in western Maryland helped lay the groundwork for his entry into elective office.

Hoffman’s national political career began with his election as a member of the American Party, often associated with the “Know-Nothing” movement, to the Thirty-fourth Congress. Representing Maryland, he served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1855, to March 3, 1857. During this significant period in American history, marked by intensifying debates over slavery, immigration, and sectional balance, Hoffman contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation, representing the interests of his Maryland constituents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1857 to the Thirty-fifth Congress and again in 1859 for election to the Thirty-sixth Congress, which concluded his direct service as a voting member of the House.

Following his term in Congress, Hoffman remained active in public and quasi-public roles. From 1858 to 1860 he served as treasurer of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company, a major internal improvement enterprise critical to transportation and commerce in Maryland and the broader mid-Atlantic region. His work with the canal company reflected both his legal and administrative abilities and his engagement with the economic development of his home state.

Hoffman returned to the House of Representatives in an official capacity when he was elected Sergeant at Arms of the House during the Thirty-sixth Congress. He held that post from February 3, 1860, to July 5, 1861, a period that encompassed the secession crisis and the opening months of the Civil War. As Sergeant at Arms, he was responsible for maintaining order, executing the commands of the House, and overseeing various administrative and security functions at a moment of extraordinary national strain.

With the advent of the Lincoln administration and the outbreak of civil conflict, Hoffman entered federal executive service. President Abraham Lincoln appointed him collector of customs at Baltimore, Maryland, a strategically vital port city for the Union. Hoffman served in that capacity from 1861 to 1866, administering customs laws and revenues during the war and the early years of Reconstruction. After completing his term as collector, he resumed the practice of law in Cumberland, returning to private legal work while maintaining his stature as a prominent figure in Maryland public life.

In the later phase of his career, Hoffman moved onto the bench. In 1883 he was elected associate judge of the sixth Maryland circuit court, a position in which he served until his death. His judicial service extended his long record of public duty, allowing him to apply his legal experience and legislative background to the administration of justice in Maryland. Henry William Hoffman died in Cumberland, Maryland, on July 28, 1895. He was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery, leaving a legacy of service that encompassed legislative, administrative, and judicial roles at both the state and federal levels.