Southard Hoffman was born around 1839 in New Jersey to Ogden Hoffman and Virginia Southard. His father was a Whig politician who served in Congress from 1837 until 1841 and served as New York’s attorney general from 1854 until 1855. The family eventually moved to New York City, and his father died on May 1, 1856.

 

During the Civil War, he served as a captain and assistant adjutant general in the Union army. He was promoted to major and then to lieutenant colonel. He returned to New York City after the war, and he married Sarah W. Acklen on June 23, 1866. They had at least five children: Southard, born around 1867; Ogden, borna round 1869; Mary, born around 1872; Alice, born around 1877; and John, born around 1878. They moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the late 1860s. By 1870, he owned $7,000 of real estate and $500 of personal property.

 

The family moved to Ross Landing, California, in the 1870s, and in January 1876, he became a district court clerk. He held the position until 1897, when he became a circuit court clerk. He moved to San Rafael, California, in the late 1800s. He applied for a federal pension in March 1907 and eventually received one. He died on March 16, 1912.

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