Charles Fenno Hoffman (February 7, 1806 – June 7, 1884) was an American author, poet and editor associated with the
Knickerbocker Group The Knickerbocker Group was a somewhat indistinct group of 19th-century American writers. Its most prominent members included Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and William Cullen Bryant. Each was a pioneer in general literature—novels, poe ...
in New York.
Biography
Hoffman was born in New York City on February 7, 1806. He was the son of New York Attorney General
Josiah Ogden Hoffman (1766–1837) and his second wife, Maria (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Fenno) Hoffman (1781–1823). His elder half-brother from his father's first marriage to Mary Colden was
Ogden Hoffman, who served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from 1837 to 1841.
When Charles was 11 years old, his leg was crushed by a boating accident and had to be
amputated
Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is ...
.
Hoffman, who was proud of his ancestry, was the grandson of
John Fenno, the
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of deep ...
editor of the ''
Gazette of the United States
The ''Gazette of the United States'' was an early American newspaper, first issued semiweekly in New York City on April 15, 1789, but moving the next year to Philadelphia when the nation's capital moved there the next year. It was friendly to t ...
''.
One aunt, Harriet Fenno (d. 1808), was married to
John Rodman, the
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County, New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws (federal l ...
, and other aunt, Mary Eliza Fenno (d. 1817), was married to
Gulian C. Verplanck, a
New York State Senator and
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
. He was descended from Martin Hermanzen Hoffman, who emigrated to
New Netherland
New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...
in 1657.
He attended
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
and
Columbia College, and studied law with
Harmanus Bleecker
Harmanus Bleecker (October 9, 1779 – July 19, 1849) was an attorney in Albany, New York. A Federalist, he is most notable for his service as a member of the New York State Assembly, a United States representative from New York, and Chargé d'A ...
.
Hoffman was admitted to the bar in 1827, but he practiced law only intermittently. In 1833, he led a group of other students in the Eucleian Society in establishing ''
The Knickerbocker
''The Knickerbocker'', or ''New-York Monthly Magazine'', was a literary magazine of New York City, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman in 1833, and published until 1865. Its long-term editor and publisher was Lewis Gaylord Clark, whose "Editor' ...
'' magazine, which he edited for the first three issues before passing duties on to Timothy Flint, who then passed them to
Lewis Gaylord Clark.
[Pattee, Fred Lewis. ''The First Century of American Literature: 1770–1870''. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1966: 493] In 1835, Hoffman edited ''The New-York Book of Poetry'' which first attributed ''
A Visit From St. Nicholas'' to
Clement Clarke Moore
Clement Clarke Moore (July 15, 1779 – July 10, 1863) was an American writer, scholar and real estate developer. He is best known as author of the Christmas poem " A Visit from St. Nicholas", which first named each of Santa Claus's reindeer.
M ...
. In 1836,
Park Benjamin, Sr. merged his ''New England Monthly Magazine'' with the ''American Monthly'' and hired Hoffman as editor, though he left to join the ''
New York Mirror'' a year later.
Hoffman's first book was ''A Winter in the Far West'' (1835), recounting his travels as far west as
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
.
[ It was followed by ''Wild Scenes in Forest and Prairie'' (1839) based on actual experiences in search of health. He wrote a successful novel, ''Greyslaer'' (1840),][ based on the murder of Colonel ]Solomon P. Sharp
Solomon Porcius Sharp (August 22, 1787 – November 7, 1825) was an American lawyer and politician, serving as Attorney General of Kentucky, attorney general of Kentucky and a member of the United States Congress and the Kentucky General Ass ...
by Jereboam O. Beauchamp, known as the Beauchamp–Sharp Tragedy—an event that several writers, including Thomas Holley Chivers
Thomas Holley Chivers (October 18, 1809 – December 18, 1858) was an American doctor-turned-poet from the state of Georgia. He is best known for his friendship with Edgar Allan Poe and his controversial defense of the poet after his death.
Bo ...
, Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
and William Gilmore Simms, also fictionalized. Hoffman's version, however, had little in common with the true event.
Hoffman's fame rested chiefly upon his poems, first collected in ''The Vigil of Faith'' (1842). Literary critic Rufus Wilmot Griswold
Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13, 1815 – August 27, 1857) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New ...
that year dedicated twice as much space to Hoffman than any other author in his respected anthology '' The Poets and Poetry of America''.[Pattee, Fred Lewis. ''The First Century of American Literature: 1770–1870''. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1966: 494.] Griswold helped Hoffman publish ''The Echo'', another collection of poetry, in 1844. Hoffman was also popular for his songs, including "Sparkling and Bright" and "Rosalie Clare."
Hoffman remained a successful editor and author throughout the 1840s. He officially began a new role as editor of '' The Literary World'' magazine on May 1, 1847. The weekly journal, which also included Evert Augustus Duyckinck
Evert Augustus Duyckinck (pronounced DIE-KINK) (November 23, 1816 – August 13, 1878) was an American publisher and biographer. He was associated with the literary side of the Young America movement in New York.
Biography
He was born on Novem ...
and George Long Duyckinck
George Long Duyckinck (October 17, 1823 – March 30, 1863) was a New York City writer.
Biography
He was born on October 17, 1823, in New York City; his sibling was Evert Augustus Duyckinck.
He attended Geneva College and then entered New Y ...
, ceased publication in 1853.
Insanity
Under the strain of work, he went insane
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...
in 1849,[ supposedly after a servant used his manuscripts to start a fire. He was hospitalized briefly in April 1849 and, after his release, he accepted a position with the Department of State in Washington, D.C. By autumn, however, he was declared permanently insane. He spent the last 30 years of his life in the ]Harrisburg State Hospital
Harrisburg State Hospital, formerly known from 1851 to 1937 as Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was Pennsylvania's first public facility to house the mentally ill and disabled. Its campus is located on Cameron St. ...
, a state asylum in Pennsylvania. It was in Harrisburg that he was diagnosed with chronic mania, or manic-depressive psychosis.
Hoffman died in Harrisburg on June 7, 1884. He was buried at Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Benjamin Rush ...
following funeral services at the home of his sister-in-law in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
Selected list of works
*''A Winter in the West'' (1835)
*''The New-York Book of Poetry'' (1837)
*''Vanderlyn; or, The Fortunes of an Adventurer'' (unfinished, 1837)
*''Wild Scenes in the Forest and Prairie'' (1839)
*''Greyslaer: A Romance of the Mohawk'' (1840)
*''The Vigil of Faith'' (poetry collection, 1842)
*''The Echo'' (poetry collection, 1844)
*''Love's Calendar, Lays of the Hudson, and Other Poems'' (1847)
*''The Pioneers of New-York'' (1848)
References
;Notes
;Sources
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
Hoffman genealogy
at the William L. Clements Library of the University of Michigan
Finding aid to the Charles Fenno Hoffman letters at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman, Charles Fenno
1806 births
1884 deaths
19th-century American novelists
19th-century American poets
American male poets
American magazine editors
American male novelists
Charles Fenno
Journalists from New York City
Songwriters from New York (state)
19th-century American journalists
American male journalists
19th-century American musicians
19th-century American male writers
Novelists from New York (state)
Columbia College (New York) alumni
19th-century American lawyers
American amputees
American lawyers with disabilities
People with bipolar disorder