HOFFMAN
HOFFMAN
autumn of 1873 he resumed Iiis practice in Read-
ing, Pa., aud was president of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of that city, 1876-77.
In 1877 he was appointed to take charge of the
collection of ethnology and mineralogy under
Prof. F. V, Hayden, chief of the U.S. geograpiii-
cal and geological survey of the territories. At
the organization of the bureau of ethnology,
Sept. 10, 1879, he was appointed assistant etlinol-
ogist in charge. Dr. Hoffman visited nearly all
the Indian tribes within the United States, in the
prosecution of researches relating to Indian ges-
ture language and pictographic writing. In 1S87
he began a study of the cult society of the Ojibwa
of Minnesota, known as the "Grand Medicine
Society," into which body he was admitted, the
first white man to become a member. This re-
quired live years, and enabled him to secure the
traditions of the Indian cosmogony and genesis
of man. the ritual of initiation, and the musical
notation of songs used at the ceremonies. The
result of this work is published in the reports of
the bureau of ethnology. Similar service was
rendered in connection with the secret medico-
religious or cult societies of the Menomoni In-
dians. Apart from numerous publications and
papers relating to the Indians, Dr. Hoffman pub-
lished, in various American and foreign periodi-
cals, nimierous monographs and reports on
natural history, mineralogy, etc., and one on the
ethnography and philology of the Pennsylvania
Germans. He invented in 1870 an iuiproved bullet
extractor for use in military surgery, and was
appointed by the Imperial Ottoman government
to supervise their manufacture for use in the
medical corps of the Turkish army. He was
special agent at the World's Columbian exposi-
tion of 1893, in the department of etlmology.
He was a member of the leading scientific and
historical societies of the United States and
Europe, more than forty in all. He was decorated
by Emperor William of Germany, April 20, 1873;
by Louis I. of Portugal, Jan. 5, 1887; by the
President of Venezuela, S.A., Nov. 12, 1887: by
Achille I. of Araucania and Patagonia, Nov. 7,
1887; by Marie, Princess de Lusignan, 1889; by
Oscar II. of Norway and Sweden; by Francis
Joseph I., May, 1890; by the Bey of Tunis, June
20,1890; by Prince Luitpold, Prince Regent of
Bavaria, Dec. 7, 1890; by William II. of Ger-
many, 1892, and by the Grand Duke of Baden,
December, 1892. He also received various dip-
lomas and medals from scientific societies and
expositions. He died in Reading, Pa., Nov. 8. 1899.
HOFFHAN, Wickham, diplomatist, was born
in New York city. April 2, 1821; son of Judge
Murray and Frances Amelia (liurrall) Hoffman.
He was graduated at Harvard in 1841, and prac-
tised law in New York city. He was married,
May 14, 1844, to Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund
Baylies and granddaughter of Elijali Baylies, an
officer in the Continental army and aide-de-camp
to General Washington. At the Ijf^ginningof the
civil war he was appointed aide-de-camp to Gov-
ernor Morgan and was sent to inspect the New
York troops stationed at Fort Monroe. In
March, 1862, he was appointed assistant adju-
tant-general on the staff of Gen. Thomas Wil-
liams, and he was commissioned captain. March
6, 1802, and attached to tiie army of General
Butler in the militarj- operations of 1862 in
Louisiana. General Williams commanded the
troops sent to Baton Rouge and took possession
of the city. May 12, 1862. Captain Hoffman
demanded the surrender of Vicksburg, Maj' 18,
which was refused, and made the second attempt
against Vicksburg in connection with the naval
force of Farragut and Porter, which was aban-
doned, July 26, 1802. On Aug. 5, 1862, in the
battle of Baton Rouge, General Williams was
killed and Captain Hoffman Mas appointed as-
sistant adjutant-general on the staff of Gen. W. T.
Sherman. He was promoted major, Aug. 26,
1863, and in 1864 General Butler appointed him as-
sistant adjutant-general of eastern Virginia and
North Carolina. He was assigned to the staff of
General Canby in 1865 as adjutant-general and
chief of staff and served in Louisiana and Texas,
1865-66. He resigned his commission in June, 1866,
and was appointed assistant secretary of legation
at Paris and was promoted first secretary of
legation in 1867, which place he filled until 1875,
when he was transferred to London as secretary
of legation; and in May, 1877, he was sent to St.
Petersburg in the same capacity, where, during-
the greater part of his six years' service, he acted
as charge d'affaires. In 1883 President Arthur
made him minister resident and consul-general
to Denmark. He resigned in 1884 and returned
to private life. He lived for some j'ears in Paris
and finally returned to America, making his
home in Washington, D.C. He died at Atlantic
City. N.J.. May 21, 1900.
HOFFMAN, William, soldier, was born in New York city, Dec. 2, 1807; son of Lieut. -Col. William Hoffman, U.S.A. He was gradiiated at the U.S. Military academy in 1829 and served on the western frontier, being promoted 1st lieutenant in 1836 and captain in 18.38. He served through the war with ^lexico, being bre vetted for services at Contrerds and Churu- busco and for bravery at Molino del Rey. He was promoted major in 1851 and lieutenant- colonel in 1860. In 1861 he was on frontier duty at San Antonio, Texas, where he was made prisoner by the state troops and exchanged in August, 1862. He was promoted colonel in 1862, served as commissary-general of prisoners at
