Henry Southard (October 7, 1747 – May 22, 1842) was a United
States Representative from the state of New Jersey. Southard was
born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. He moved with his
parents to Basking Ridge, New Jersey in 1755, where he attended
the common schools and worked on a farm. Later, Southard served
as a private and later as wagon master during the American
Revolution. After the war, he engaged in agriculture, before
serving as a Justice of the Peace from 1787 to 1792. Later, he
served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, from 1797
to 1799 and again in 1811. He was elected as a Democratic-
Republican to the 7th United States Congress and to the four
succeeding Congresses, where he served from March 4, 1801 to
March 3, 1811. During the 11th Congress, Southard was Chairman
of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business. He was
later elected to the 14th, 15th, and 16th Congresses, serving
from March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1821. After leaving Congress for
good, Southard returned to farmin