Hartridge was born in Savannah, Georgia on September 9, 1829, where attended Chatham Academy and Montpelier Institute.
Hartridge graduated from Brown University in 1848 and Harvard Law School in 1850.
During the Civil War Hartridge served one year in the Confederate Army as a lieutenant in the Chatham Artillery.
[1] In an article printed in the New York Times, after his death, it was reported that Representative Hartridge was much admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
The funeral for Rep. Hartridge was attended by the President, Cabinet members, Justices of the Supreme Court and other dignitaries.