James Wilson Henderson (August 15, 1817 – August 30, 1880) was an American surveyor and politician who served as the fourth governor of Texas from November to December 1853.

Biography

Born on August 15, 1817, in

Sumner County, Tennessee Sumner County is a county located on the central northern border of Tennessee in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 196,281. Its county seat is Gallatin, and its most populous city is Hendersonville. T ...

, Henderson moved to

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

when he was 19 to join the struggle for independence, but he arrived too late to participate. He settled in Harris County and became the county

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

, also studying law. In 1842, he enlisted in the Somervelle Expedition. In 1843, he was elected to the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

, and in 1847, became

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

. He was elected

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

on August 4, 1851, and was inaugurated on December 21. He became the fourth Governor of Texas on November 23, 1853, upon the resignation of his predecessor,

Peter Hansborough Bell Peter Hansborough Bell (May 11, 1810Various sources give multiple dates in May 1810 and May 1812 for Bell's birth. Bell's gravestone uses a May 1812 date.March 8, 1898) was an American military officer and politician who served as the third gove ...

, serving the last 28 days of his term. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he joined the Confederate Army as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

under General John B. Magruder. In 1871, Henderson was vice president of the state

Democratic Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

. He died on August 30, 1880, at the age of 63, in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

References

External links

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"Portraits of Texas Governors". Texas State Library and Archives Commission
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, James W. 1817 births 1880 deaths Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas) Lieutenant governors of Texas Democratic Party governors of Texas Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature