Background
James Henderson was born on March 31, 1808, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, United States. He was the son of Lawson Henderson and Elizabeth Carruth.
James Henderson was born on March 31, 1808, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, United States. He was the son of Lawson Henderson and Elizabeth Carruth.
James Henderson was prepared for college at the Lincoln Academy and spent several years at the University of North Carolina, leaving before graduation to begin reading law.
James Henderson was admitted to the bar in 1829. He practised for a time in North Carolina and was deeply interested in the militia in which he became a colonel. In 1835 he moved to Canton, Mississippi, and was establishing a good practice and an excellent reputation there when early in 1836 he became enthusiastic over the struggle of Texas for independence. Raising a company he went ahead of it with Memucan Hunt, another North Carolinian living in Mississippi, and arrived just after the battle of San Jacinto had been fought. He was at once commissioned brigadier-general and returned to the United States to raise troops, sending one company from North Carolina to Texas at his own expense.
Henderson returned to Texas in the fall and was immediately appointed attorney-general of the republic. In November he became secretary of state and served until June 1837, when President Houston made him diplomatic agent of Texas to England and France. In England he made many friends but was unable to secure the recognition of Texas, although he did negotiate an informal commercial arrangement by which trade could be carried on. In 1838 Henderson went to France and for a time was unsuccessful, but there also he was able to make a commercial arrangement similar to the one made with England. After long delays and the untangling of a number of diplomatic complications by Henderson and James Hamilton, who joined him in 1839, a treaty of recognition was signed September 25, 1839.
Henderson returned to Texas in 1840. President Lamar had planned to make him secretary of state again but circumstances prevented him from awaiting Henderson’s return. Consequently Henderson settled at San Antonio, and, resuming practice, established in four years a deserved reputation as a trial lawyer. In 1844 he was appointed special envoy to the United States to assist Isaac Van Zandt in negotiating a treaty of annexation which was presently signed. The treaty failed of ratification, but when Texas was annexed by resolution Henderson was a delegate from San Augustine County to the convention which framed the state constitution and, upon its ratification, was elected governor. When the Mexican War began, in response to the invitation of the legislature, Henderson took command of four regiments furnished by Texas and became a brigadier-general of volunteers. For his gallantry at Monterey Congress voted him a sword. There Taylor appointed him one of the commission which arranged with Ampudia, the terms of capitulation.
Declining to be a candidate for réélection to the governorship Henderson once more returned to his profession and declined to consider public office until 1857 when he was unanimously elected United States senator. He was in delicate health when he took his seat on March 1, 1858, and very soon thereafter he had to go for treatment to Philadelphia. He died the following June in Washington.
In Pans Henderson met Frances Elizabeth Cox, the daughter of John Cox of Philadelphia, who had just completed her education abroad, and in October 1839, before he returned home, he was married to her in London.