Born on August 15, 1817, in Sumner County, Tennessee, Henderson moved to Texas when he was 19 to join the struggle for independence, but he arrived too late to participate.

[1] He was elected Lieutenant Governor 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,[2] serving the last 28 days of his term.

During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Army as a captain under General John B. Magruder.

In 1871, Henderson was vice president of the state Democratic Convention.