Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/223

 HENDERSON

HENDERSON

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fHll.APEU'HlA.PA.

(774-1783

menced Feb. 15, 1776, as 3d major in Colonel Stew- art's battalion of minute-men. He was made ma- jor of Colonel Heard's battalion June 14, 1776, and subsequently lieutenant-colonel of Forman's bat- talion of Heard's brigade. He was brigade-major at Monmouth, and at Freehold Court House he was the "solitary horseman" who informed Washington of the cowardice of Gen. Charles Lee, who had thrown away his advantage and depriv- ed his commander of the assistance of 6000 men by ordering a retreat without striking a blow.

When the town was laid waste Dr. Hender- son's was the first house de- stroyed. He was a mem- ^'^^^^^- ber of the

provincial council in 1777 ; delegate to the Con- tinental congress, 1779-80 ; vice-president of the council of New Jersey, 1794, and acting gov- ernor during the absence of Governor Howell at the head of New Jersey troops to quell Shays's re- bellion in Pennsylvania. He was a representa- tive in the 4th U.S. congress, 1795-97, and subse- quently surrogate of Monmouth county, state representative, judge of the common pleas and boundary commissioner. He was married to Mary Hendricks, granddaughter of William Wikotf. She died soon after their marriage, and in January, 1778, he was married to Rachel, daugliter of John Burrovves, of Middletown Point, N.J. (born September, 1751. died Aug. 23, 1840). By his second marriage he had seven daughters. He was ruling elder of the Tennent (Presbyterian) church at Freehold for more than fort}^ years. He is the author of Memoir of the Life of the Rev. William Tennent, Jr. (1807). He died in Freehold, N.J., Dec. 15, 1824.

HENDERSON, Thomas Jefferson, representa- tive, was born in Brownsville, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1824 ; son of William H. and Sarah M. (Howard), grandson of John and Nancy (Singleton) Hen- derson, and of Edmund and Edith (Murphj-) Howard ; and great-grandson of William Hen- derson, who Avas born in Hanover county, Va. His greats-grandfather Henderson came fi"oni Scotland and settled probably in Hanover county, Va., where his paternal great-grandfather and grandfather were born. He attended the Male academy in his native town, and removed to Illinois in 1836, where he afterward attended the common schools. He was a student at the University of Iowa, 1845^6. In 1847 he was elected clerk of the county commissioners' court of Stark county, 111., and was clerk of the county

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court, 1849-53. He was a representative in the Illinois legislature in 1855 and 1856, and a state senator, 1856-60, In 1862 he joined the U. S, army as colonel of the 112th Illinois volunteers, and served until the close of the war, much of the time command- ing a brigade, and winning the brevet rank of brigadier- general of volunteers " for gallant services in the Georgia and Tennessee campaigns, especially at the bat- tle of Franklin, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1864." He was a Republican presidential elector for the state of Illi- nois at large in 1868 ; collector of internal revenue for the fifth dis- trict of Illinois, 1871-73, and a Republican repre- sentative in the 44th-53d congresses inclusive, 1875-95. On April 22, 1896, he was appointed a member of the board of managers of the National Home for disabled volunteer soldiers for the term of six years, and in 1900 was secretary of the board.

HENDERSON, William, soldier, was born at Nutbush Creek, near Williamsborough, N.C., March 5, 1748 ; son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Williams) Henderson. His paternal ancestry was Scotch, and his maternal, Welsh. Some years before the beginning of the Revolutionary war he removed to Pacolet, S.C, and engaged in busi- ness as a merchant. At the outbreak of the war he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of one of the regular regiments of South Carolina and served throvighout the war. He participated in every important battle that occurred in South Carolina and commanded a sortie at the siege of Charles- ton. AVhen that city was captured he was taken prisoner, and after his exchange he joined Gen- eral Greene at the siege of Ninety-Six. Ho was also appointed a general of militia and com- manded the state troops at the battle of Eutaw Springs, in which he took a conspicuous part and was wounded. He died at Pacolet, S.C., about 1787.

HENDERSON, William James, author, was born at Newark, N.J., Dec. 4, 1855 ; son of William and Esther (Lewis) Henderson, and grandson of James Henderson, who came to New Jersey from Scotland about 1830, and of Henry Lewis, who came from England to New York in 1837. He was prepared for college at the Freehold Insti- tute, and was graduated from the College of New Jersey, Princeton, in 1876. He then entered journalism as reporter on the New York Tribune