| James Wilson Henderson | |
| Order1: | 4th |
| Office1: | Governor of Texas |
| Term Start1: | November 23, 1853 |
| Term End1: | December 21, 1853 |
| Lieutenant1: | Vacant |
| Predecessor1: | Peter Hansborough Bell |
| Successor1: | Elisha M. Pease |
| Order2: | 3rd |
| Office2: | Lieutenant Governor of Texas |
| Term Start2: | December 22, 1851 |
| Term End2: | November 23, 1853 |
| Governor2: | Peter Hansborough Bell |
| Predecessor2: | John Alexander Greer |
| Successor2: | David Catchings Dickson |
| Order3: | 7th |
| Office3: | Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives |
| Term Start3: | December 13, 1847 |
| Term End3: | November 5, 1849 |
| Predecessor3: | Stephen W. Perkins |
| Successor3: | Charles G. Keenan |
| State House4: | Texas |
| Term Start4: | December 13, 1847 |
| Term End4: | November 5, 1849 |
| Term Start5: | November 2, 1857 |
| Term End5: | November 4, 1861 |
| Office6: | Member of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives |
| Term Start6: | 1843 |
| Term End6: | 1845 |
| Birth Date: | August 15, 1817 |
| Birth Place: | Sumner County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse: | |
| Profession: | Surveyor |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Allegiance: | Confederate States |
| Branch: | Confederate States Army |
| Battles: | American Civil War |
| Rank: | Captain |
James Wilson Henderson (August 15, 1817 – August 30, 1880) was the fourth Governor of Texas from November 23, 1853, to December 21, 1853.
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. He settled in Harris County and became the county surveyor, also studying law. In 1842, he enlisted in the Somervelle Expedition.
In 1843, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, and in 1847, became Speaker of the House.[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. He died on August 30, 1880, at the age of 63, in Houston.