Henderson moved from Georgia to Tampa in 1847 where he eventually studied law in the office of James J. Gettis. He was married to Mary Turman of Tampa who bore him a daughter, Flora Abijah. During the Civil War, Henderson served in Company B of the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant. After the war, he moved to Tallahassee and became one of the state's leading corporate lawyers. He was married a second time to Mattie Ward of Tallahassee with whom he had two children, John W. and Jennie.
