John Hunter Herndon

John Hunter Herndon (1813–1878) was a planter, lawyer, and judge in Texas.

Early life John Hunter Herndon was born July 8, 1813, near Georgetown, Kentucky. His father was Boswell Herndon and his mother, Barbara Herndon. He graduated from Transylvania College in Kentucky, with degrees in art and law.

Career

Herndon practiced law for a brief period in Kentucky. He left Kentucky on December 12, 1837, aboard the steamship Independence traveling downstream on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, then continued to the Republic of Texas on January 15, 1838. He maintained a journal for part of his stay in Houston, recording regular entries for three months, including his excursions to Galveston. During his stay, he wrote sales contracts, and eventually, accepted an appointment as Engrossing Clerk for the Republic of Texas House of Representatives. He participated in the Somervell Expedition. He was among the soldiers who obeyed the orders of President Sam Houston and retreated from the Rio Grande River, thus avoiding the Mier Expedition and the Black Bean Episode.

Death He died July 6, 1878, in Boerne, Texas, and is interred in Hempstead, Texas.