Fifth Commandant
17 October 1820 - 6 January 1859

Archibald Henderson was born in Colchester, Virginia, on 21 January 1783. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 4 June 1806. During the War of 1812, as a captain, he served as commander of the Marine guard on board the frigate Constitution and for his gallant service with that famed vessel received the brevet rank of major.

In 1820 at the age of 37, he was appointed the fifth Commandant of the Marine Corps, a responsibility he held until his death almost 39 years later. During his tenure of office, Henderson saw the Corps through a host of small campaigns and seaborne operations and personally led a Marine regiment in the early campaigns of the Seminole War.

He commanded the Corps during the Mexican War, and by the time of his death on the eve of the Civil War, had insured the continued role of his beloved Marine Corps as a strong armed force in the American military structure.

Henderson passed away quietly during a nap on the afternoon of 6 January 1859. His remains were interred in the Congressional Cemetery in southeast Washington.