John B. Herring was born around 1848 in North Carolina. Herring was a farm laborer who resided in Franklin (Sampson County), North Carolina. Herring was charged with larceny on November 20, 1874, and sentenced to two years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Herring was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 1044. In the descriptive register, Herring’s race is noted as "colored." Herring was twenty-six years old when he was arrested. Herring was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, Herring was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He was discharged from the railroad on October 2, 1876. Herring went on to own his own home and farm with his wife Elisa Herring and their children in Franklin, North Carolina.