John W. Lawrence was born in Gwinnett Co., GA and moved from there to Chattooga Co., GA with his parents when he was 12 years old. After his marriage to Dulcena Dulcemore "Saena" Tapp in 1842, John moved his new family to Walker Co., GA. In June of 1851, John moved his family again, this time to an 80 acre tract northwest of Timbo which was in Searcy Co., AR at that time.

In 1861, John helped organize Co. K of the 16th Ark. Inf., CSA and then was chosen captain of the 79 men in that company. John reported to Col. John F. Hill of Gen. Ben McCulloch's division. Gen. Earl VanDorn assumed command of that division in March of 1862 and immediately ordered the men north from its winter encampment in the Boston Mountains in Western Arkansas to engage the Union forces at what became known as the Battle of Pea Ridge. At the conclusion of that conflict, VanDorn's division traveled east to join Gen. G. T. Beauregard's forces for the what was to become known as the Battle of Shiloh. Arriving too late to participate in that battle, Capt. John W. Lawrence and his men were assigned to help slow the advancement of Union troops on the Confederate encampment at Corinth, MS while the Confederate army prepared to withdraw from there. It was near Farmington, MS on that assignment that Capt. John W. Lawrence was struck in the head by a mini ball and mortally wounded. He was taken to Corinth, MS where he lived a very short time. His body is believed to have been placed in a trench there with other Confederate army causalities by his withdrawing comrades due to there being insufficient time to bury each body seperately.

Capt. John W. Lawrence had been in command of Company K of the 16th Ark. Inf., CSA for just over 7 months. During that time, 3 men under his command (including himself) were killed, 1 was captured, and 18 deserted. The 16th Ark. Inf. as a whole suffered its greatest causalities of the Civil War at Corinth, MS where it was reported that 7 of every 12 men in that command was killed, wounded, or among the missing.

Capt. John W. Lawrence's body was not returned to Arkansas. A memorial marker for John was issued by the Veterans Administration and placed next to that of John's father, James Lawrence, in the Timbo Cemetery during dedication ceremonies there in 1994.

John and "Saena" (Tapp) Lawrence had 11 children.