Last updated: December 1, 2024
Person
Isaac Sherwood
Quick Facts
Date of Birth:
1759
Date of Death:
October 10, 1777
Isaac Sherwood (born 1759) of North Tarrytown, New York, lived at home with his parents, loads of siblings, and one John Peterson. John, who was “brought up in the family,” was a self-described laborer and “man of colour.”
In November 1776, Isaac was commissioned as the 1st Lieutenant of Captain Pell’s company in the 2nd New York Regiment commanded by Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt. As an officer, he had the task of recruiting men for the company. On January 1, 1777, at John’s request, Isaac enlisted him as a private soldier for a three-year term.
During the Northern Campaign of 1777, the 2nd New York Regiment joined the American Northern Army in late August. The regiment fought in the September 19 Battle of Freeman’s Farm (First Battle of Saratoga), a fight in which John survived but Isaac was severely wounded. The teenaged officer—Isaac was 18—lingered for weeks but died in the Hospital on October 10. He never knew that the battle in which he was mortally wounded helped bring about the surrender of the first British Army in world history. Isaac was probably buried in Albany.
Because of John’s closeness with the family, he was granted a rare winter furlough in order to return Isaac’s personal belongings home. He rejoined his regiment at Valley Forge by April 1778—thereby avoiding the deathly winter there. John soldiered on, fought in the 1778 Battle of Monmouth, NJ and the 1779 Battle of Newtown, NY. He was honorably discharged in 1780, and just in time too: he and one of Isaac’s cousins helped thwart Benedict Arnold’s co-conspirator, John André, from escaping into waiting British hands!