Isaac Ruth Sherwood - Namesake of Sherwood, Ohio - Part 1

When Johnson Miller from Snooksville wrote

to his state representative in 1873, regarding a petition for a new post office, it was approved by Representative General Isaac R. Sherwood.  Miller suggested in his letter that the new post office be named after Sherwood, and so it was.

As time went on, Isaac R. Sherwood distinguished himself in many areas of government and journalism, giving pride to the little village of Sherwood, Ohio, of Defiance County.

Of English and Scotch descent, Isaac Ruth Sherwood was born on August 13, 1835, in Stanford, New York.  In the 1850 census, he was enumerated with his mother, Mariah, 45, a widow, who had real estate valued at $10,000.  He had two older siblings, James, then 22, and Jane, 19.  With them, lived Peter Yeoman,79, a carpenter.  Mariah's maiden name was Yeoman, and so it might be assumed that this was either her father or some other relation.

Isaac eventually moved to Ohio, where he attended college at Antioch College, and studied law at the Ohio Law College in Cleveland, Ohio.  He began a career in journalism as editor of the Williams County Gazette in 1858.  In October 1860, he dove into politics, winning the election for Probate Court Judge in Williams County, Ohio.  (In all his political endeavours, he never lost an election!)

On March 21, 1859, he married Katherine Margaret Brownlee, known as "Kate."

The Soldier

In April, 1861, President Lincoln put out the call for 75,000 volunteers for the Union.  The patriotic Sherwood resigned his position as Probate Judge and enlisted in the 14th Regiment in Toledo, Ohio, on April 25, 1861, for a three month period.

He was promoted to a full Private on August 13, 1861. 

Sherwood mustered out of the 14th on August 13, 1861, and reenlisted in the 111th Ohio Infantry, Company S.  He was highly regarded and was promoted many times. On September 6, 1862, he was named First Lieutenant and Adjutant.  By February , 1863, he was a Major and in January, 1864, a Lieutenant Colonel.  By September, 1864, he was promoted to Major and in October, 1865, he was given the honorary promotion to Brigadier General.

The Defiance Democrat published a speech by Sherwood on March 7, 1895 on the occasion of the 30th reunion of the soldiers.

Nason Marcus wrote this in his Glenburg news column:

"I picked up recently a copy of the history of the 111th O.V.I., by Captain W. S. Thurston.  It was just out last fall and is interesting reading.  The regiment was out three years, mustered with 1000 men; mustered out 432 men.  The youngest man in the regiment was but 17 years.  Oldest man, 51 years.  Regiment was in eleven different states, and engaged in 26 battles and 2 sieges.  The siege at Knoxville lasted from Nov. 17 to Dec. 24; the other from July 28 to Sept. 2.

One of the 'boys in blue' handed me a leaflet containing the parting address of Isaac R. Sherwood, lieutenant-colonel brevet brigadier general.  He was the only regimental officer that went out and returned with his regiment.  He is yet living and is editor of the Canton News-Democrat.  His address is:

'Soldiers of the 111th Ohio, we are about to separate as soldiers and go to our homes as citizens.  Before we part, allow me to thank you for the generous courtesy you have always shown me as your commanding officer.  The work which we enlisted to perform has been well done, and you go to your homes with the proud assurance of having participated in the most decisive battles of the war.

For your heroic conduct at Franklin, you were complimented in 'General Orders' and on twenty battle fields, you have carried the tattered flag of the 111th Ohio in the front lines and sustained it triumphantly.

I do not part with men with whom I have been so intimately associated for three long years, without feelings of regret.  These soldier friendships, formed in bivouac and on the battlefield will never be forgotten; and I shall ever remember your unswerving fidelity with the liveliest emotions of pleasure  You go to your homes as American citizens, knowing what it has cost to maintain our national integrity.  Show by upright, honorable lives, my fellow soldiers, that you fully appreciate those sacrifices.

Remember our brave comrades who fell at Stone River, Huff's Ferry, Londen Creek, Campbell's Station, Knoxville, Strawberry Plains, Rocky FAce, Resaca, Dallas, Burnt Hickory, Pine Mountains, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Utoy's Creek, Lovejoy's Station, Columbia, Franklin, Nashville and Fort Anderson.  Many of them are lying in unknown graves.  Let us ever cherish their memory with reverence.  Let us show by our lives that we fully appreciate those noble sacrifices of our brave comrades and extend our sympathies and charity to the soldiers' widows and the dead soldiers' friends.

Brave Comrades, farewell; may Almighty God bless you; and may a grateful people reward you for your many and daring sacrifices for country, liberty and peace."

The Father

When Isaac came home in 1865, he would have found his wife, Katherine at home with two little children who had been born within the duration of the war.  (Katie's father was Judge James Brownlee (1800-1879), of Mahoning County.)   In 1860, Isaac, 24, and Catherine, 18, lived in Bryan, Williams County, with Maria Sherwood, 23, and James Turner, 16, Jr. Printer, born in England.  Who was Maria Sherwood - both she and Isaac reported personal wealth of $2000.  Was this an inheritance?  Was this Isaac's mother with a mistake on the age? No sister of that name was found on the census, so further investigation would be needed.

In 1868, Isaac Sherwood was elected Ohio Secretary of State and he gave that as his occupation in the 1870 census of Bryan, Ohio.  He had real estate worth $5,000 and a personal estate of $2,000.  Kate, 37, kept house and cared for James B., 8, and Irena (sic Lorena) 7, while William Fiddler, 17, was there as a laborer.

 

                  To be continued...