Sherman, Thomas W., brigadier-general, was born in the state of Rhode Island in 1813, and was a cadet at the United States military academy from July 1, 1832 to July 1, 1836, when he was graduated and promoted in the army to second lieutenant in the 3d artillery. He served in the Florida war, 1836-38, and also in the Cherokee Nation, and was promoted to first lieutenant in the 3d artillery on March 14, 1838. He again served in the Florida war, 1838-42; in garrison at Fort Moultrie, S. C., 1842-44; on recruiting service 1844-46; in the war with Mexico, 1846-48, being engaged in command of a battery in the battle of Buena Vista. He was promoted captain in the 3d artillery, on May 28, 1846, and was brevetted major on Feb. 23, 1847 for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Buena Vista. He was in garrison at Fort Trumbull, Conn., in 1848 at Fort Adams, R. I., 1849-53; and on frontier duty at Fort Snelling, Minn., 1853-57; in command of expedition to Yellow Medicine, Minn., 1857; quelling Kansas border disturbances, 1857-58, and he was at Fort Ridgely, Minn., as instructor in an artillery school for practice, 1858-61, except while in command of an expedition to Kettle Lake, Dak., in 1859. Upon the outbreak of the Civil war he was placed in command of a battery of U. S. artillery and battalion of Pennsylvania volunteers, at Elkton, Md., from April 24 to May 1O, 1861, guarding the Philadelphia & Baltimore railroad and the Delaware canal. He was engaged in reopening communications through Baltimore, May 1O-12, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 5th artillery on May 14, and brigadier-general of volunteers on May 17, and as chief of light artillery was engaged in the defense of Washington from May 21 to June 28. He was engaged in recruiting the 5th U. S. artillery in Pennsylvania, June 30 to July 27; in organizing an expedition for seizing and holding Bull's Bay, S. C., and Fernandina, Fla., for the use of the blockading fleet on the Southern coast, July 27 to Oct 21, and was in command of the land forces of the Port Royal expedition, Oct. 21, 1861, to March 31, 1862. He was in command of a division of the Army of the Tennessee from April 30 to June 1, in the advance upon and siege of Corinth, Miss., and in command of the center of the Army of Mississippi in pursuit of the enemy upon evacuating the place. He was in command of a division of the Department of the Gulf above New Orleans from Sept 18, 1862, to Jan. 9, 1863 in the defenses of New Orleans from Jan. 9 to May 19, and was in the expedition to Port Hudson, May 19-27, in command of the left wing of the army besieging the place, being engaged in several skirmishes and in the assault upon the works, May 27, when in leading a column to the assault, he lost his right leg. He was commissioned colonel in the 3d artillery on June 1, 1863, but was disabled by his wound until Feb. 15, 1864, when he was placed in command of the reserve brigade of artillery, Department of the Gulf, and was stationed at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, La., from March 1 to May 4. He was in command of the defenses of New Orleans from June 16, 1864, to Feb. 11, 1865, of the southern division of Louisiana from Feb. 11 to July 23, and of the eastern district of Louisiana from July 23, 1865, to April 20, 1866. He was brevetted brigadier-general, U. S. army, on March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services at the capture of Port Hudson, La., and was given the brevets of major-general of volunteers and major-general U. S. A., at the same time for gallant and meritorious services during the rebellion. He was mustered out of the volunteer service on April 30, 1866, after which he served in command of a regiment and the post of Fort. Adams, R. I., with but a few months intermission until Feb., 1869; then was stationed at Key West, Fla. until Nov. 29, 1870. He retired from active service on Dec. 31, 1870, as major-general, for disability caused by the loss of a leg in battle, and he died at Newport, R. I., on March 16, 1879.

Source: The Union Army, vol