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Charles Leslie SHERMAN was born 24 October 1812 at Genessee, NY, the son of Caleb and Mary (Hubbard) Sherman. [Capt. John (imm), Joseph, John, Joseph, John, Caleb, John, Caleb, (him)]

He enlisted in "I" Co., 1^st Michigan calvary on 21 August 1861 at Kalamazoo, MI, and was appointed a second Lieutenant to rank from 22 August 1861. On 16 December 1861 he was detached from his company to serve in General Nathaniel P. Banks’ bodyguard, which position he held until he resigned on 31 May 1862 to accept his commission as an officer of Marines.

Commissioned a second Lieutenant of Marines from Michigan on July 17, 1862 – to rank from July 14, 1862 – he reported at Headquarters, July 23, 1862. Charles was detached from Marine Barracks, Washington, October 27, 1863, served at the Marine Barracks, Boston, November 4-13, 1863, and was then assigned as the Second Officer, Marine Guard, USS Hartford from November 13, 1863 until June 17, 1864.

Lt. Sherman commanded the Marine Guard aboard the USS Richmond, June 17, 1864 through the end of the war. He served in the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5th of 1864, and during the occupation of Fort Powell there on August 6^th. He was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant on February 22, 1865 to rank from December 8, 1864.

After the war, he was promoted 1^st Lieutenant by Brevet on March 2, 1867, to date from August 5, 1864 for gallant and meritorious service during the Battle of Mobile Bay.

He married Mary Catherine Reynolds Brevoort, daughter of Capt. Abraham N. Brevoort, USMC, on October 2, 1865. The wedding took place at the residence of Miss Brevoort’s uncle, James Hackett. They later had three daughters, but all died in infancy.

He became a companion-elect of the First Class of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Pennsylvania Commandery, on April 1, 1868. Mary Sherman died at the Naval Yard in Pensacola, Florida on May 8, 1876. 1stLt. Sherman resigned from the Marines on 7 September 1877, and died on April 16, 1879.

[information courtesy of Mr. Dave SULLIVAN, author of the book series "U. S. Marines in the Civil War". You may contact him at DSulli7875@aol.com.]

Chloe Sherman was the second daughter born to George and Chloe (Mason) Sherman. She is recorded as being the first child born in Ira, VT – on December 11, 1781. She descended via Philip (imm.),Edmund (2), Elkanah(3), George(4), and George(5).

On October 8, 1802, she married Asa Collins (b: April 8, 1777, Cheshire, MA). Around 1803, Chloe and Asa moved from Ira to Schaghticoke, Rensselaer Co., NY where they lived for twelve years. They moved back to Ira in 1815. In 1847 the family moved to South Lyon, MI.

Chloe and Asa’s sixth child, son William Henry Collins, (b: April 28, 1817 in Ira, VT) settled on a farm in Oakland County, about 2 ½ miles north of South Lyons, where he married Ellen Crawford (born in Scotland). He became a successful farmer and had acquired considerable property. After the Civil War he sold his property and moved his family to Harlem, GA where he brought the Magnolia Plantation. After he daughters married, and his two eldest sons went back to Detroit, MI, he, his wife and youngest son Hunter Collins (b: December 8, 1881 in Harlem, GA) moved back to MI and bought a house at 453 Fourth Ave., Detroit and lived there until his death. Hunter was married to Emily Dagenais of Detroit and had one daughter Editha (b: May 21, 1911).

William Henry Collins, son of Chloe Sherman and Asa Collins, had this to say about Michigan:

He later apologized and said he could raise more crops in a fence post corner in Michigan than the whole state of Vermont!!!!!

Two sons of William (b:1817), Wilkie and Hunter, became dentists and set up their practice in Detroit, living across the street from each other at Moss Ave. in Highland Park.

Wilkie, b: Sept 30, 1865, married the first time when he was around fifty years of age to Louise (Hunter) Barber, who was born in England. They lived on Moss Ave. in Highland Park, MI and had two sons. Louise died of cancer when their children were very small. When they were teenagers, Wilkey moved with his two sons William Henry (b: July 07, 1912) and Wilkie (Jr.) (b: Oct 12, 1914) to Vernon St. in Huntington Woods, MI.

William Henry has lived in Huntington Woods since he was a teenager, and retired from the Police Department there as a Lieutenant in 1972. He married his high school sweetheart, Athon Ramage and they had four children – Louise Jane, William Henry, Thomas Douglas, and John Hunter.

Wilkie (Jr.) married Mary Jane Rickman and they have three children, Wilkie, Kaye and Tamara.

Merritt Sherman descends from (Hon) Philip, Samuel, Ebenezer, David and John Sherman. Merritt was born in East Palmyra, New York on 30 October 1800. His parents were John and Susanna Sherman. Susanna’s maiden name is unknown. Merritt had two older sisters, (Pamila and Susan) and one older brother (John) and one younger brother (Warren).

Merritt married Emily Rich in Palmyra, NY on 23 December 1819. According to the Palmyra Register of 9 February 1820, "MARRIED, in this town on the 23^rd Dec. last, Mr. Merritt Sherman to Miss. Emily Rich after a short courtship of 5 years, aged 19 years each." Merritt and Emily had eleven children. They were; Harriet, Lydia, Lafayette, Newton Butler, Augusta, Merit, Emily, Aurelia, Rogener, Arloa and Martin Adelbert. All children grew to have families of their own except Merit who died young and Martin Adelbert who remained a bachelor.

Merritt Sherman served in the New York State Militia, Sixteenth Riflemen. He became a Lieutenant on May 10, 1831 and a Captain on September 28, 1833. This information was from the book, "Military History of Wayne County, New York", by Lewis H. Clark. According to the book, "Hickory County, Missouri History, 1889" in a biography on Newton Butler Sherman, a son of Merritt and Emily, "Merritt Sherman was a farmer, but also carried on merchandising on the Erie Canal for 25 years, in fact he was the first to run a merchant boat on the canal, and at this was very successful. During the great financial crash in the forties, he lost heavily. In 1848 he moved to the Cleveland, Ohio area. He resided there for five years then moved to Lenawee County, Michigan where he resided for a time then he moved to Hillsdale County, Michigan where he died in 1881 at the age of 81 years. He married Miss. Rich in Wayne County, New York and she is now living in Hillsdale County, Michigan and was 88 years of age on January 25 last. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren number 90."

Merritt and Emily seemed to speculate in buying and selling of property in both Palmyra, New York and in Michigan. In fact he was one of the early land owners in Michigan. He purchased 80 acres and a 40-acre piece in 1834 in Hillsdale County and then in 1836 purchased another 40 acres in Lenawee County, now a part of the town of Hudson. Whether Merritt went to Michigan to view the property before purchasing it is unknown but he was still living in Palmyra, New York at this time.

Merritt and Emily lived and raised their family of eleven children in East Palmyra, New York where he was a part-time farmer and business man, operating his merchant boat on the Erie Canal.

In 1848 Merritt and his family moved to Strongsville, Ohio where he farmed for 5 years before moving to Lenawee County, Michigan. In Michigan Merritt farmed near the village of Rollin in Lenawee County with his youngest son, Martin Adelbert. Some time after 1870 Merritt and Emily left their farm near Rollin and move in with their daughter, Rogener Foster, and her family. Rogener and her family lived in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Probably about 15 miles from the village of Rollin.

Merritt died on the 28 February 1881. Emily died 1 October 1889. Both are buried in Bankers Cemetery, located just west of the village of Bankers in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Their tombstones read: "Grandpa Merritt Sherman 1800-1881," and "Grandma Emily Sherman 1801-1889."

Sanford Webal SHERMAN, b. 8 Mar 1837 in East Lincklaen, BY, was the son of Joseph E. and Roxey (REYNOLDS) Sherman. Raised in Chenango Co., NY, Sanford married 6 Oct 1858 Phoebe Ann HUTTLESTON in DeRuyter, Onondaga Co, NY. Phoebe Ann, born 10 Sep 1841 in Onondaga Co., NY to Jesse and Rhoda (BENTLEY) Huttleston, was a teacher.

Sanford and Phoebe had been married nearly four years when Sanford enlisted (11 Aug 1862) in Co. I of the 114^th NY Volunteer Infantry. According to family tradition, Phoebe Ann gave her locket to her husband to take with him, containing both of their photos. Sanford carried it throughout the Civil War, being discharged as a Corporal on 8 Jun 1865 at Washington DC. Sanford returned home to the farm, where he and Phoebe began raising a family. My great grandfather, Clifford Joseph SHERMAN, was born 3 Nov 1866, the eldest of their four children (sibs: Elmer--1870, Archie -- 1876, Goldie --1880).

Phoebe Ann’s locket has survived, as have the photos inside it. We have a photo of her after the war, wearing the locket on a chain attached at her waist. The family tradition is that the locket goes to the eldest Ann of the next generation. My great aunt, Rowena Ann Sherman, also a teacher, inherited the locket after Phoebe’s death in 1910. My uncle, David Sanford HATHAWAY, will pass it to my cousin, Mary Ann.

I have always had a special fondness for my ancestor Sanford Sherman. I was desperately searching for college scholarships that I could apply for, when my mother checked the list and said I was eligible for the one for descendants of Civil War veterans (which was news to me!). That sparked my interest in genealogy. Sanford was that veteran, and obtaining proof of my descent from him was my first introduction into genealogy. I had always been interested in history, but this was personal history, something that up until then, the teenager raised thousands of miles from relatives hadn’t even realized existed. [But I didn’t get the scholarship!]