Colonel of the 126th New York Infantry

Mortally wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg while repulsing Pickett's Charge

United States Congressman from New York

(1813-63) Born in Greenville, New York, where he attended the public schools. He moved to Herkimer County, N.Y. in 1832, and then moved to Shandaken in 1838, where Sherrill owned a tannery. He entered local politics, holding several political offices, and served as a major in the New York State Militia. He was elected as a Whig to the United States Congress, serving from 1847 to 1849, and he was a member of the New York State Senate in 1854 and 1855. During the Civil War, he organized the 126th New York Infantry in August 1862 and became its first colonel. His regiment was among the troops defending Harpers Ferry against General Joseph B. Kershaw's Confederate brigade of General Lafayette McLaws's division during the 1862 Maryland Campaign. He was severely wounded with a gunshot wound through his lower jaw in fighting on Maryland Heights during the Battle of Harpers Ferry. Colonel Sherrill was captured and later paroled. The wound never fully healed, but he temporarily rejoined his regiment at Union Mills, Virginia, in October 1862. After a furlough for further recuperation, he returned for active field duty on January 27, 1863. He commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, after the death of Colonel George L. Willard's on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg. Colonel Sherrill, in his first full day commanding the brigade, was positioned near Ziegler's Grove on Cemetery Ridge, where he was in position to repulse Pickett's Charge, and was mortally wounded on July 3rd by a musket shot. Carried off the field by men of the 39th New York Infantry, he was taken to the 11th Corps field hospital, where he died about 8:00 a.m. the next day. His body was sent by the regimental surgeon to Baltimore for embalming. He was buried at Washington Street Cemetery at Geneva, Ontario County, New York.

Signature with Place: 6 1/2 x 1 1/2, in ink, Eliakim Sherrill, Shandaken, N. York. Very fine. Desirable Gettysburg colonel mortally wounded during Pickett's Charge.