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Henry Tillinghast Sisson, only child of David (2) and Sarah A. (Bailey) Sisson, was a brave soldier of the civil war, rising to the rank of colonel with the brevet of brigadier-general, first entering the service at the outbreak of hostilities in the First Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers, being commissioned paymaster, with the rank of lieutenant. He was appointed, May 20, 1861, captain in the First Rhode Island Artillery, and promoted February 5 of the following year major of the Third Heavy Artillery. He resigned this office, August 6, 1862, and was appointed November 5 of that year colonel of the Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, mustered in November 5, 1862, and honorably discharged on account of disability, October 5, 1864. He left Rhode Island, December 27, 1862, for Annapolis, to join the North Carolina expedition, and arrived at Beaufort, January 9, 1863, taking command of the regiment. Here he performed brilliant service in raising the siege of Little Washington, North Carolina, a most hazardous and difficult undertaking, brilliantly achieved. He was subsequently posted at Fort Rowan and by command of General Foster, Colonel Sisson's regiment garrisoned Fort Totten. The Fifth was on the right center at the siege of Newbern in February, 1864, and through his long service in the swampy regions of the Carolina coast, Colonel Sisson became disabled, and was discharged, as above noted. He was lieutenant-governor of the state of Rhode Island in 1875.