Jack Sisson (1821) was an enslaved African American who sided with the Patriots and served in the

First Rhode Island Regiment The 1st Rhode Island Regiment (also known as Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the Black Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and Olney's Battalion) was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Rhode Island during the Americ ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Sisson was one of the key figures in the July 1777 capture of British General

Richard Prescott Lieutenant General Richard Prescott (1725–1788) was a British officer, born in England. Military career He was appointed a major of the 33rd Regiment of Foot, on 20 December 1756, transferred to the 72nd Regiment of Foot on 9 May 1758, and ...

. Sisson was among about forty troops under the command of Colonel William Barton who traversed British controlled waters to sneak up and capture Prescott. Sisson served both as the pilot for one of the boats and also used his head to break down Prescott's door. The mission was accomplished without losses.

References

1743 births 1821 deaths Rhode Island militiamen in the American Revolution Black Patriots 18th-century American slaves {{US-mil-bio-stub