On April 12, 1864, Sylvester mustered in as a Private in Company G of the 17th Vermont Infantry. He transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps in November, 1864 before mustering out February 1, 1865.
Sylvester lived in St. Johnsbury in 1890. The 1890 United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War notes he suffered a "gun shot wound of left arm resulting in total disability of hand such as to render incapacity to perform manual labor".

Despite the injury, Sylvester worked as a farm laborer after he and Frances Ayer married. By 1900, Sylvester, Frances, and their son Frank moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Both men worked in a machine shop, Frank as a machinist while Sylvester worked as a painter.

Sylvester received a pension beginning in 1865. In 1905, Frances became the beneficiary of his pension.
The death notice published in the St. Johnsbury Caledonian (St. Johnsbury, Vermont) on December 28, 1904 states Sylvester was survived my his wife and son William, who lived in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Sylvester was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the New England Order of Protection.

On April 12, 1864, Sylvester mustered in as a Private in Company G of the 17th Vermont Infantry. He transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps in November, 1864 before mustering out February 1, 1865.
Sylvester lived in St. Johnsbury in 1890. The 1890 United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War notes he suffered a "gun shot wound of left arm resulting in total disability of hand such as to render incapacity to perform manual labor".

Despite the injury, Sylvester worked as a farm laborer after he and Frances Ayer married. By 1900, Sylvester, Frances, and their son Frank moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Both men worked in a machine shop, Frank as a machinist while Sylvester worked as a painter.

Sylvester received a pension beginning in 1865. In 1905, Frances became the beneficiary of his pension.
The death notice published in the St. Johnsbury Caledonian (St. Johnsbury, Vermont) on December 28, 1904 states Sylvester was survived my his wife and son William, who lived in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Sylvester was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the New England Order of Protection.