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He started his education in the public schools of his native town, and fitted for college at Thetford Academy in Vermont. He entered Yale College in 1853, where he remained for two years when he left for Brown University, from which he graduated in 1857. After completing his collegiate course, he studied law in the office of Stephen B. Ives, Jr., in Salem, and was admitted to practice October 7, 1859. He soon after opened an office in Salem, and by untiring industry and perseverance acquired an extensive practice.

Sterrett served as Caddo sheriff from the parish's creation until his death in a gunfight with Shreveport merchant Charles Albert Sewall in August, 1840. According to court records, Sterrett had entered Sewall's store on Texas Street demanding payment on a bill for a shipment of paper that Sterrett, a merchant as well as the sheriff, had delivered to him. Sewall claimed the shipment was short and would only pay part of the bill. Sterrett insisted and the encounter took a violent turn. Sewall grabbed a seven-inch knife and threatened the sheriff with it. The sheriff grabbed the knife but Sewall ran to the rear of the store, returning with two cocked pistols, one in each hand.
Witnesses said that Sewall told Sterrett he was trespassing and ordered him out but Sheriff Sterrett hurled a Bowie knife at Sewall, just missing him. Sewall fired, killing Sheriff Sterrett instantly. Sewall was indicted in state court for the murder of the sheriff and was released on $20,000 bond collected by friends and relatives, a staggering sum in those days when one dollar had approximately the buying power of twenty dollars today.
Sewall claimed self-defense and numerous witnesses who had seen the altercation unfold from the street and the porch of Porter's Hotel agreed. Two attempts at convicting Sewall ended in mistrials and a third resulted in the dismissal of the case in 1841. Sewall was released and lived as a free man and respectable Shreveport merchant for another five years until he died. http://www.caddohistory.com/about_sheriffs.html.³

In July 1884 "The suspension of Sewall & Erickson, wholesale dealers in millinery and straw goods, at Nos. 612 and 614 Broadway, was announced late yesterday afternoon, causing much surprise in the trade. The immediate cause is attributed to their inability to do anything further with the banks in obtaining money on their paper, on account of the condition of affairs in the money market. The firm have suffered heavy losses this Spring by the failures in the millinery trade in this city and out of town, and were regarded by some persons as doing too large a business for their capital in manufacturing straw goods and doing a millinery jobbing business. George A. Smalley was a special partner for $50,000 which was to run to Dec. 31, 1884, and he is said to have made them advances right along until recently besides his special capital. The liabilities are not definitely known, but are currently reported at $300,000. At their office it was said that they could give no figures as to the liabilities or assets, and the suspension was attributed to the banks cutting off their facilities for obtaining money on their paper.
The firm is composed of Charles C. Sewall and William T. Erickson, general partners, and George A. Smalley, special partner. Bradstreet's reports say they have been in business since Jan. 1, 1875, when the present partners, together with James M. Van Note and James W. Horton, under the style of SewaJl, Ericksou & Co., bought out the jobbing millinery business of S.A. Beekman & Co. in whose employ all the general partners had been. Jan. 2, 1881, Messrs. Van Note and Horton withdrew, and the style was changed to Sewall & Erickson. Their factory at Elizabeth, N. J., was burned down last December, involving a loss of about $42,000. on which there was an insurance of $37,000. Since then their goods were manufactured for them by Sears & Potter, at No. 322 East Forty-eighth-street, Mr. Sewall holding a chattel mortgage on the machinery there for $12,000, which was recorded on Wednesday. The firm have had a large trade, and many of their creditors express sympathy for them". The New York Times, July 18, 1884.⁵

He was the owner and manager of the Gordian Knot restaurant in New York City and managed the Black Pearl restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island. He was an yachtsman and a member of the Christmas Cove fleet at Southport, where he was a summer resident.¹

Salem, July 8.-[Special.]-Thursday next has been fixed for the inquest to determine the responsibility for the accident during the fireworks display. In the meantime pieces of the exploded mortar continue to he picked up in various places, some nearly 1000 yards away. The funeral of the Sewall lad took place from his parents' residence this afternoon, and was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Gushee, a former rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, assisted by the Rev. DeWitt S. Clark. There were numerous floral offerings from sympathetic friends. It is proposed to present Daniel Barrett with a suitably inscribed gold headed cane as a testimonial for his bravery in seizing the frightened horse attached to the police ambulance, thus preventing it from dashing through the crowd which gathered at the scene of the accident. All of the injured children were reported this evening from the hospital as getting along finely and being as comfortable as could be expected. The little Ryan boy has not yet ceased to show that remarkable pluck which he exhibited on the night of the accident. Today his father called at the hospital, and on seeing the amputated arm began to shed tears. The lad at once told him that he did not want any one to come there to cry, but would be pleased to see anybody who would call to help him pass away the time. The nurses say they never saw such fortitude in a lad of his years.⁵

It is recorded that in November, 1860, a movement was made to secure a telegraph line from Waterville to Skowhegan. September, 1862, saw the arrival in town of the wires of the Somerset & Kennebec Telegraph Co., which became after a few years a part of the Western Union system. The first operator was Charles H. Sewall whose home was in the Hartwell house on the Island. The office was on the south side of Water St. in the second story of what was then the James Malhon store, next cast of the Dinsmore one. Charles Sewall was the son of Dr. Samuel G., and married Jeanette Jewell, daughter of Mrs. Angeline (Hartwell). After eight years of telegraph duty he removed to New York where he died Mar. 25, 1905, and his wife the following day. Coburn, Louise Helen. Skowhegan on the Kennebec. Skowhegan, Me., 1941.
He was author of The Future of Long-Distance Telephoning and Wireless Telegraph: its origins, development, invention, and apparatus.