Isacc A. Deyo, a Danish citizen by birth was born in 1879 on the Danish Island of St. Thomas. The United States did not acquire the US Virgin Islands as a territory until 1917. He immigrated to New York with his family when he was 10 years old. While he only completed the third grade in school, his personal letters indicate that he was both a compelling writer. He worked as a hotel waiter and grocery store clerk before enlisting in the army in 1898 at the age of 19. He was discharged in 1902, then worked in the Philippines from 1902-1909 as a civilian employee of the Quartermaster Corps. By his own admission he had one arrest for petty larceny in Newburg, NY when he was a teenager and he had served a brief stint in the county jail in Albany, NY. His company commander said he was “an asset to the organization.” He was 37-38 years old with 14 years of military service at the time of the Houston Rebellion, making him both one of the older men in the battalion as well as one of the most experienced veterans. His campaigns include the Spanish-American War, the Philippines, and the 1916 Punitive Expedition into Mexico.

On August 24, 1920, while he was incarcerated, Deyo wrote to Senator W. S. Kenyon to appeal for his help in obtaining clemency: “Since the time of my conviction I have received no consideration whatsoever. I have been informed by the military boards upon several occasions that they could not do anything for me, or for any military prisoner who was sentenced to life imprisonment. Now I am innocent of all the charges and specifications, as is asserted by my pleas. Therefore, I appeal to you to have this wrong right. I do not want to be punished for the misdeeds of another – or perchance for a crime that never had commission. I enlisted in the United States Army April, 1, 1899. I served continuously until the time this difficulty arose. I had never been involved into – not even the slightest difficulty. Hence, I feel proud of my Army record. I believe that these things ought to be take more into consideration. I am merely seeking a fair trial. The Constitution of the United States requires that every man shall be tried before all courts thereof fairly and impartially. So far, I have had neither a fair trial nor an impartial one. I am asking for that now. And moreover, I believe that Justice, Humanity and all concerned would be materially benefitted by giving me such a trial as is aforementioned.” Senator Kenyon passed Deyo’s appeal on up the line to the JAG and the JAG replied on September 20, 1920, denying
clemency.

On January 30, 1924, under order from the Secretary of War, the new JAG, W. A. Bethel, signed a recommendation “that the Attorney General approve the findings of the Board of Parole for the U. S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, granting parole to General Prisoner Isaac A. Deyo, formerly Private, Company I, 24th Infantry, who has now served about six years and nine months of his eighteen year sentence (reduced from life) for participation in the Houston Riots.”

Deyo died on March 9, 1950.