Sherburne went on to command batteries, battalions, and regiments as he advanced through the ranks, including service on the Texas-Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition.

After the war, Sherburne commanded the 169th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the Organized Reserve Corps' 94th Division.

[12] From June to October 1916, the 1st Field Artillery was called to federal service for duty on the Texas-Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition.

[12] Sherburne's First World War included the Silver Star and Purple Heart from the United States.

[13] Various officers in the chain of command provided conflicting explanations for why the attacks took place, but no one was reprimanded or punished.

[13] Following his World War I service, Sherburne advocated for civil rights for African Americans, including support for anti-lynching laws in New York.

[13] In 1938, a widely published article on Nazi Germany's use of the Swastika quoted Sherburne's recollection of his World War I brigade using it because of its ancient association with good luck.

[14] The article also included a testimonial from Sherburne regarding the abilities of the black soldiers he led during the war, whom he judged to be excellent in all respects.

[7] As the army reorganized following the war, Sherburne was commissioned as a brigadier general and assigned to command the 1st Massachusetts Field Artillery Brigade.

[7] He was subsequently commissioned as a brigadier general in the Organized Reserve Corps and assigned to command the 169th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the 94th Division.

[16] Sherburne was president of the Massachusetts Safety Council from 1930 to 1940, and continued to serve in the Reserve after completing his brigade command.

[7] From July 1942 to April 1943, Sherburne served as Adjutant General of Massachusetts, responsible for both training and readiness of National Guard troops activated for wartime service and the organization and operations of the Massachusetts State Defense Force, which carried out the National Guard's state duties during the war.