James Wilson of Frederick County, VA died between 5 Jan 1777 and 1 April
1777. Based on his will and subsequent estate papers the following
timeline can be constructed:

5 January 1777 -- James Wilson's will written at which time he was "in
perfect health"
**** That "boiler-plate" was usual, indicating that he died suddenly or was killed.
 
9 February 1777 to 6 July 1777 -- boarding of his three children. (The
boarding continued from July 1777 to October 1778.)
**** This being a month after the will, and assuming he died suddenly, one might infer that your man was of sufficient affluence for the widow to bear the expense of such a boarding out. Notice that you did not say they were "apprenticed", revealing that someone had the means to pay someone else to care for them. You might also GUESS that his widow had some reason other than money for turning the kids to another person. 

27 March 1777 -- sale of several of his farm animals
****This immediate sale suggests that there were no sons or other men in the family who were able or inclined to operate the farr OR it reveals that the money was needed for the care of the widow and to pay the new custodians of the kids.  I would search thoroughly in the courts orders or minutes for any refernces to this family, since the court had to approve such a sale.    
1 April 1777 -- James Wilson's will proved in court

A tradition says James was on his way to join the Continental Army when he
died.
**** May very well be, and that would suggest that the family had to break up the home for whatever reasons.

 That would explain why he wrote his will when he did.
***  Yep.

 So assuming this tradition to be true, he prbably rendezvoused at Winchester, VA shortly after he wrote his will and marched or rode off toward New Jersey
where Washington's army was in winter quarters.

QUESTIONS:
1. Does the boarding of his children indicate that news of his death had
reached his home by 9 February and that boarding children was standard
practice when a father was deceased?
*** Nope, not standard practice atall; in fact, the boarding out and sale of the livestock seems to have been very hurriedly.
 
Their mother was still living. So was James' father.
****  For whatever reason she did not want to keep the farm; probably because she had no grown boys at home.

2. Could James Wilson still have been alive on 9 February? That is, could
the boarding of his children on 9 February have been part of a plan by
James to reduce the burden on his wife while he was absent?
****Sure, well could have been, but the sale of the livestock so quickly tells me that the widow needed money.

 Then when his death became known, the boarding simply continued.
***  Yep, but there were orders of the court somewhere in this scenario. 
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