11? HIS TO 15 -2" OF THE if a/ Sprague Families, OF RHODE ISLAND, it 4 dottoii >rar\uf a^tui'ei'^C^Cklido frinters' #1 1 FROM WILLIAM I. TO WILLIAM IV. I^mi With an Account of the Murder of the Late rtmasa Sprague, Father of Hon. Wm. Sprague, ex-If. k S. Senator from Rhode Island. m 4m BY BENJAMIN KNIGHT, m W\ SANTA t'ltrZ: II. COFFIN, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER. mx 1881. 111 MAP^i JtLii _JL ' „ ,JL- 4^, v. ""u^L^uJuSSkiiit ^p-nijii: JigjjOL Jipc JiyirJi|(j|i[ njit mp nyprjij|ir jqpi ig« jyt %« J%K JJJII jjjfi jpii jqyjn jfp jqjnqjpi jyrjgi J"4Jnu!| Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, By BENJAMIN KNIGHT, Sa., In the Offioe of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE. The Early History of William Spragne I., and Hie Sons, Peter and Abner Sprague 3 CHAPTER II. The History of William Sprague II.—Hie Business Tact, Enterprise ana Energy 4 CHAPTER III. Commencement of Calico Printing at the Cranston or Sprague Print Works by Wm. Sprague II.—His Business Habits, Personal Appearance, and Po­ litical Transactions, together with the Cause of his Heath, etc... ., 13 . CHAPTER IV. History of Amasa Sprague, Oldest Son of Wm. Sprague-II... 17 CHAPTER V. History of Wm. Spragne III., Second Son of Wm. Sprague II 21 CHAPTER VI. The Business Energy and Perseverance of Wm. Sprague III 30 CHAPTER VII. History of Col. Byron Sprague, Only Son of Wm. Sprague III 33 CHAPTER VIII. History of Amasa Sprague II., Oldest Son of the Late Amasa Sprague, aud 3rother of ex-Senator Wm. Spragne IV ,... 37 11 COIN TENTS. CHAPTER IX. William Sprague IV--His Birth and E rly Education - His Businers Train­ ing by his Uncle, William III—The Formation of the New Firm of A. <Ss W Sprague & Co.—His Tour through Prance and England, and Beturn Home in 1861—His Election to the United States Senate- He goes to Washington with the Rhode Island Troops, and takes an Active Part in the First Battle of Bull Run with the same Troops, having His Horse Shot from Under Him—He Assists in the Recovery of the Remains of Col. Slocnm, Major Ballon and Capt. Tower from '/he Battle-fleld, and Restores Tbem to Their Friends 39 HISTOET Sprague Families, OF RHODE ISLAND, dotton, JVtk^ufkdttu'ei'^Ci^lido f^ter^ FROM WILLIAM I. TO WILLIAM IV., With an tf.ccou.nt of the Murder of the Late tfmasa Sprague, Father of Hon. Wm. Sprague, ex-lf. S. Senator from Rhode Island. BY BENJAMIN KNIGHT, SB. SANTA CRUZ: H. Coprm, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER 1881. HISTOBT OIF THE SPRAGUE FAMILY, O^1 RHODE XSX-ufc-ltfVD. CHAPTER I. The Early History of William Sprague I., and His Sons, Peter and Abner Sprague. The early history of William Sprague I. is "but little known. His time was mostly "before the Revolution. He was a well-to-do farmer in the town of Cranston, adjoining the town (now city) of Providence, R. I. His residence was about three and a half miles southwest of Weighboset bridge, (the center of the town of Providence,) on the- P^ocasset river, which unites with the Pawtuxet river. The Pocasset river ran through a part of his farm, upon which he had a saw-mill and: grist­ mill, near the spot where now stands the Cranston or Sprague print works. In connection with his farm he had a large tract of wood land, in the 4 HISTORY OF THE SPRAGUE FAMILY. • west part of the town of Cranston. When Wil­ liam Sprague I. died he left a widow, without children, and three sons by a former wife, whose names were as follows: Peter, Abner and Wil­ liam Sprague II. Peter and Abner Sprague were farmers, but little known beyond their town or neighborhood. Peter Sprague occupied his farm a short distance southwest of Mashapaug pond*, in Cranston, and about one and a quarter miles east of the present print works. He never rose to any distinction above his fellow townsmen, polit­ ically or otherwise. He was but a plain farmer. There is nothing very definitely known concern­ ing him or his family. When he died he left no children that became of public note. Abner Sprague owned a farm about three-fourths of a mile west of the print works, where he pur­ sued the life of a farmer for many years. At his death he left one son and two daughters. His son never made any noise in the world, politically or otherwise. CHAPTER II. The History of William Sprague II.—His Business Tact, Enterprise and Energy. William Sprague- II. was born in Cranston, Providence county, State of Rhode Island, June 5th, 1773, and subsequently became extensively *M<*q>inTi(mrr pruirl is now in the Oth Wnrd of the Citv of Provider-fe. HISTORY OF THE SPRAGUE FAMILY. 0 known for his business tact, enterprise and energy. Soon after the settlement of his father's estate, he married Miss Anna Potter, of Cranston, the daughter of a farmer. Mrs. Sprague was the senior of her husband ten years, and assisted him greatly in vhe accumulation of their property. She took upon herself all the domestic cares of a numerous household, and with the assistance of Aunt Pa­ tience, (as she was called by the laborers,) the step mother of her husband, and a few neighbor­ ing girls, the work of the house was kept in excellent order. Mrs. Sprague had no waiting maids to wait upon her. If she took a seat for a few moments, it would be to take care of one of her children, or "boss" the girls about house in regard to their work. William II had a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, whose names were as follows: Susanna, Amasa William, Almira and Benoni, all of whom, except Benoni, took an active part in the accumulation of property. When William II commenced busi­ ness, the town (now city) of Providence Avas a place of eight or ten thousand inhabitants. The principal merchants of Providence at this time were Brown <fe Ives, General Edward Carrington, and Cyrus Butler, who were engaged in foreign commerce, to Canton in China, their ships going out around Cape Horn and returning via. Cape of Good Hope. Benjamin Clifford,. Samuel G. Arnold, Richmond & Bullock, Rich­ mond & Andrews, Carlo Mauran, Joshua Mauran, William Church, Nightingale, and others were 6 HISTORY OF THE SPRAGUE FAMILY. iii the West India and coastwise trade. Con­ siderable ship building was carried on in Providence about this time, at what was then called Eddy's Point, near where now stands the Providence steam cotton mill, at the junction of Eddy and Dyer streets. It was at this ship yard that William II disposed of his ship timber and oak plank from his saw mill, then located where now stands the famous Sprague or Cranston print works. As early as the year 1808 his grist­ mill, standing near his saw-mill, he converted into a small cotton mill for carding and spinning cotton yarn. Therefore he was one of the earliest manufacturers of cotton cloth in Rhode Island. The machinery at that time was very rude. The art of weaving by power, either by water or steam, was unknown, consequently, cotton could only be carded and spun into yarns of coarse quality, then reeled and put up in packages of several pounds each, and sent out among the farmer's wives and daughters to weave. The cloth was woven in the old fashioned looms, the web being sprung by the weaver's feet, and the shuttle thrown and lathe moved alternately by their hands. The cloth when returned tot the store, was unrolled, and small loops sewed to the selvedge, then taken to the little green meadow and pegged out with little pegs inserted through the loop on the selvedge, leaving space enough between each web of cloth for a person to walk with a watering pot and sprinkle the cloth, and in that way whiten it, and that was their first HISTORY OF THE SPRAGUE FAMILY. 7 method of whitening or bleaching cotton cloth. Besides manufacturing cotton cloth, William II carried on farming to a considerable extent, and raising stock, particularly young steers, which after wintering them, he would turn them up into what was called Sprague's woods, and the adjoining woods of Governor Fenner, in the west part of the town of Cranston. Late in autumn he would drive them home and sell them to the neighboring farmers, who would come and select and mate the steers, and drive them away. One spring, as they were unyoking a pair of steers, the off steer got away from them, with the yoke remaining on his neck. He was turned to the woods with the rest of the steers in that condition, and he carried the yoke all the season. Several attempts were made to capture him while in the woods, which caused him to become wild. He was finally waylaid, shot and dressed in an open lot near the woods. In the winter season William II carried on quite a business in getting lumber and cordwood. He would have a number of men chopping, cord- wood andi logs for lumber in the aforenamed woods. The men lived, during the winter in a cabin, having their provisions brought to them by the teamsters who were drawing logs to the saw-mill, and cord-wood to the cotton mill, and Providence.