Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/473

 SPOTTAS

SPRAGUE

1882-85), and his speeches in the assembly, 1714- 18, appeared in William Maxwell's "Virginia Historical Register." His son Robert was killed by Indians in 1757. Governor Spotswood died in Annapolis. Md., June 7, 1740.

SPOTTS, James Ilanna, naval officer, was born in Fort Jolinson, N.C., March 11, 1823. His father was a major in the U.S. army during the war of 1812, and served as chief of artillery to General Jackson, at the battle of New Oi-leans. James was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, Aug. 2, 1837 ; attended the naval school at Philadelphia. 1842-43 ; was promoted passed mid- sliipman in June, 1848 ; served during the Mexican war on the Lexington, 1846-49 ; was promoted master, April 8, 1851, and lieutenant, Nov. 25, 1851. He was attached to the East India, Pacific and. Lake squadrons, and in 1861 was stationed at Key West as captain of the port. He was promoted commander, Aug. 5, 1863 ; commanded the Magnolia of the East Gulf squadron in 1862 ; the South Carolina of tlie South Atlantic blockad- ing squadron, 1863-64, and the double-ender Paiotucket, of the North Atlantic squadron in 1865, taking part in the engagements with Fort Fisher, Dec. 23-26, 1864, and Jan. 13-16, 1865, and in the bombardment of the batteries on the Cape Fear and James rivers. He was promoted captain in July, 1866, commanded the steamers Saranac and Pensacola of the Pacific squadron,

1870-73 ; was lighthouse in- spector, 1873- 74 ; was pro- moted com- modore in Sep- tember, 1873, and rear-ad- miral in May, 1881. Hecom- u.s.s."PE,.s.<otA--,a58. manded the

South Atlantic squadron, 18S1-83, and died at Port Stanley. Falkland Islands, March 9, 1883.

SPRAGUE, John Wilson, soldier, was born at White Creek, Washington county, N.Y., April 4, 1817. He attended the district school, and Rensselaer Polytechnic institute, Troy, N.Y., but did not graduate. He engaged in mercantile business in Erie county, Ohio, and in Sandusky, Ohio ; was county treasurer, 1851-53, and in 1861, raised a company of militia, was commissioned its captain, and with it joined the 7th Ohio volunteers. He was promoted colonel, 63d Ohio volunteers in 1863 ; brigadier-general, July 31 , 1864, and brevet major-general, March 13, 1865. He commanded the 3d brigade, 4th division, 16th army corps, Sherman's army, in the Atlanta campaign, May 3-Sept. 8, 1864, and commanded the detachment that was sent to hold Decatur,

Ga., and to protect the Federal wagon trains at that place, July 33, 1864. He commanded the 2d brigade, 1st division, 17th army corps, in the campaign of the Carolinas, and was mustered out of the volunteer service, Aug. 24, 1865. He was manager of the Winona and St. Paul railway, 1865-70 ; and was general manager of the western division of the Northern Pacific railway, 1870-83. He was associated with Captain Ainsworth in establishing the city of Tacoma, Wasli. He was married, October, 1890, to Mrs. A. W. Vance of Meadville, Pa. He died in Tacoma, Dec. 37, 1893.

SPRAGUE, Peleg, senator, was born in Dux- bury, Mass., April 37, 1793 ; a descendant of William Sprague, the immigrant, of Hingham, Mass. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1813, A.M., 1815; attended the Litchfield Law school, 1813-15, and practised in Augusta and Hallovvell, Maine, 1815-35. He was a represen- tative in the state legislature. 1820-21 ; a Whig representative in the 19th and 20th congresses, 1825-39, and U.S. senator, 1829-35. He removed to Boston in 1835, and continued his law practice; was presidential elector for Harrison and Tyler, in 1841 ; and U.S. district judge for Massachu- setts, 1841-65. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Harvard, in 1847. He is the author of : Speeches and Addresses (1858), and a work on Decisions on Admiralty and Maritime Cases in the District Court of the United States for the District of Massachusetts, 1S41-1861, edited in 1861 by Francis E. Parker. He died in Boston, Mass., Oct. 13, 1880.

SPRAGUE, William, governor of Rhode Island, was born in Cranston, R.I., Nov. 3, 1799 ; son of William and Anne (Potter) Sprague ; grandson of William and Mary (Waterman) Sprague, and a descendant of the Rev. Jonathan Sprague, of Providence, and on his mother's side, of Roger Williams. His father was the first to introduce calico printing into America. William and his brother Amasa were made partners in the busi- ness, and in 1836, upon the father's death, the sons continued the business, greatly enlarging and improving it, until it became the largest cotton manufactory in the world. William Sprague was a member of the general assembly ; being speaker of the house, 1832-35 ; a represen- tative in the 24th congress, 1835-37, and was elected twelfth governor of the state to succeed John Brown Francis in 1838. serving till 1839. He was elected U.S. senator to succeed Hon. Nathan F. Dixon, deceased. Feb. 18. 1842. serving till 1844, when he resigned on account of the death of his brother Amasa, which threw upon him the entire responsibility of the firm of A. and W. Sprague. He was presidential elector on the Taylor and Fillmore ticket in 1848. He was married to Mary Waterman of Warwick,