- Biographical Information
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His father was a rich mill owner in Rhode Island, but was murdered when the Sprague was just 13, who then inherited the family fortune at age 26. He was elected governor of Rhode Island in 1859 and was among the first to respond to Lincoln's call for troops in 1861. He fought in the Battle of Bull Run, but resigned as governor in 1863 to become a U.S. senator for Rhode Island. In 1863 he also married Kate Chase, Washington socialite and daughter of Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase. Sprague lost his family fortune in the Panic of 1873 and his marriage ultimately ended in divorce around 1880. He remarried later in life and moved back to Rhode Island. However, his estate burned down in 1909 and after that he lived the rest of his life in Paris.
