Thomas H. Sprague (abt. 1836 - 1864)

Born about 1836 in Ohio

Ancestors

Husband of Rachel (Rodman) Burley — married 17 Sep 1856 (to 14 Dec 1864) in Marion County, Ohio

Died 14 Dec 1864 at about age 28 in Danville, Virginia

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Biography

Thomas was born the son of Thomas Jefferson and Loraine (Higgins) Sprague in 1836. When he was 20 years old he married Rachel Rodman. Together they would have the following children:

Cynthia Sprague (1857-unknown)

Robert Edward Sprague (1859-1927)

Lorena Sprague (1862-unknown)

Joseph Sibley Sprague (1863-1935)

Thomas volunteered to fight in the Civil War in 1864. He joined the Ohio 144th Infantry Regiment, a National Guard unit.

The following is from the National Park Service Civil War site [1]:

The 144th was organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered in May 11, 1864. Left State for Baltimore, Md., May 11. Companies assigned to duty as follows: "G" and "K" in the Defences of Baltimore; "B" at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md.; "E" at Wilmington, Del.; "I" at Fort Dix, Relay House. Balance of Regiment at Fort McHenry. Attached to 1st Separate Brigade, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department. Regiment relieved from duty at Baltimore and moved to Relay House. Battle of Monocacy Junction, Md., July 9. Moved to Washington, D. C., July 13. Advance to Winchester and Snicker's Gap July 14-20. Attached to Kenley's Independent Brigade, 8th Army Corps. Operations in Shenandoah Valley July 20 to August 13. Repulse of attack by Mosby at Berryville August 13. Guard duty near Berryville till August 20. Ordered home and mustered out August 31, 1864.

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John S. Mosby’s Rangers attacked a wagon train delivering supplies to Union General Phil Sheridan. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Mosby’s raid in the following article:

About the only aggressive enemy in the Military Division is Mosby, and the only dangerous place appears to be the rear of our army (General Sheridan's) on its communication with this point... The Valley of the Shenandoah has been almost completely stripped of its wheat crop, and as cattle, sheep and hogs have disappeared long ago, it is now more difficult to advance through it with an army than ever before. As it is impossible to glean any subsistence from the country, the supply question has already become the great vexation. Our losses by the attack on our wagon train at Berryville were seventy-two wagons, over two hundred mules, and one hundred and fifty prisoners...

Just after dawn on 13 Aug. 1864, Col. John Singleton Mosby and 300 of his 43d Battalion Partisan Rangers attacked the rear section of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan’s 600-vehicle wagon train... Mosby surprised and routed the Federals as they rested, cooked breakfast, and hitched their horses. Mosby’s men, losing only one killed and one mortally wounded, captured 200 beef cattle, 500-600 horses, 100 wagons, and 200 soldiers. The raid ended by 6:30 a.m.

During the Wagon Train Raid, a detachment from the 144th Ohio took a position behind a stone wall at the Buck Marsh Church... However, they were shattered by a strong Rebel charge... The 144th Ohio’s loss in this disastrous affair was 5 killed, 10 wounded, and 76 captured... Source: The North South Skirmish Association - [2]

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Thomas Sprague was most likely captured and made a prisoner of war during Mosby's raid in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. He was incarcerated at the Confederate POW camp at Danville, Virginia, where he died on December 14, 1864.

Thomas is buried in the Danville National Cemetery.

Sources

• Sprague Family Database: [3]

• "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDJN-CJZ : 10 February 2018), Thomas H. Sprague and Rachel Rodman, 17 Sep 1856; citing Marion,Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0384240 V. 5.

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCGN-CTW : 13 December 2017), Thos Sprague, 1860.

• Civil War Record: [4]

• "United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDP-FSMF : 13 March 2018), Thomas H Sprague, 1865.

• Burial at the Danville National Cemetery via Find A Grave: [5]

• "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJHQ-QPV : 3 November 2017), Thos H. Sprague in entry for Hiram Miller and Lorain A. Ward, 06 Dec 1885, Lineville, Wayne, Iowa, United States; citing reference v1 p48 L433, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,009,070.