H. C. Sprague Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 730-731

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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H. C. SPRAGUE, a leading farmer and stock raiser of Butler township, 
Sanborn county, South Dakota, was born in New York state, October 25, 
1833, and is the fifth in a family of ten children whose parents were 
Bela and Olive Sprague, natives of Vermont. The father, a shoemaker by 
trade, was engaged in business in Massena, St. Lawrence county, New 
York. To a limited extent, our subject attended the district schools, 
never having to walk less than a mile to the school house. On the death 
of his mother, when he was nine years old, he was practically thrown 
upon his own resources and has since made his way in the world almost 
unaided though he spent a part of his time with relatives. 

At the age of twenty years, Mr. Sprague went to Iowa, where other 
relatives had preceded him, and located in Jackson county, where he 
engaged in teaming and farming for several years. By working in this 
way he managed to save enough money to secure eighty acres of 
government land in Fayette county, Iowa, and on selling that place 
bought another farm of eighty acres which was better improved. He 
rented this place while he worked by the month for others. In 1861, at 
the President's first call for three-year men to assist in putting down 
the rebellion; he enlisted in Company E, Fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 
and went at once to the front under General Fremont. He participated in 
the Missouri campaign; was up and down the Mississippi river several 
times, and took part in the battle of Island No. 10, and the entire 
siege of Vicksburg under Grant. Later he spent considerable time in 
Sherman's army, under Wilson, who was taking care of Johnston after 
Sherman started for the sea. He took part in the battles of Nashville, 
Atlanta, Mission Ridge and others, numbering in all thirty five. During 
the engagement at Champion Hills, Mississippi, he received a slight 
wound in the left hip. 

During the war Mr. Sprague married Miss Sarah Powers, a native of 
Illinois, and they now have a family of seven children, namely: William 
S., Florence L., Frank C., Leister F., Nellie M., Rosa E and John E. 
After being discharged from the service, he commenced farming on his 
own land in Iowa, where he continued to make his home until coming to 
Sanborn county, South Dakota, in 1883. Selecting land in Butler 
township, he erected thereon a shanty and a sod barn, which have since 
been replaced by more commodious and substantial structures. He brought 
with him a few head of stock and some farm machinery, but most of his 
property has been acquired since coming to this state, for here he has 
steadily prospered by hard work and good management. He now owns three 
hundred and twenty acres, about half of which are under a high state of 
cultivation; there is a fine grove of forest trees about the house, a 
quantity of plum trees and small fruits, and an artesian well which 
flows fifteen hundred barrels a day. In fact, he has made it one of the 
model farms of the locality. Politically, Mr. Sprague is identified 
with the Republican party, and socially affiliates with the Grand Army 
of the Republic.