   william sprague iv (september 12, 1830september 11, 1915) was the 27th governor of rhode island from 1860 to 1863, and u.s. senator from 1863 to 1875. he participated in the first battle of bull run during the american civil war. ==early years== sprague was born in the gov. william sprague mansion in cranston, rhode island, the youngest son of amasa and fanny morgan sprague. his uncle and namesake william sprague iii was also a governor and u.s. senator as well as u.s. representative from rhode island. william and brother amasa's education at the irving institute in tarrytown, new york, was cut short when their father was murdered on new year's eve in 1843 in knightsville, rhode island. the murder was considered a major event of the period, and the trial of accused killer john gordon was marked by anti-irish bigotry; gordon was subsequently found guilty and executed.gordon was posthumously pardoned in 2011. erika niedowski, "ri governor pardons irish man hanged in 1845", associated press, june 29, 2011. both brothers were called to work in the family business, the a.& w. sprague manufacturing company, which was then under the direction of their uncle william iii. when their uncle died in 1856, william and amasa â along with their cousin col. byron sprague, son of william iii, and their mother fanny sprague and aunt harriet, widow of william iii â became partners in the company. the second incorporation of the a. & w. sprague company occurred on june 2, 1859. it soon was the largest calico printing textile mill in the world. the company ran five weaving mills in new england. the hartford, providence and fishkill railroad â of which william iii had purchased controlling interest â connected the five mills to the sprague print works in crans
1830_births 1915_deaths Burials_in_Rhode_Island Governors_of_Rhode_Island People_from_Cranston,_Rhode_Island People_of_Rhode_Island_in_the_American_Civil_War Republican_Party_United_States_Senators Republican_Party_state_governors_of_the_United_States Rhode_Island_Republicans Union_state_governors United_States_Senators_from_Rhode_Island