Description
Very nice carte view of Colonel William Sprague. As the war erupted, Sprague promised President Lincoln the support of Rhode Island and a brigade of two infantry regiments were raised by Rhode Island. Sprague, believing that the war would last only 48 hours, accompanied the Rhode Island brigade during the First battle of Bull Run in July of 1861. During the battle, while Sprague acted as an aide to General Burnside, his horse was shot from under him in a close call for the governor. The Confederate victory made it clear to Sprague that the war would last longer much longer than his initial assessment of merely two days. Although he was offered a commission as a brigadier general, he declined the appointment to focus on his duties as governor. This iconic view of Sprague is taken from the original ambrotype which is now housed in the Library of Congress. Back marked out of Boston.
