Colonel John Wilson Sprague was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on July 22, 1864 in Decatur, Georgia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 63d Ohio Infantry. Sprague was 47 years old.
3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on January 18, 1894, 29 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Brevet Major General.
Sprague was born on April 4, 1817 in White Creek, Washington County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio. Sprague died on December 24, 1893, at the age of 76. He is buried at Old Tacoma Cemetery in Tacoma, Washington.
Sprague is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 256 credited to Ohio.
Official Medal of Honor citation
With a small command defeated an overwhelming force of the enemy and saved the trains of the corps.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Battle of Iuka
Result: Union victory
2 Medal of Honor recipients
1862 · Civil WarSiege of Corinth
Result: Union victory
2 Medal of Honor recipients
1862 · Civil WarBattle of Island Number Ten
Result: Union victory
2 Medal of Honor recipients
Also served in: Battle of Decatur, American Civil War, Atlanta campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, Vicksburg Campaign, Carolinas Campaign.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: major general; brigadier general; Mayor of Tacoma, Washington
- Occupations: politician, businessperson, railway executive
- Education: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Source: Wikidata.
Places
From the archives
The date of John W. Sprague's Medal of Honor action has often been erroneously given as July 22, 1862, when in fact, it was on July 22, 1864. This error is believed to be a typo that occurred in the official Medal of Honor Roll sometime in the 20th century and was repeated in subsequent publications. The correct year of 1864 is supported by Sprague's military record and appears in the War Department's publications Medals of Honor Issued by the War Department, up to and including September 1, 1904 and Decorations of the United States Army, 1862-1926.
Timeline
- April 4, 1817Born in White Creek, Washington County, New York
- July 22, 1864Act of valor — Decatur, GeorgiaAge 47. 63d Ohio Infantry
- December 24, 1893DiedAge 76.
- January 18, 1894Medal of Honor presented posthumously
- Resting placeOld Tacoma CemeteryTacoma, Washington
Biography
John Wilson Sprague (April 4, 1817 – December 27, 1893) was an American soldier and railroad executive. He served as a general in the Union Army in the Western Theater of operations during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Decatur during the Atlanta campaign. After the war, he was a railroad executive and later co-founded the city of Tacoma, Washington, serving as its first mayor.
From the Wikipedia article “John W. Sprague”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
