Rhode Island Senator/Governor William Sprague (1799-1856) is often obscured by the shadow of this young nephew Lincoln's War Governor William Sprague(1830-1915), and sometimes confused with his father the founder of the Sprague Manufacturing Company William Sprague(1773-1836). His portrait has a slight smile and looking at it one can only wonder what he was thinking as the artist captured him. His brown eyes twinkle as if he knows an important secret. He watches the ballroom of the Sprague Mansion keeping his thoughts only to himself.