My Genealogy Hound

CAPT. THOMAS SPROAT, Hickman County, was born in Scotland, May11, 1801, and is the only child born to John and Mary (Anderson) Sproat, both natives of Scotland. John Sproat received a good common school education in his native land, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life. Both he and wife were life-long and devoted members of the Presbyterian Church. Thomas Sproat received a liberal common school education in his native Scotland, where he was employed on his father’s farm until he was seventeen years old, when he went to Oxford, England, where he served three years with his uncle, Hugh Sproat, at the grocery business. In May, 1821, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Saratoga County, N. Y., where he was employed as a farm laborer for some four years. He then went to Newark, N. J., where he was employed in a stage barn for two years, and afterwards was a stage driver for four years. In 1832 he engaged in the grocery trade on his own account, at Newark, and continued in that business until the panic of 1837. In 1842 he removed to Covington, Ky., and soon after to St. Louis, Mo., where he commenced steam-boating on the Illinois, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, first in the capacity of a clerk, and afterward as pilot, captain, and owner or part owner of some eight or ten steamboats. Capt. Sproat continued to follow the river until 1855, when he engaged in the ice trade, shipping ice in barge loads from the upper Illinois to various towns on the lower Mississippi. In April, 1862, he landed at Cairo, Ill., with six barge loads of ice, towed by the steamer “Philadelphia”, destined for Cairo, Pittsburg Landing and Mound City; a few days after a terrible storm arose, which broke boat and barges loose from their moorings. The barges were wrecked, and out of over 3,000 tons of ice only 1,000 tons were saved. The boat and barges floated down the river and finally lodged just above Columbus, Ky. Shortly after this, the “Philadelphia” was chartered by the United States and used as headquarters by Gen. Quimby, the town at that time being overflowed by the river. About a month later the “Admiral” took fire at the landing and, floating down against the “Philadelphia.” that boat was also burned. The greater portion of the ice saved from the wreck floated away by the high water. These reverses completely wrecked Capt. Sproat’s financial bark, but nothing daunted, he went to work to retrieve his shattered fortunes. He continued in the ice business, shipping ice by boats and rail all over the South for some fifteen years, and employing, during that time, on an average at least fifty men. For several years his freight bill was about $20,000 per annum. The captain lost nearly all his property situated on the banks of the Mississippi, at Columbus, by its having caved in or been washed away by the river. For the last twelve or fourteen years he has also been quite extensively engaged in the fruit business, owning several peach and small fruit farms in the neighborhood of Columbus. Capt. Sproat was first married, March 17, 1834, to Miss Isabella Hallowell, a native of Saratoga County, N. Y.; to this union were born three children, only one of whom is now living: John M., who resides at Cairo, Ill. Mrs. Isabella Sproat departed this life in 1868, a member of the Presbyterian Church. Subject was next married in 1871, to Miss Sarah V. Graves of New Albany, Ind., she being the only survivor of thirteen children. Capt. and Mrs. Sproat are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and is one of the most respected and prominent citizens of the city or county.