FILM 928209 Item 1. SPRAGUE FAMILIES IN AMERICA, compiled and published by Warren Vincent Sprague, M.D., The Tuttle Company, Printers, Rutland, Vermont: 1913. About a year ago, someone asked why people moved west. As I recently read in a book about migration from Switzerland to Germany), an old Swiss saying "Many sons - small property." Page 164. The noted citizen warrior and leader Joshua Sprague had moved from Rhode Island to Canada about 1762. They were invited there to occupy the land left by "the luckless Arcadians who had been carried away by order of Gov. Lawrence in 1755." At the opening of the Revolution War, there was so much feeling against the new settlers on account of their sympathy for their brethern in revolution that they were forced to leave, losing all their possessions. Mr. Sprague and his sons were enthusiastic in the cause of freedom--enlisting and fighting in the war. Major Sprague enlisted as a private, then served as a Major, and enlisted twice more as a private. Note 2 page 164-165: For the losses sustained by these refugees from Canada and Nova Scotia, and for the services some of them rendered the United Colonies or States in the Revolutionary War against Great Britain, Congress passed a resolution, apr. 23, 1783, that "whensoever Congress can consistently reward them by grants of land they will do so." (from time to time, and extension on time for application was enacted). Joshua Sprague and James Sprague, his son, and the heirs of Gilbert Searmans are mentioned as entitled to land under an act passed April 23, 1812 (2 Stat. 712) that Joshua Sprague should be entitled to 960 acres of land in Ohio, and James Sprague 320 acres, and the heirs of Gilbert Seamans 320 acres of land. Joshua Sprague said he always regretting going to Canada, as he had a "peck of silver dollars" when he went there, implying he lost the peck.