Corporal Russell DeWitt Sprague was the son of Sherman G. and Grace F (Stewart) Sprague of 15 California Ave., Middletown, New York. Middletown is in southeastern New York state 65 miles north northwest of New York City.
In the 1900 census 2-year-old Russell is living with his parents and sister Sarah L 6, in Liberty, Sullivan County, NY. Liberty is 36 miles northwest of Middletown. His father is a butcher. By the 1910 census 12-year-old Russell is still living with his parents and sister Sarah L 16, in Liberty. His father is farming.
Corporal Sprague was killed in action the night of 23 Dec 1917 [1918 date on headstone is incorrect] by a German shell fragment while on a work detail with the engineers building front-line trenches.
Middletown Times Press (Middletown, NY) – 14 Jan 1918 –19 Jan 1918 – Page 1 – CORPORAL SPRAGUE’S GOOD-BYE – Comes as Letter Written Before Death – Last Missive Reveals Him as Lad of Manliness and Tenderness – Like a message from the grave, Mr. and Mrs. Sherman G. Sprague, of 15 California avenue, yesterday received a letter from France, that had been written by their son Russell DeWitt Sprague, who was killed in action on December 23. The letter had apparently been written few days before the young man was struck by the fragment of the German shell, for it bore the date of December 18, and was post-marked December 24, the day after the young man expired. “My darling mother”, the letter said, “I have time to write about three lines to you so here goes. In the first place, it is getting cold and there is some snow, but I don’t think there is as much snow here now as you must have over there by this time. “I am in the best of health”, the letter continued, “and I am warmly dressed, so I could be worse off. I had a snap shot taken the other day so I will send you a couple. I am going to have some good ones taken as soon as I get back to winter quarters. We left there five days ago, and we will be away at least 20 days, so if you do not hear from me in that time you will know that I am too busy to write. Guess I am going to spend an exciting Christmas and New Year, but I am sure I would like the dullest Christmas ever if I could be with you. But we will hope for the best in the next year. “Well mother,” the letter concluded, “It is time to close, so I wish you and father the merriest Christmas and happiest new year ever.” Through tear-dimmed eyes, Mrs. Sprague read the letter to a Times-Press reporter this morning. “He was so noble, so manly, so young,” the bereaved mother said, “and I cannot seem to give him up.” Mrs. Sprague showed the Times-Press reporter a clipping on the actual circumstances of her son’s death. It read: “not far from the front, the engineers were engaged at night in building a new first-line trench in advance of one destroyed by the German barrage on the night the enemy raided the American lines in November. After the first night, the fresh earth on the white snow disclosed the work they had been doing, and when the engineers returned the second night, the German artillery broke loose, killing one (meaning Russell D. Sprague) and wounding another."