tion and led to a minority (antislavery) report on platform, and many of the antislavery men withdrew and joined the Republican party then also in a formative state. Mr. Sperry was a leader of the bolters. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1856 that met in Philadelphia June 17, and nominated John C. Fremont for president. He became chairman of the Republican state committee and was continued at the head of the state committee for many years. He was a member of the Republican national committee of 1860 and served as its secretary through the presidential campaign that elected Abraham Lincoln president of the United States; secretary of executive committee chosen to conduct Lincoln's campaign—seven members—with headquarters at the Astor House, New York; and he served during the Civil war as chairman of the recruiting committee. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1864 which assembled at Baltimore, Maryland in June, and renominated President Lincoln, with Andrew Johnson for vice-president. When there was pressing need to complete the Monitor as planned by John Ericsson he became bondsman for its builders. He declined the appointment by Postmaster-General Randall as a commissioner to examine the postal systems of Europe; and on the election of President Garfield he was favorably presented as a candidate for the postmaster-generalship in Garfield's cabinet, but when the secretary of state was selected from New England he was not available. He became a member of the National Board of Trade, a member of the Quinnipiac club of New Haven and was affiliated with the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities. He is a member of the Congregational church.
He was married in 1847 to Eliza H., daughter of Willis and Catherine Sperry, of Woodbridge, Connecticut, who died in 1874, leaving two daughters; and he was married a second time in 1875 to Minnie B., daughter of Erastus and Caroline Newton, of Lockport, New York.
