Sober, Spencer

Spencer Sober's national cemetery headstone.

NPS

Quick Facts

Significance:

Private - 105th Ohio Infantry, Company F

Place of Birth:

Geagua County, Ohio

Place of Death:

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Date of Death:

February 24, 1863

Place of Burial:

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Cemetery Name:

Stones River National Cemetery

Spencer Sober was born in Geauga County, Ohio. He enrolled for the army on August 14, 1862 and was mustered on August 21, 1862 into Company F of the 105th Ohio Infantry as a private. He had a sister, Catharine, and a brother Austin, whom he often referred to as Dock in his letters home. Austin served in the same company as his brother.

Soon enlisting, Spencer made his way to Lexington, Kentucky. By September 6, he was camped near Louisville, Kentucky. His letters home during this time describe fights and skirmishes including orders in late September to march and catch Confederate soldiers between them and General Buell.

Spencer took part in the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, which he referred to as “a little scratch with the rebells (rebels)” in a letter home. That proved to his and Austin's last fight.

Austin died in a Louisville, Kentucky hospital on January 2, 1863 shortly after orders for his discharge had been issued. Spencer was able to recovered and left the hospital on January 16 to rejoin his regiment. Spencer reached Murfreesboro, Tennessee on January 31st. Within weeks, he fell ill once more dying of pneumonia on February 24, 1863.

He is buried in Stones River National Cemetery in plot O-5723. His headstone reads, "Spencer Saber," one of the many spelling errors that can be found in the national cemetery. The historic, if inaccurate, headstone has not been replaced following National Park Service policy that acknowledges that the errors are also part of history.