According to Audrey Mae’s artistic cemetery map diagram and Audrey Mae’s gravestone numbering system, John Spencer’s gravestone is Gravestone Number Thirty-Six. Using her Smith-Corona typewriter in the 1980s, Audrey Mae typed the following mini-biography of John Spencer, a eighth-generation Spencer in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Audrey Mae posted a small clipping of an American flag next to John’s gravestone on her artistically designed cemetery map.  The flag denotes the gravestone is a a gravestone of a person who fought in one of the American wars.  This John was in Company A of the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment in the American Civil War.

Bruce MacGunnigle – 44

This John Spencer, the son of John Anthony and Jamima, was in the Civil War and died at age 19. Did he die in battle or sickness as 500,000 other soldiers had? 

John born in 1843 is the son  of John Anthony (gravestone No. 32) and Jamima Maxim Spencer (gravestone No. 31.)  John Anthony is the son of Captain John (gravestone No. 4) and Phebe (née Vaughn) Spencer.  Captain John is the first son of Huldah (gravestone No. 1) and Patriot John (No. 2) Spencer.

Audrey Mae’s typewritten information about John’s parents:

Audrey Mae’s line and word “married” show that both husband and wife are buried in the Spencer Family Cemetery.

Audrey Mae wrote the word “children” to  show that gravestone 33,34,35,36 and 37 are the gravestones of John Anthony and Jamima Maxim’s children, Martha, Ella, Alice, John and Walter. The female children died so young. How tragic to have their son who survived childhood to die in  his teens, especially if it was war related.

Audrey Mae’s grandfather John Johnson Spencer (gravestone No. 8) was in Company H of the 1st Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry. John of gravestone No.36 and John Johnson of gravestone No.8 were first cousins.

Audrey Mae’s, John Edward’s and Edith Anna’s grandfather does not descend from Captain John and Phebe,  Audrey Mae and her sibllings descends from Captain John’s brother, Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) and Roby Spencer.

There were five John Spencers from this area of East Greenwich who fought in the Civil War! Two were killed, two returned unscathed–if that is a possible scenario after fighting in a war!!–and one (Audrey Mae’s grandfather) had been a prisoner of war and paroled by Abraham Lincoln’s policy.

According to Audrey Mae, there are seven veterans in this one Spencer cemetery. Audrey Mae posted five American flags by five Spencers and two by two Rathbuns who married into the Spencer line.

“Spencer, Johnson, Goff and Vaughn descendants, if you have any additional information, especially information on his Civil War service, on this John Spencer (gravestone No. 36), please add a comment to this web site and the web site editor will add this to the site. Thanks.”