Born: March 17, 1823, Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Died: January 2, 1883, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had recently returned from a trip to Europe intended to recover his health.
Buried: Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Charles was the father of hymn translator Harriet Spaeth.
He graduated from the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1841, then pastored over 20 years in various locations.
In 1864, he became a professor of dogmatics at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1868, he became Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1873 became vice provost of that school.
He was the first president of the General Council, a federation of Lutheran synods, and edited The Lutheran and The Lutheran Church Review.