He was named for his maternal grandfather Obed Waite. He was called Waite by his family. At age 15, Waite was kidnapped from Martinsburg because his family was known to be Union sympathizers. He was imprisoned in Winchester for refusing to join the Confederate Army. Though many of the family had confederate sympathies, Waite's father contacted a confederate family friend to gain his release. Upon his release, the family left Martinsburg and spent the war years in DC to escape local turmoil. Desperate to keep his young son out of the war, Robert wrote a letter requesting that Waite be admitted to West Point based on his grandfather's Revolutionary War service. He attached references from Judge Nadenbousch & R.D. Seamans in support. This request was unsuccessful.

While living in D.C. Waite worked in the congressional mail room. However, after the horror of his experience in Winchester, he ran away and enlisted in the 71st Penna. Infantry on the 9th of August 1861. The 9th of August is significant in the Sommerville family as it was the same date his grandfather William, aged 20 enlisted in the Pennsylvania Militia in 1776. Waite was just 16 years old.

On the eve of the Battle of Balls Bluff Waite suffered a nervous breakdown while on picket duty in Poolesville. He was committed to St. Elizabeth's for the first time at age 17 and discharged from the army. He reported taunts and threats against his family by people he knew living in the area. They told him his mother and family were starving to death. Upon release from the hospital, Waite stayed with his Aunt Elizabeth in Baltimore prior to re-enlisting. Her son was also a soldier. This time he joined the 10th Battl'n of the Maryland Infantry (Boyd's Co.). Waite served until mustered out in 1864. The son of his Aunt Elizabeth was John A Edwards of King George County Va. a Confederate soldier. He died as a result of wounds rec'd at the Battle of Brandy Station. For the Sommerville family it was not brother against brother, but cousin against cousin not an unusual problem in Virginia.

After the war, Waite held a number of successful jobs. He married and was the father of a large family. For many years he led a normal life. However, over the course of his postwar life he suffered from reoccurring episodes. Waite was diagnosed as manic depressive. He was hospitalized 6 more times. Deep in a melancholic state, he voluntarily chose permanent hospitalization. See his Civil War pension application for a detailed account, and the testimony of family members and soldiers who served with him. He was remembered by his teacher as being a bright boy with a remarkable knowledge of Latin from a very young age. Waite died in 1911 after a lengthy physical illness. The tragedy of his life took it's toll on every member of his family. Waite's immediate family died out with the death of his daughter Portia in 1946.