Son of Tarlton Lewis & Malinda Gimlin

Samuel Lewis, the oldest son of Tarlton Lewis and Malinda Gimlin Lewis, was born in Simpson County, Kentucky on October 27, 1829.

Tarlton Lewis moved with his family from Kentucky to Macopin County after their first girl, Mary, was the baby, and in 1836 he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by his brother, Benjamin Lewis. He became one of the great builders of the city of Nauvoo, where the family located. Before they located there, they settled at a place called Haun's Mill where they went through the terrible massacre which is written in the lives of Samuel's father and uncle's histories. He
remembered well the bullets flying around his head like peas. That's all, only he wondered why he escaped. He might have ran to the woods with Joannah and her children and stayed in the forest until morning, coming back to witness the death and burial of her husband.

Anyway, Grandfather came out whole and well and went with his parents to Commerce, Illinois, later Nauvoo, where his father worked on the great temple from start to finish. Although Samuel was only 11 years old, he commenced cutting stone for the Nauvoo Temple. Tarlton had a good home in Nauvoo, but after all the mobbing and terrible killings and whippings they endured, they prepared to
leave. They were asked not to retaliate when whipped as that would give their enemies a reason to do more, but to take their punishment with trust in the Lord and after the Temple had been dedicated, they, with many more Mormons, received their baptisms, endowments, and sealings. I make this clear as it has been said their might have been no sealings done in that Temple, but Tarlton and Malinda had all their work done in that Temple, according to the record we find on them.

Samuel left the beautiful city with his parents and camped with them on the prairies of Council Bluffs (so one account records) they endured hardships in the cold The next morning, after they crossed the river, Tarlton and his son, Samuel crossed back and went through the temple, climbing stairs and looking over the city and taking a last look at the dear home and Temple. It is said; several men went there the next day, were caught and beaten by the mobs. The terrible beatings, burnings, whippings, and
attacks on women can't be realized by us after all these years, only those who experienced it can appreciate the freedom they found in the west a long time later.

It was while the Lewis family was camped in Winter Quarters that Samuel volunteered to enlist in the Mormon Battalion, under the command of Corp. St. George Cook, for the United States Government. Samuel was too young for such a career and he signed up as 18 years and he wouldn't be 18 years old until 1947. He signed up July 16, 1846, so he lacked more than three months of being 17 when he enlisted. It is said his father was so worried about it that his hair turned gray almost overnight. They were asking for men from 18-45. It was such a blow to these Saints to sacrifice so much after being driven from all they had in the world and in such hard circumstances. Why should they go fight for their country when their country had denounced them? This was supposed to be a free country and thousands of people from Europe had sailed for America for religious liberty and found it, but these poor Mormons;
what was their future? It looked very black. Still they loved their government, and would fight for it and even with the awful state of existence they volunteered. Grandpa marched off on a trip that was worse than what he had just experienced. Brigham Young promised the men, if they obeyed orders and lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as they had been taught, keeping out of bad company and say their prayers, they would not have to fire a gun and would come home safely. So there were 500 men volunteered, leaving their families to the mercy of heaven and earth and themselves, and they suffered much, but the trek across the plains began and we find that in another history.

Samuel marched with his company to Fort Leaven worth, where he was equipped with clothes and a sword. He marched on in his company with James B. Brown in command, 90 in each company. He was in Company C. It was a company of noble men, according to his history and most all the Mormon
men obeyed orders and went through all the sorrows and hardships of that long march.