Samuel was born about 1792 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. He was the first-born child of Revolutionary War veteran, William Love and his wife, Winiford Carney.
Samuel probably had to grow up fast. He became the “man” of the house at the age of eleven when his father was declared to be deranged and placed in the insane asylum in Williamsburg, Virginia on April 28, 1803. Samuel had four brothers and four sisters, ranging from age ten to age two. He may have shouldered a lot of responsibilities to help his widowed mother with their family.
Samuel served during the War of 1812 as a private in Capt. Andrew Bryan's Co., 2nd Regiment, Virginia Militia. He served from September 21, 1812 to February 20, 1813.
Shortly after Samuel’s discharge, his father, William died in the Eastern Lunatic Asylum on April 10, 1813. He is buried in the asylum’s cemetery.
A few months later, on October 10, 1813, Samuel married Sarah Newell, in Harrison County, Virginia. She was the daughter of Isaac Newell and Abigail Vanscoy. Like Samuel, Sarah was born in Virginia and was the oldest child in her family.
Between 1819 and 1820, Samuel and Sarah and their four children migrated to New Market, Fayette County, Ohio. Before 1830, they moved to Pike County, Ohio. Five more children were born to them in Ohio.
My great, great grandmother, Rebecca, the second child and first daughter of Samuel and Sarah, married William Cheney about 1834. William’s uncle, Jonathan Cheney had founded a community, Cheney’s Grove in McLean County, Illinois. About 1840, some of the Cheneys and Loves moved to Cheney’s Grove, including William and Rebecca and her parents, Samuel and Sarah Love.
While living in McLean County, Sarah Newell Love died in 1842 and is buried in Barnes Cemetery, Ellsworth, McLean County, Illinois. Her daughter, Elizabeth and son-in-law, David S. Allen and several of Sarah and Samuel’s grandchildren are buried near her.
After Sarah's death, William and Rebecca Cheney, their children, and her father, Samuel Love returned to Ohio where they took up residence in Marion, Marion County, Ohio where Rebecca’s brother, John lived. The widowed, Samuel moved into the household of his son, John, in Marion. Samuel farmed along side of his son, but not for long.
Several Southern states ceded from the Union. War soon followed to reunited the country. John Love, along with most able bodied Marion County men enlisted in Co. E, 96th Ohio Infantry. He served as a wagoner for Co. E during the Civil War.
He did not come home. He was captured by Confederates and taken to Andersonville Prison in Georgia where he contracted a disease and died on July 18, 1864.
Whether Samuel stayed on, farmed his son’s land, and took care of his son’s family is not known. At some point in time, his daughter-in-law, Elvira remarried to a Mr. Johnson.
By 1870, William and Rebecca had gone to Missouri, returning to Ohio permanently by 1880. Samuel died December 7, 1870 in Bowling Green, Marion County, Ohio.