Unfortunately we do not know anything about Sam and where he came from prior to 1848 when he married Electa Bassett. A family story says that when Sam was very young, perhaps an infant even, a tragedy struck the family and both of his parents died. Supposedly he had 5 or 6 brothers and maybe 1 or 2 sisters. All were fostered out to various homes. According to census and military records Sam was born in 1824 in Ohio. There are never any names listed for parents or where he might have been born in Ohio. There is a trunk that has been handed down through the generations that supposedly belonged to Sam's father. It was used to carry his belongings during the War of 1812. No name was attached to the trunk. From 1848 until his death in 1865 due to wounds suffered in the Battle of Fort Fisher, we have been able to follow his life and find documents about his life. Where he came from still is a mystery. The source that suggests he was Jewish has created new possibilities of finding his past and the Marks family line.