Lewis Gardner was born about 1810 in Kershaw, South Carolina. His father was George Gardner, who was once arrested at Beaver Creek, South Carolina for assault & battery & disturbing the peace in 1822 in Kershaw, South Carolina. Tradition says that Lewis Gardner had a fall out with his father over a horse and he came to Georgia where he married Martha Ann Sikes/Sykes and settled on Sand Hill in Monroe County near relatives. Lewis and Martha Gardner had several children born in Monroe and Pike Counties, and were members of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church from 1839 to 1841. He reared in agricultural pursuits in that state until 1859 when he sold his land to his oldest son to pursue his fortune. He was on the Natchez Trace in Mississippi and loaded up the mule wagon and moved the family to Newton County, Mississippi, there purchasing 400 acres of land. Lewis Gardner was once arrested for a crime in Mississippi, and the story goes is that Lewis came home one day after being somewhere, and Martha gave him some lip or there was some sort of fight, and he got back on his horse and rode away. A cousin represented him in the divorce that followed on September 12, 1863 in Newton County. Martha Gardner got all 400 acres of land, a slave, $3,400 of alimony, and custody of the children. Lewis got slaves, a cook, one small sorrel mule, a saddle, a bridle, a trunk, clothing, his belongings, and debts due to him.

Rumor says that Lewis remarried and that his second wife died right before he went to Texas. He went to Texas during or right after the Civil War, and he lived in Houston County for a time, and then spent his last years in Johnson County, but family lore says that Lewis was a horse trader and that there are rumors that he was a horse thief. Lewis Gardner was said to have died in a gunfight with horse thieves at Natchez, Texas west of Brownsville near the King Ranch.

He is said to have been a disreputable man (vagabond), moving from place to place, elusive, iternant, a black mark in the family, and a horse thief. Rumors say that he drank and that he was a teller of tall tales. He may have had gray hair, a white mustache and flowing beard, sky blue eyes, big boned, and a rough, dangerous looking man.

A letter was written by his great granddaugter in Georgia, Mammie Mitchell, and she wrote that, "Lewis was killed at Natchez, Texas, near Brownsville, supposedly by horse thieves." or that "Lewis was killed by horse thieves at Natchez, Texas near Brownsville."

A message also said, "JOHN LEWIS GARDNER MOVED TO CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS AFTER DIVORCING HIS WIFE DURING THE CIVIL WAR. HE WAS SLAIN BY A HORSE THIEF NEAR BROWNSVILLE."

He may be buried near Johnson County.

His son, Zed Gardner was a Civil War veteran and a preacher in Georgia. His son, Wiley Gardner was a Civil War veteran and a prominent settler of Dallas County, Texas. His son, Dan Gardner was a Civil War veteran and lived in Texas. His son, John Joseph Gardner lived in Mississippi, was an explorer, and died from liver disease due to drinking alcohol.

His descendants stretch from Atlanta, Georgia to Dallas, Texas.

Would anybody have any additional information about my great great great grandfather, the mysterious, Lewis Gardner?