At the age of twenty he took the occupation of cooper in order to earn enough to study medicine.

[3] In October 1777, he went as a surgeon, with the volunteers mustered to confront General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he also treated Hessian soldiers.

Samuel Hildreth died while visiting his son in Ohio during 1823 and was buried at Mound Cemetery in Marietta,[7][8] along with many other Revolutionary War soldiers and sailors.

Mound Cemetery reportedly contains the largest number of Revolutionary War officers buried in one location.

[9] Samuel Hildreth is one of thirty-seven Revolutionary War veterans at the cemetery noted by the Washington County Historical Society.