Ka cika wannan magana: Gardner ya halarci makarantun gundumar da ke yankin kuma ya yi shekara biyu a matsayin ɗalibi a Genesee da Wyoming Seminary. A watan Agustan 1862, a lokacin yakin basasar Amurka, ya shiga cikin Kamfanin C na Rundunar Sojojin New York na 130. Daga bisani rundunar ta zama 19th New York Cavalry Regiment sannan kuma 1st New York Dragoons Regiment. Da farko dan kwamandan kamfanin, daga baya aka daukaka shi zuwa sarge. A cikin kaka na 1864, a lokacin
Yaƙin neman zaɓe na 1864, ya rasa ƙafarsa ta dama, wanda aka yanke a asibitin Camden Street a Baltimore. Bayan da aka yanke masa kafa, sai ya sake yin tiyata. An sake shi daga sojojin a watan Afrilu na shekara ta 1865. Bayan ya koma Attica, an nada shi ma'aikacin gidan waya a Erie Railway, matsayin da ya riƙe na shekaru uku masu zuwa.