In 1850 he was living with his parents in Monroe Twp, Guernsey Co, OH. Woodford Gallaway said that he lived near and worked with Joseph from 1852 thru his death in 1872. He worked on the farm of John W. Elliott from 1859 thru the time of his enlistment in 1864 according to an affidavit in his pension records, but it is not clear if this was in addition to his own farm or if he earned his living working for Elliot. In 1860 he was shown married to Elizabeth with a 5 year old son George in Middlebury Twp, Knox Co. where he owned $250 worth of land and $470 worth of property as a farmer. On 26 Oct 1860 he bought 40 Acres from John Johnson for $1,500 and on 31 Aug 1861 sold same 40 Acres + 1 1/4 Ac lot in Middlebury Twp to John Johnson for $1,700. Not sure when he bought the lot? On 2 Nov 1861 he bought lot #139 (Mt. Vernon) from Samual Israel for $500 (to be taken possession 1 April, 1862). In February 1863 he and Joseph Scarborough witnessed the sworn statement of his father Jacob, for the pension benefits of Jacob's grandson, Jacob M. Wells (son of John Wells). 1 April, 1863 sold same lot back to Samual Israel for $350.
He is listed in the Civil War Draft Registration records for 30 Jun 1863 in Mt Vernon as age 31, born in PA, married and a Grocer.
On May 2, 1864 he enlisted in Co K 142nd Regt. of the Ohio Nat'l Guard Volunteers under Captain Charles S. Tyle and Colonel William C. Cooper for 100 days. Organized May 12th, 1864 at Camp Chase OH; they proceeded at once to Martinsburg, WV May 14; thence to Washington, DC May 19. The Regiment was assigned to duty at Fort Lyons till June 3, and then attached to 2nd Brigade, De-Russy's Div, 22nd Army Corps. Embarked at Alexandria, VA for White House June 7. Duty guarding supply trains through the Wilderness near Cold Harbor June 9-14; it reached the trenches in front of Petersburg (Point of Rocks, VA). Here the Regiment performed arduous duty, under fire, until August 19th, when it was ordered back to Ohio and mustered out September 2d, 1864. Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 42 Enlisted men by disease. Joseph apparently contracted a lung disease while serving. Statements in his pension file state that he was not able to do more than 1/2 the work of an able bodied man from that time until his death. Also, that he complained of lung disease and rheumatism, and had a bad cough.
In 1865 he moved to Mt. Vernon and started a small grocery business for about a year. In 1870 he was listed as married to Sophia with 2 sons in Middlebury Twp and $1,500 worth of land and $150 of property. He died of Consumption in Fredericktown on 12 Aug 1872 with his half-sister, Sarah Brentlinger, present according to "History of Knox County, Ohio" and his pension records. He was buried in Fredericktown by G.W. Sargent (Undertaker) on the14th. Frances Wells (Cloyd's wife) said that he was buried in Shauck cemetary, on the right hand side in the back down over the hill, but I could not find his tombstone there in 1992.
In 1880 his wife is listed as widowed with her son, Joseph Miller, in the Middlebury Twp census and both Knox and Fayette Co histories show them there in 1881/82, and thru her remarriage in July '82.