Joseph enlisted in Company K, Georgia 39th Infantry Regiment on 12 Jan 1863. Mustered out on 01 Jan 1864 at Dalton, GA.

Joseph's first wife was Nancy Arminda Gartman (1829-1854) whom he married 1844 in Walker County, GA, where she died. She was daughter of Daniel David & Susannah Demery (Pledger) Gartman. The children of Joseph and Nancy were the following:

(1) Mary Mae, b. 10/1846, m. 1872 Scott county, AR, to Ludlow DeMun Pendery, d. 05/11/1918 in TX. Eight children.

(2) Susan Elizabeth, b. 04/11/1848, m. 03/31/1867 Chattooga county, GA, to Alphonso Vandiver "Foncey" Neal, d. 12/31/1920 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins, TX. Twelve children.

(3) Sarah Alice Self, b. 04/1850, m.abt 1870 Mr. McGaugh who died soon after, d. 1931 Scott county, AR. Never remarried, mother of Elzora Jane (Self) Pollard, b.
12/04/1872.

(4) Martha Ann "Nancy", b. 03/31/1852, m. (1) 08/07/1872 Scott county, AR, to George Washington Farnsworth, Jr., m. (2) 02/25/1883 Scott county, AR, to Thomas Peter Watson, d. 12/18/1932 Olio, Scott, AR. Four children by first marriage, eight children by second.

(5) Henry Pickford, b. 03/25/1854 Trion, Chattooga, GA, m. 12/22/1877 Scott county,AR, Susan Caroline "Callie" Bottoms, d. 01/20/1929 Cooper, Delta, TX. Five children.

The second wife of Joseph, and step-mother to the five children above, was Mary Jane Dyke, b. 098/14/1830 Greene County, TN, m. 03/25/1856 Walker county, GA, d.
03/06/1894 Greenridge, Scott, AR. She was daughter of Andrew Dyke (b.abt.1796-d.bef.1870) and Margaret "Peggy" McCamish (b.1794-d.aft.1870). Joseph
and Mary Jane were parents of three further children:

(6) Alvin Walter, b. 07/02/1858, m. 1882 Waldron, Scott, AR, Rebecca Ann "Becky" Highfield [original spelling, "-field" pronounced "-ful" of "-fill"], d. 06/02/1941
Scott county, AR. Six children.

(7) James R. [full middle name "Robert" by oral tradition], b. 10/07/1860, mentally handicapped and never married, d. 06/30/1934 Scott county, AR.

(8) Margaret Ellen, b. 03/25/1864 Trion Chattooga, GA, m. 1880 Scott county, AR,Francis Marion "Frank" Bottoms, d. 01/19/1951 Scott county, AR. Five children.