Joseph was the son of Edward Llewellyn "Ned" Travis and Adeline Ariana Stith. He married Helen S. Drummond 1/16/1867 in Brunswick Co, VA. He was a Civil War Veteran. He and Adeline had the following known children: Adaline; Hattie B.; Mary Minerva; Emmer B.; B. C.; John Stuart; Joseph Hutchings, Jr; and Edward Lewellyn Travis, II.

From: The Family History of Virginians by John Pritchett at http://www.virginians.com/redirect.htm?topics&336:
"Joseph was living with his family in 1850 and in 1860. In the latter year they were living in the White Plains area, in what today is Meherrin District.
More about the family and military experience of Joseph H. Travis may be found in Civil War Soldiers from Brunswick County, Virginia
Joseph's service record in the Confederate Army is quite confusing. It appears that he initially served in Coleman's Artillery from Brunswick County. One Joe Travis from Brunswick County was in Co. C, 44th Infantry Battalion, which was organized in 1864, but this may have been another man. Very few records concerning the 44th Battalion of Reserves remain.
In his pension application years later Joseph said he served also in Dearing's Cavalry Regiment, but we have obtained no confirmation of this. According to National Archives records he surrendered at Appomattox Court House 9 April 1865, when he was in Coleman's Artillery.
Perhaps it was while he was in the cavalry that he had a serious fall. In his pension application he stated that while in service he had a fall "in which I got cropped." This was a slang expression and is assumed to have been a way of saying that he was badly shaken up in the fall.
It was not until Joseph came home from the war that he and Helen wed. Joseph and Helen lived in Meherrin District where he was a farmer.
Joseph and Helen had eight children . . .Sometime after 1885 Joseph Travis and some other children moved to Texas. Many of his descendants lived in Dallas and other cities in the 1970s.
Joseph was back in Brunswick County in 1912 when on 15 May he applied for a Civil War pension. He again was living at Ankum in south Brunswick County and was now 65 years old, he said. William Charles Phipps and Edward Vincent Sharp supported his pension application. . . ."

1900 Tarrant Co, TX Census
E. D. 115, Keller Township
26 June 1900
Reel: T623-1671 Book: 2 Page: 167B
Dwelling 352 Family 354
Travis, Joseph H., Head, W, M, Sept, 1847, 52 yrs, Married, 33 yrs, b Virginia, Fa Virginia, Mo Virginia, Farmer, Can read, write and speaks English, Rents farm
Travis, Hellen S., Wife, W, F, Sept, 1848, 51 yrs, Married, 33 yrs, 10 children, 8 alive, b Virginia, Fa Virginia, Mo Virginia, Farmer, Can read, write and speaks English
Travis, John S., Son, W, M, Aug, 1882, 17 yrs, Single, b Virginia, Fa Virginia, Mo Virginia, Farm Laborer, Can read, write and speaks English
Travis, Joseph H., Jr., Son, W, M, April, 1886, 14 yrs, Single, b Virginia, Fa Virginia, Mo Virginia, Can read, write and speaks English
Travis, Edward, Son, W, M, April, 1888, 12 yrs, Single, b Virginia, Fa Virginia, Mo Virginia, Can read, write and speaks English

1880 Brunswick Co, VA Census
E. D. 30, Meherrin PO
6th & 7th June 1880
Reel: T9-1357 Book: 1 Page: 263B
Dwelling Family
Travis, Joseph H., W, M, 33 yrs, Married, Farmer, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va
Travis, Hellen S., W, F, 30 yrs, Wife, Married, Keeping House, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va
Travis, Adaline A., W, F, 12 yrs, Daughter, Single, Attends school, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va, Did attend school during year
Travis, Hattie B., W, F, 10 yrs, Daughter, Single, Attends school, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va, Did attend school during year Travis, Mary M., W, F, 8 yrs, Daughter, Single, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va
Travis, William R., W, M, 2 yrs, Son, Single, b Va, Fa Va, Mo Va

1870 Brunswick Co, VA Census
Meherrin District, Sturgeon PO
1st September 1870
Reel: M593-1637 Page: 26A
Dwelling 467 Family 467
Travis, Joseph H., 28 yrs, M, W, Farmer, - -, 400, Virginia
Travis, Hellen S., 21 yrs, F, W, Housekeeper, Virginia
Travis, Adaline A., 2 yrs, F, W, Virginia
Page: 26B
Travis, Hattie, 5/12 yrs, F, W, Virginia