Joseph had moved to Nebraska about June or July of 1864 before he enlisted. The Company was made up at Fall city, NE and moved by boat from Rulo, NE to St. Joseph, MO and mustered into the regiment. On August 4, 1864, Joseph enlisted at St. Joseph, Buchanan Co, Missouri as a private, in Company K, 48th Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry for the United States, in the Civil War. He gave his height as 6 feet 2 inches, fair complexion; color of eyes as Black; color of hair as Dark; that his occupation was Farmer; that he was born April 13th, 1839, at Gasconade Co, MO.
While on duty in the area of Columbia, TN, he developed chronic Diarrhea and Rheumatism on the account of severe exposure to the weather, not being provided with any tents from the time they left Rolla in Phelps Co, MO, until they made the campaign to columbia and until they got to Chicago, IL being very cold and damp a great part of the time. On the 12th of January 1865, he was in the hospital at Columbia, TN. He was Honorably Discharged at Benton Barracks (St. Louis), MO, on June 29, 1865.66

Softening of the Brain