By tradition, Joseph is said to have been born at the Reed homestead,later known as the plantation. After Joseph's birth, his mother Priscilla soon died. He was then taken by his maternal grand parents, John and Druscilla (Durbin) Reed and raised to maturity by them. His early childhood and days of adolesence were spent on the land that was to become his home for the remainder of his life. He was given the opportunity to receive a fair education for the time and throughout his life made every effort to benefit from his education. At the age of nineteen, on 10 August 1857, his grandparents gave him a deed to their old homestead that included one hundred and twenty acres in the bottomof the Dry Fork of the Bourbeuse River. That land included the Island Field tract. On 17 November 1859, he married Ann Eliza Hendrix, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Durbin) Hendrix, of Webster County, Missouri.

They made their home on the old Reed Homestead in Gasconade County, Missouri, where he managed a plantation that was worked by the Reed Slaves. The Reed slaves included Ben and Mott Reed as well as their children June, Jack and Tine. They were emancipated in 1862. Joseph outfitted them with the necessary equipment for travelling and earning their own livelihood. This equipment consisted of a wagon and team of horses as well as necessary household items. According to tradition he also gave them money deemed necessary for their immediate needs until they could find employment. They are said to have settled near Vichy in Maries County, Missouri.

With the advent of the Civil War, Joseph enrolled in the 34th Regiment of Missouri Enrolled Militia and was on duty with that unit during the famous Price raid in 1864. On 9 February 1865, Joseph was inducted into the Union Army at St. Louis (after a transfer from 11th Missouri Volunteer Infantry on 11 July 1864) and was assigned to Company I, 124th Illinois Infantry at Vicksburg, MS.. He was present and in combat with that unit at the battle of Spanish Fort, Alabama in April of 1865. The following months were spent in occupation duty at Montgomery, Alabama. When his unit was deactivated, he was transferred to the 11th Missouri Infantry Volunteers and was on duty with that unit at Memphis, Tennessee and Camp Douglas, Illinois. He was discharged in the spring of 1866.

He then returned to his home and family in Gasconade County, Missouri, where he acquired additional land and expanded the old homestead. He was generally known by friends and relatives as 'Uncle Joe'. He died of a paralytic stroke on 9 April 1921. Aa great deal of the information regarding the descendants of Joseph and his two wives was obtained from Family Bible Records much of them written in Joseph's own hand.