--Revolution and Independence--
Born in Salem, Mass., June 21, 1737; died in Salem, Mass., Aug. 16 1797 at age 60. Married at Salem, Mass., Elizabeth Bullock. Elizabeth Bullock born in Salem, February 7, 1736; died in Salem, Sept. 26 1826 at age 90. Members of 1st Church, Salem. Joseph and Elizabeth had 9 children, all born in Salem, between 1768 and 1785 (17 years):
Joseph
Mary
Stephen
Anna
Andrew
Betsy
Jonathan
Benjamin
Daniel
From the Salem Gazette, August 18, 1797: “An industrious faithful man. He was of a remarkable strong and vigorous constitution of body – and invited those qualities to such an inflexible integrity and constancy of heart, that he was selected by Colonel Pickering then at the head of one of the Army Departments, to be his confidential bearer of dispatches, which duty he executed with such fidelity, courage and perseverance that he was soon after called in the same capacity by General Washington in behalf of the Government. Such was the dangerous duty (when the Southern States were infested by the “Cow Boys” that he was directed to ride with his dispatches fastened to the muzzle of his pistol, that he might be able to destroy them and defend himself at the same discharge.”
A tradition in the family says that Joseph was granted a patent of land which was never recovered, owing to the destruction of important papers in the Treasury Building at Washington, which was destroyed by fire
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