Joseph was born on September 14, 1846 in Clinton Co., Missouri. He was the son of Joseph and Sarah Musser/Mercer. He father, Joseph, was from Ohio; Sarah indicated she was born in Pennsylvania. The family moved from Ohio between 1835 and 1839, and by the 1850 Census they had settled in Clinton Co. Missouri. Joseph was the youngest of five children. He had one brother and three sisters.
On the 1860 Census, the family had moved a little north and was living in Grand River Township, DeKalb Co., Missouri. Only Joseph and two of his older sisters were there with their parents.
With the Civil War underway in full force, on January 27, 1862, Joseph enlisted as a private in Capt. Clark’s Co. Mo. State Militia Cav. at Cameron, Missouri for the term of the war in Missouri. He stretched the truth and told them he was age 18. Capt. Clark’s company of militia subsequently became Company A, 6th Missouri State Militia Cavalry. He was five feet five inches tall, with blue eyes, light hair and a fair complexion. He listed himself as a farmer. On the Muster Roll, he was listed with the last name of Musser. In February he bought a horse from the U.S. government to use in the service. It was valued at $75.
He was in the fight at Lone Jack on August 16, 1862, appears to have received a slight wound in the arm, but may not have lost his horse. The records show Joseph was present for duty, except when on detached service, from before the battle until he mustered out on February 28, 1864. He then reenlisted as a Veteran Volunteer under the provision of General Order 191, Series 1863. At that time his horse was valued at $90. On May 31, 1864, he received a furlough for 30 days and he went to Maysville, Dekalb Co., Missouri.
Joseph reenlisted and became a private in Company A of the 13th Missouri Cavalry. His reenlistment form showed that he looked the same as when he enlisted in 1862, except he had grown three inches and was then five feet eight inches tall. His service in the 13th Missouri appears relatively uneventful, except he seemed to lose ordnance stores periodically which cost him from $.30 to $2.43. When he finally mustered out of the army on April 18, 1866, he was still entitled to $140 of the $400 bounty he had earned by reenlisting.
With the war at an end, Joseph returned to civilian life. At this point it became a little difficult to follow Joseph’s life. The interchangeability of the Musser and Mercer names made following him shortly after the war a little unclear. In 1870, a Joseph Musser appeared on the census in Shoal Township, Clinton County. He was married to Moriah and there were two children. Moriah and the children do not appear anywhere after that. Interestingly, Joseph and family were living next to Francis Chamberlain and his family. This is an item that will come into play later in this article. It is clear that on May 27, 1879, Joseph C. Mercer filed for a Veteran’s Pension for service in both “A 13 Mo. Cav. and A 6 Mo. S. M. Cav.” and was issued Certificate no. 184.824.
The first time Joseph shows up and it seems clearer is on the 1880 Census where he was in Shoal Township, Clinton Co., Missouri. He was living in the household of his brother-in-law, Archibald Glenn, who was married to his sister Louisa. He was listed as a widower, so he was married sometime before that and his wife had died. It appears that he was living next door to his mother, who had married Francis Chamberlain. Therefore, his father had also passed away at some point in time.
About 1884, Joseph married Frances (last know unknown at this time). She was born in December 1826 in Georgia. On the 1900 Census, Joseph was living in Scott Co., Arkansas with his wife, Frances C. He was a farmer, owned his farm free and clear, and neither of them had ever had any children. Frances died March 6, 1907 and Joseph became a widower again.
On the 1910 Census, Joseph was living with his widowed sister Louisa in her home. That home was located in Cameron, Missouri. Since he was listed as divorced, he may have separated from Frances before she died. He did not have any occupation. By 1920, Joseph was still in Shoal Township, Clinton County, but he was living with Abner Chamberlain, his brother as the result of the marriage of his mother to Francis Chamberlain previously noted. Joseph noted that he was a widower, and that he owned his home free and clear.
Joseph died on September 14, 1931 and is buried in the Sugar Grove Cemetery in Sugar Grove, Arkansas. Although not the same cemetery, he is buried in the same county as his wife Frances.