Joseph Cornog was born in 1844 to Joseph and Hannah Cornog in Montgomery County. He was the second youngest of 9 siblings. His father and older brothers worked as boatmen in Montgomery County. Joseph did not follow in the rest of his family’s footsteps.

When the Civil War began in 1861, he enlisted with the 51st PA Volunteer Regiment on September 123, 1861. Serving as a Corporal, he fought with the Regiment in major battles such as Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and much of the Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee in 1864. Unfortunately, Joseph did not survive the war. Joseph was killed during the Siege of Petersburg on June 17, 1864, only one week after the siege began. His remains were returned to his family and he is now buried in the County Cemetery. Joseph’s younger brother, Addison, also fought in the war and thankfully survived.