Joseph Burns. -- His father, Samuel Burns, removed from Waynesburg, Augusta county, Virginia (where Joseph was born), to Ohio, in 1815.  The family were about a year in New Philadelphia, and then came down the river in a  pirogue, or large canoe, to Coshocton, making their location in this county in 1816.  Joseph was at that time about sixteen years old, having been born March 11, 1800.  Favored by nature with a good appearance and great affability of manner, and being skilled in the art of penmanship, he was soon a young man of note in the neighborhood.  His first appearance in public capacity was probably in 1818, when he served as clerk at an election in Tuscarawas township, at which his father was one of the judges.  In 1821 he was run by his friends for the office of auditor, and perhaps that time and once afterward, when he ran for a second term in Congress, where the only occasions in which he did not secure the coveted position.  This work, under the heads of "County Officers" and "Relations to State and National Governments," will show the offices of public sort filled by him.  Except a brief period in his youth spent in farming, and another in his maturer life spent in keeping a drug-store, his whole active life of more than fifty years was spent in public work.  Never very exacting as to fees, and always free with his purse among his friends and fellow citizens, he left at the end of his days only a moderate portion.  Many men with more of greed, or less honest or frugal in general habits, would have amassed great wealth with his opportunities,  The affection of the large Virginia and Maryland elements in the population of the county for him was something worthy of study.  The stock of which he came was the old Scotch-Irish, so largely prominent in the whole history of the country.  His parents were Presbyterians, and his philosophy and faith partook of the old Covenanter cast.  He always had some taste for military affairs, and was a major-general of the militia.
He was twice married- his first wife was Rebecca Price, and his second was Mrs. Ales. Hay.  One of his sons was educated at West Point, and was during the war a brigadier-general, and another was clerk of the United States District Court of Iowa for some years.  He had in all six sons and two daughters, and these with his widow survive him.
His latter days were rendered distressful by the nature of his disease-dropsy of the chest; but he continued, until within a few hours of his death, to transact at his home such of the business of his office (that of probate judge) as must receive his personal attention.  Rising from his bed, and essaying to take a few steps, he sank to the floor, and in a moment was done with the burdens and honors of life, which he had received so largely and borne so bravely,  He was a little more than a month beyond his seventy-fifth year.

Source: Historical Collections of Coshocton County Ohio 1764-1876
Author: William E Hunt, pub. 1876