Joseph Bentley, one of two known children of Jonathan and Sarah (Bedsalt) Bentley was born in Grayson Cty., Virginia in about 1799. At age 18 and during 1792 and 1793 Joe's father served in the militia in southwest Virginia fighting the Indians and later in the militia from Fayette Cty. Ohio during the War of 1812. Joseph, along with other family members, parents and brother Obadiah, entered Mt. Pleasant Tup., Delaware Cty., Ind. in 1826 and apparently lived there until 1852.

Joseph was possibly married twice with his second wife being Elizabeth _____ from North Carolina. Leaving Delaware Cty. they went over the Oregon Trail arriving in Oregon City, Ore. during the fall of 1852. The Atlas of 1881, Wilson Cty., Kansas, Verdigris Twp. mentioned that Joseph and his son N. P., F. S. Sellers and other family members located along the Verdigris River southeast of present day Coyville in 1857. They later relocated along the Fall or Verdigris River north of Neodesha in 1866.

Joseph and his son N. P. were two of the 29 settlers who signed the document on March 1, 1867 agreeing to pay rent to the Osage Indians on the land they occupied. Joseph died about January 1870 and his estate was probated at Fredonia. His wife died about 1871. They are possibly buried at Verdi or Buffville Cemetery north of Neodesha where brother Obadiah Sr., who had homesteaded just south of this cemetery about 1871, was buried in 1884. Known children by census and probate records include:

(1) Jeffery, born about 1818 in Grayson Cty., Va. (Elizabeth Wood Carman, 6 July 1842) died in Union Army Hospital at DeValls Bluff, Ark. 28 August 1863.

(2) Elizabeth, born about 1819 (William DeWitt) died Lebanon, Indiana 4 April 1889.

(3) Lydia, born ???? (______ Sprague) living in July 1870 but no further information .

(4) Sydia, born Dec. 1831 in Ohio (Frank S. Sellers, 9 Oct. 1851) died 5 August 1889 and burled in Trimmel Cemetery southeast of Coyville in Wilson County.

(5) Sarah Jane, born 7 July 1834 Dela. Cty., Ind. (William L. Thompson, 2 December 1852 at Oregon City) A Civil War nurse she served in eastern Missouri in the hospitals caring for the sick and wounded of her husband's regiment, the 3rd Iowa Calvary. She was receiving a Civil war pension of $12.00 per month on certificate #872248 when she died on 27 March 1910. Buried in the National Cemetery at Keokuk, Iowa.

(6) Julian Anne, born about 1836 Delaware Cty., Ind. (James Morgan 1855 and W'm. W. White, 27 Oct. 1872) died 3 August 1886, buried Verdi Cemetary.

(7) Nathanial P., born Feb. 1838 Delaware Cty., Ind. (Evelina Weaver, 26 Nov. 1862 and Estella M. ______ about 1881) died and buried about 1906 at Cushing, Okla.

(8) Mary E., born December 1842 at Delaware Cty., Indiana (Carlton Douglas, 1859 and George John Caven about 1866) died 15 June 1909 and buried at Fossil, Wheeler Cty., Oregon.

(9) Martha Jane, born Indiana about 1852, with family in 1860 census, no further information.