While the battles of the Revolution captured headlines in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, another war raged along Pennsylvania's western frontier. Joseph R. Rhoads fought that war—a grinding conflict of raids, alarms, and constant vigilance against attacks from Fort Niagara and native allies of the Crown. His service in Bedford County's defense network between 1777 and 1782 represents the often-overlooked frontier dimension of the Revolutionary War.
Pennsylvania Frontier Roots
Born November 26, 1745, in Valley, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Joseph Rhoads came of age on the edge of colonial civilization. Bedford County in the 1740s and 1750s was the frontier—a contested borderland where European settlement pressed against Native American territories, where the French and Indian War would soon explode, and where the Forbes Road to Fort Pitt represented the westernmost reach of British colonial authority.
Growing up in this environment, Joseph would have learned frontier skills essential for survival: tracking, marksmanship, wilderness navigation, and the art of the fort and blockhouse defense that would define Pennsylvania's militia system during the Revolution.
Bedford County Militia Service
The frontier war was not fought in set-piece battles. It was a war of alarms and raids, of protecting settlements and escorting supply convoys through hostile territory.
Joseph Rhoads appears in the Pennsylvania Battalions and Militia Indexfor Bedford County, serving intermittent tours between 1777 and 1782. As a "classed militiaman," he was part of Pennsylvania's organized frontier defense system—men designated by their local communities to serve in rotation, maintaining constant readiness along the western line.
The Bedford Defense Network
Bedford County's strategic importance stemmed from its position along the Forbes Road, the vital supply route connecting Philadelphia to Fort Pitt (modern Pittsburgh). British forces at Fort Niagara regularly organized raiding parties—combining Loyalist rangers and Native American allies—to disrupt this crucial artery.
The militia's mission: maintain a network of forts and blockhouses, escort supply convoys, respond to settlement alarms, and conduct scouting parties to detect approaching threats. It was exhausting, dangerous work with little glory and constant danger.
During the "Ranger years" of 1778–1781—when frontier violence peaked—Joseph likely participated in multiple tours of duty. These would have included garrison duty at local forts, patrol and scouting missions, and possibly escort service for supply wagons moving west toward the Ohio Country.
Kentucky Migration
Like many Pennsylvania veterans, Joseph Rhoads looked west after the war. By 1790, he had migrated to Kentucky's Green River settlement in Muhlenberg County— part of a great wave of Pennsylvania families opening new counties in what was then Virginia's western territory (Kentucky achieved statehood in 1792).
Joseph died November 28, 1799, in Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky—just two days after his 54th birthday. He lies buried in Kentucky soil he helped open for settlement, carrying to his grave memories of the frontier war he fought to secure American independence on Pennsylvania's western line.
More to Discover
Though no SAR record yet exists for Joseph R. Rhoads, archival muster cards in the Pennsylvania Archives Series V & VI may support future Patriot recognition. Bedford County militia records from 1777–1782 are incomplete but ongoing digitization efforts continue to uncover additional documentation.
Research also continues into his Kentucky years—land grants, tax records, and possible participation in early Kentucky militia service against remaining Native American threats in the 1790s.