The following is the account of Joseph Hall, one of the true pioneers of Southeastern Kentucky. It provides, through his statements and the confirmations of his supporting witnesses, documentation of permanent settlement in this Kentucky county as early as 1780. There is no established link between this man and Anthony Hall (1752-1846).

In his application for pension as a veteran of the Revolutionary War, Joseph Hall, a resident of Lincoln County Kentucky on December 24, 1832 state that he was born in Rockbridge County Virginia in 1764. In May, 1781 he entered the service as a draft in the county of Lincoln and "the District of Kentucky (then an integral part of the state of Virginia) under Colonel Benjamin Logan and acting Captain John Logan, who was called Lieutenant Colonel." They were ordered to march to Harrodsburg, Kentucky in the same month, twenty-one miles distant from Logan's Fort in Lincoln County. They went for the purpose of moving the powder magazine from Harrodsburg to Logan's Fort. The magazine had "lately been brought to that place from the state of Virginia", Harrodsburg being at that time menaced by the Indians who were at war with the United States and not being considered tenable against a strong force. They marched back from Harrodsburg to Logan's Fort and Hall continued to act as a guard over said "public magazine" until the middle of October 1781. Hall was then verbally discharged by Benjamin Logan in the latter part of October, 1781.

In the first part of March, 1782, Hall volunteered under the command of Captain John Snoddy and Colonel Benjamin Logan. At that time Hall acted as an Indian spy on the "southern frontiers of the then District of Kentucky and the waters of the Kentucky River and on the waters of Dix River and on the waters of Rockcastle River." He proceeded on his spying expeditions from English Fort, which was "the station of Captain Snoddy's company, in the District of Kentucky." Hall acted as a spy for six months and was verbally discharged in September or October of 1782 by Captain Snoddy. Hall stated that he was in no battles and there were no Continental or Regular regiments where he spied. He stated that Captain Snoddy was an officer in the service of the State of Virginia.

Hall was again drafted in October 1782 in Captain John Woods company of the Virginia militia and marched to the Cumberland Mountains to guard the immigrants to the Western Country through what "was then called the Wilderness, as the roads were constantly beset by the Indians and the emigrants murdered on every opportunity." This service was part of the militia duty. He served for one month and was verbally discharge by Captain Woods.

In the spring of 1783 the Indians made an invasion of the District of Kentucky in a "hostile manner and encamped upon the head waters of the Big Sandy River." Hall volunteered under Captain William Whitley to expel the Indians. Hall served under Colonel Benjamin Logan and Lieutanant Colonel John Logan. " Colonel Isaac Shelby was on the expedition." They marched against the Indians but before they reached the Indian campground, they suddenly decamped and abandoned the country. Hall served for one month as a mounted volunteer and furnished his own provisions. He was discharged by Captain Whitley in Lincoln County.

Hall reported that he had no written record of his birth or age, but that his father had a record of the ages of his family "set down in his Westminster Confessions of Faith, which has been lost," so that he did not know what had become of it. He stated further that he "removed to the state of Kentucky in 1780, then being in his 17th year and settled in Lincoln County" where he had resided ever since. There were no regular officers in the country nor any regular or continental regiments and he never received any written discharges. Hall stated that he was known in his neighborhood to George Noaks, Benjamin Briggs and James P. Burnett who could testify as to his character for veracity, and by whom he can prove the greater part of his services.