On September 9, 1775, the NC Provincial Congress appointed Joseph Williams as Lt. Colonel under Col. Martin Armstrong in the Surry County Regiment of Militia.

In the 3Q of 1776, the NC Provincial Congress appointed Joseph Williams as the second Colonel in the Surry County Regiment of Militia. While Col. Martin Armstrong led half of the Surry County Regiment in Brig. Gen. Griffith Rutherford's Cherokee Expedition of 1776 on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Col. Joseph Williams led the other half of the Surry County Regiment, which joined up with Col. William Christian of Virginia in the Cherokee Expedition of 1776 on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In early 1779, Col. Joseph Williams led the Surry County Regiment of Militia in the Purrysburg, SC expedition and participated in the battle of Briar Creek, GA on March 9, 1779. During the winter of 1779-1780, Col. Joseph Williams (appointed by the NC General Assembly on 7/7/1779) led a group of Militiamen in guarding the NC Surveyors as they extended the NC/VA State Line westward into what is now Tennessee.

On October 8, 1780, Col. Joseph Williams led a small contingent of the Surry County Regiment of Militia in a minor setback against Loyalist Col. Gideon Wright at the battle known as Richmond Town #2.

On March 15, 1781, Col. Joseph Williams led more than half of the Surry County Regiment of Militia at the battle of Guilford Court House. Col. Martin Armstrong led the rifle companies of the Surry County Regiment of Militia at this engagement.

Joseph Williams was born on March 27, 1748 in Hanover County, VA, the son of Nathaniel Williams. He married Rebekah Lanier on September 16, 1772 in Orange County, NC. They moved to Surry County, near Shallow Ford, and they had eight known sons - Robert, Joseph Jr., John, William, Thomas, Alexander, Lewis, and Nicholas Lanier; and two known daughters - Rebekah and Fanny. Joseph Williams died on August 11, 1827 at his estate, known as Panther Creek, in Surry County, NC.