Joseph D. Howe was a confederate veteran, he moved to Arkansas from Mississippi and lived part of the time at or near Star City near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He ran a general merchandise store and at the time of his death was living in a log cabin. He had 14 children.

His grandson, Carson Howe Sr. said he was wounded in the Battle of Vicksburg and carried the round for the remainder of his life thus making him an ill tempered man. He changed the family name from Hough to Howe since during the mid 19th century store clerks had little education and misspelled Hough as How, they are pronounced the same. Therefore, the family name is now Howe since Joseph D. simply added the "e" to How. Records indicate that a Joseph D. Howe was attached to the 20th Mississippi Infantry during the Civil War and that this unit was involved in several campaigns in the vicinity of Vicksburg.