Josiah Hensel was born, August 9, 1825 in York Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He was eldest of twelve children born to John and Rachel (Barton) Hensel. Both of Josiah’s grandfathers served in the military, his paternal grandfather, Frederick Hensel, having been killed during the War of 1812, and his maternal grandfather, Eli Barton, having served during the American Revolution.

On June 20, 1850, Josiah Hensel married Catherine Hawk. She was born in Ohio about 1831, the daughter of John and Catherine Hawk. Although already married at the time the 1850 U.S. Census was enumerated in September, they were listed separately, each living in the household of their respective parents. Together, Josiah and Catherine (Hawk) Hensel had the following children: Rachel Almira, Alvin Daniel, John Taylor, Harvey Monroe, Josiah Walton, Sarah Eliza, William Phineas, Floretta May, Charles Arthur Willis, and Nancy.

At the relatively advanced age of 39 years, Josiah Hensel enlisted as a Private on May 2, 1864. On May 9th, he was mustered into Company D, 161st Ohio Infantry, a 100-day regiment. The unit was composed of the 70th Battalion, Ohio National Guard, from Tuscarawas County; the 43d Battalion, from Noble County; and one company of the 58th Battalion, from Hancock County.

Once organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, it was immediately ordered to Cumberland, Maryland, where it arrived at noon on May 12th. On the 28th it moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia. In June 1864, while on the picket line at Martinsburg, Private Hensel suffered from severe exposure, but was not immediately removed from duty. On June 4th, Cos. A, B, D, F and H, with other troops, were sent up the Shenandoah Valley with a supply train for Hunter’s army, then supposed to be near Staunton. On reaching that place it was found that Hunter had advanced, but they finally overtook him at Lexington on the 11th. They remained with Hunter until he arrived at Lynchburg, when they were ordered back to Martinsburg. After considerable marching and guard duty, the regiment fell back to Maryland Heights. Early on the morning of July 6th, skirmishing commenced and continued for two days, the regiment taking an active part. On July 25th, Josiah Hensel was admitted to the field hospital at Sandy Hook, Maryland, suffering from chronic diarrhea. He was transferred to Jarvis Field Hospital in Baltimore, with rheumatism, and thence to Cincinnati on August 23rd, to be mustered out. Hensel was mustered out with the rest of his regiment at Camp Chase on September 2, 1864.

Upon his return from the army, Josiah Hensel continued to live in his native county of Tuscarawas. On March 3, 1872, he met with the loss of his wife, Catherine (Hawk) Hensel, who died on March 3, 1872, at the age of about 41.

On March 7, 1875, Josiah Hensel again married, this time to Magdalena (Ankney) Hawk-McCowan. She was a two-time widow of Civil War veterans, her first husband being Josiah Hawk, who served in an Iowa regiment and died in Kentucky, and the second being Nathaniel McCowan. By his second wife, Josiah Hensel had two more daughters: Alice Blanch and Ellen Jane.

Magdalena died on March 3, 1918, and Josiah Hensel survived her by just over a year, passing away on April 13, 1919, at the respectable age of 93 years, 8 months, and 4 days. His last days were spent in the care of his daughter Alice and he was laid to rest in the East Fair Cemetery, New Philadelphia, Ohio.