Joseph Cassey Bustill was born in Philadelphia in 1822 to David Bustill and Elizabeth W. Hicks. Joseph married Sarah Humphreys and they had a child Anna Amelia Bustill (1862-1945). He worked as a school teacher. He supported abolitionism and became active in the Underground Railroad, serving as what was called a "shipping agent" to arrange shelter and passage for fugitive slaves.
During his time with the Underground Railroad, Joseph C. Bustill reportedly protected more than 1,000 runaway slaves, according to his daughter, operating in concert with William Still, the leader of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, as well as Harrisburg Underground Railroad agents Thomas Morris Chester and William and Mary Jones.
