In 1855 at age 26 she wrote an autobiography. In the narrative she mentioned a need for equal pay for women, and stated that she planned to leave home dressed as a man "to earn more money".

Shortly after that she changed her name from Lucy to Joseph. Later she met Marie and in 1868 they were married and lived a persecuted life together until 1879. It was that year that Lucy's death was reported in the newspapers.

But in fact, because of her male behavior she was committed in 1879 to the Willard Asylum, then transferred to the Asylum at Binghamton, where she remained for 33 years until her death in 1912.