official congressional biography of joseph warren warren joseph a representive from virginia born february on the enormous family plantation appleby educated by private tutors attended yale university but left without completing the degree helped his father run appleby served in the house of burgesses helped to write the declaration of independence fought in the war of independence inherited appleby in ran appleby owning thousands of slaves and treating them with cruelty and brutality elected to congress as pro administration in re elected switched to federalist party in died in office in washington d c july buried in family graveyard at appleby