From Dorothy Hammarlund:

David and Jane Bayles settled in McDonough Co., Il. and had a family of 16 children, 11 of whom grew
to man and womanhood.  Many of their sons served in the Civil War.   The History of McDonough Co.,
Il.,  published by the Continental Publishing Co., Springfield, Il., 1885, has a very good history of
the family, and about the different units the sons served in during the Civil War, and such a sad
description of their son Joseph H. Bayles who was blinded  as the result of Andersonville prison
life.  He was put in a cotton gin-house because he wouldn't take an oath never again to fight against
the Confederacy, and was in the stone basement when the cotton seed caught fire, and his eyes were so
affected by the smoke, and subsequent inflamation to nearly destroy his vision.  It tells that he
escaped in December 1864, and made his way back to his regiment,.  He had almost completely lost his
sight, but remained with his regiment until the end of the war.  It tells that he reeived 11 gun
shots, two shell wounds, and was run over by a battery wagon, but never gave up, and found at the
head of his regiment when any fighting wasdone.  It states that no family in this part of the country
has a more patriotic war record than Joseph Bayles.  He traveled for many years after the war trying
to regain his eyesight and health.