On one of the other posts someone says there's only one record of a Hiram Bayless. This got my attention because I've several Confederate ancestors from east Tennessee that served in the 60th Tennessee. He first appears on the muster roll dated Sept.10,1862. He enlisted Aug.11,1862 at Jonesboro,Tennessee. Jan-Feb. 1863 roll has him " absent without leave " He has returned and listed " present " for Mar-Apr 1863. The roll for May 11, 1863 - April 30,1864 has him " absent, captured at Big Black, Mississippi May 17,1863 " ( Vicksburg Campaign ) He was sent to Memphis, Tenn. then to Camp Morton, Indiana to the Union Prison there. On a roll dated June 15,1863 he is listed on a roll of Rebel prisoners desiring to volunteer for the Union Army's 71st Indiana Infantry. ( the term was called galvanizing ) wasn't at all unusual, especially for east Tennesseans who were actually Unionists and conscripted into the Confederate Army. From this regiment was formed the 6th Indiana Cavalry. Might the Morse Code have been used by him as a prisoner to communicate with other prisoners ? Here's some info on the two regiments from the NPS Civil War site. Hope this was your ancestor and you get to see that Bible ! God Bless and Merry Christmas !

Glenn Land

UNION INDIANA VOLUNTEERS

6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry

OVERVIEW: Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., February 23, 1863, from the 71st Indiana Infantry. Company "L" organized September 1, 1863. Company "M" organized October 12, 1863. Regiment left State for Kentucky August 26, 1863. Attached to 1st Division, 23rd Army Corps, Lexington, Ky. Dept. of the Ohio to September, 1863. Wilcox's Command, Left Wing forces 23rd Army Corps, Dept. of the Ohio, to January, 1864. District of the Clinch, Dept. of the Ohio, to April, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division Cavalry Corps, Dept. of the Ohio, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to July, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to August, 1864. Dismounted Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 6th Division, Wilson's Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to June, 1865. District of Middle Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberiand, to September, 1865.
SERVICE:Reconnoissance to Olympian Springs, Ky., October 8-11, 1863. Moved to Cumberland Gap, Tenn. Knoxville Campaign November 4-December 23. Action at Lenoir Station November 14-15. Campbell's Station November 16. Siege of Knoxville November 17-December 5. Been's Station December 14. Lee County, Va., December 24. Big Springs January 19, 1864 (Detachment). Tazewell January 24. Duty at Mt. Sterling and Nicholasville, Ky., till April. March from Nicholasville to Dalton, Ga., April 29-May 11. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to August. Demonstrations on Dalton May 9-13. Varnell's Station May 12. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Pine Log Creek May 18. Etowah River, near Cartersville, May 20. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Allatoona Pass June 1-2. Lost Mountain June 9. Pine Mountain June 10. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Lost Mountain June 11-17. Cheyney's Farm June 27. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Sandtown July 6-7. Campbellton July 12-14. Turner's Ferry July 16 and 22. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Sweetwater July 23. Stoneman's Raid to Macon July 27-August 6. Macon and Clinton July 30. Hillsborough Sunshine Church July 30-31. Jug Tavern, Mulberry Creek, August 3. Moved Nashville, Tenn., August 28. Pursuit of Wheeler September 24-October 18. Pulaski, Tenn., September 26-27. Waterloo, Ala., October 3. Moved to Dalton, Ga., November 1, and return to Nashville, Tenn., November 26. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Duty at Nashville till April 1, 1865. At Pulaski, Tenn., and in Middle Tennessee till September. Non-Veterans mustered out June 17, 1865. Regiment mustered out September 15, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 66 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 201 Enlisted men by disease. Total 273.

Predecessor unit:

INDIANA VOLUNTEERS

71st REGIMENT INFANTRY.

Organized at Terre Haute, Ind., July 21 to August 18, 1862. Mustered in at Indianapolis August 18, 1862, and left State for Lexington, Ky., August 18. Battle of Richmond, Ky., August 30. Regiment mostly captured, paroled and sent to Indianapolis, Ind. Re-organizing at Indianapolis till December, 1862. Ordered to Kentucky. Action at Muldraugh's Hill, Ky., December 27, 1862. Regiment again captured. Paroled and sent to Indianapolis, and on duty there till August 26, 1863. Designation of Regiment changed to 6th Indiana Cavalry February 22, 1863. (See 6th Indiana Cavalry.)

CONFEDERATE TENNESSEE TROOPS

60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Crawford's) (79th Infantry)

OVERVIEW: 60th Regiment Infantry [also called 79th Regiment] was organized at Haynesville, Tennessee, in October, 1862. Men of this unit were recruited in the counties of Washington, Hawkins, Sullivan, Grainger, and Cocke. It was assigned to General J.C. Vaughn's Brigade and remained there throughout the war. Serving in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, most of the regiment was captured in the conflict at Big Black River Bridge and the remaining men at Vicksburg. Exchanged and reorganized as mounted infantry, it skirmished in Western Virginia and East Tennessee, then disbanded during the spring of 1865. Its commanders were Colonels John H. Crawford and Nathan Gregg, and Lieutenant Colonel James A. Rhea.