Barnes, Joel A. bio

History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co., Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 942-943, Woodland Township
Joel A. Barnes, trader and grain dealer, Summum; was born in Woodland township; his father, Aquila Barnes, was a native of Pa., and followed farming and blacksmithing; he removed to Harrison county, Indiana, where he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Onion, who bore him 10 children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the 6th child. He was born in 1844; in his 17th year he enlisted in Co. H, 85th Ill. Inf., proceeding to the front he became a participant in many noted battles. When the war closed he returned to his old home in Fulton county, where he has since lived, taking up his residence at Summum; here he practices the profession of attorney, and engages somewhat extensively in trading.