fromt he archives of the RI Argus/Moline Dispatch newspapers. The Guinty mentioned here is most likely Michael Guinty:

"http://64.4.171.250/qcnews/archives/adl/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=32890&query=guinty
Sun 06-Nov-1994
RUTHHART COLUMN WILLIAM JOBE
We must never forget the contributions these men, and men like them throughout history, made to their nation and their community.
Tale of Lt. Jobe is just
a small part of the story
Isn't history amazing?
Each time I pen something of a historical nature, I hear from people offering information that would have been helpful BEFORE I wrote the article if only I had known where to look. That was certainly the case with the recent series of articles of Lt. William Jobe, a Civil War soldier from Rock Island.
Lt. Jobe was a printer at The Argus who, when the Civil War broke out, was among the first to enlist to fight for his country. He survived some of the bloodiest battles of the war and sent The Argus detailed accounts of the fighting and life in the army. Stories featuring highlights from those accounts appeared in The Argus in September.
Following the series of articles, a special memorial service was held at Chippiannock Cemetery to dedicate a new government grave marker for Lt. Jobe. Rock Island native and amateur Civil War historian Benton McAdams helped not only to research the life of Lt. Jobe, but also to plan the memorial service.
I've heard from a number of people since that series ran. Several are worthy of further mention.
One of the incidents which Lt. Jobe wrote about was the hanging of a Confederate spy at Pulaski, Tenn. Samuel Doak of Rock Island wrote to let me know that the spy was Samuel Davis, ``who has become quite a hero in the state of Tennessee.'' Mr. Doak knew because his great-grandfather, John W. N. Doak, was in the same company as Lt. Jobe and also wrote home about the incident.
``The state of Tennessee regards Davis as the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy,'' said Samuel Doak.
In his letter home, Mr. Doak wrote: ``To those who are led astray in an unjust cause and are yet honest, true and faithful to the cause and their friends, I have respect for them. A young rebel spy of this description was executed 27th last month in this town.
``Some soldiers or citizens had given him information as to our strength and size and position and he was on his way south with that information but unfortunately for him he was caught, brought back, tried and found guilty.
``When informed of his fate, he did not seem to care much. The general offered to pardon him if he would tell who have him the information, but this he refused to do. Just before going onto the scaffold the chaplain asked him if he had not better tell. This seemed to insult him. Said he, `Do you think I would betray a friend. No, I would die a thousand deaths first.'
``I stood near by him as I could get for the guard. He died like a soldier, a brave boy he was though a spy. I almost hated to see him die. I guess he was 21 years of age, hair, eyes and complexion dark, five foot six inches and weighed about 150 pounds. Samuel Davis was his name. His relatives live in Nashville.''
Mr. Doak's great-grandfather was with Lt. Jobe at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Lookout Mountain and the Battle for Atlanta. He came home in the fall of 1864 and died Oct. 17, 1865 at the age of 26.
His letter reminded me that although my series of articles focused on Lt. Jobe, there were many other local boys who fought with Company D of the 12th Illinois Infantry as well as with other units. While Lt. Jobe apparently has no relatives remaining in the area, many of the other soldiers may still have descendents in the area -- many of the names remain familiar.
The officers were respected men in the community, with names like Williams, Benson, McNeil, Beardsley, Lackey, Scheible, Gregg, Dimick, Hakes, Koehler, Hartley, Wagner and Daley.
The soldiers represented a variety of nationalities. Robert Koehler was from Rybrick, Prussia; George Applehaus from Amthof, Germany; Hugh Boyle from Darrah, Ireland; and Moses Bell from Scarsborough, England. There was John Bowen from Morganshire, N. Wales and Harrison Baker from Italy, Germany; John Godfrey from Lerncoveny, Sweden, and John H. Phillips from Cardigan, Wales. George Tomlinson was from York, Canada, and Michael Waddock from Wasford, Ireland. They came from all corners of the globe to settle in this country and this spot in the wilderness along the Mississippi; they all enlisted in the Union army right here in Rock Island.
Many were wounded. Men with names like Blodgett, Harrington, Denning, Durand, Bell, Gardner, Hollister, Specht, Brewer, Mayer, Newton, Fitzpatrick, Guinty, Gaston, Beardsley. But they were the lucky ones who survived some of the bloodiest battles fought on the face of this earth.
Others, like Russell Philleo of Port Byron, Lewellyn Williams of Coaltown, and Levi Greer and Thomas Miller of Rock Island, died on the field of battle in places like Shiloh and Corinth.
There were others, too, who served just as bravely in units other than Company D of the 12th Illinois. Their heroics are less available because they did not have an Argus printer and war correspondent like Lt. Jobe serving in their ranks.
I've also found since the Jobe series ran, that Company D lived on in ways other than just the writings of its lieutenant. During the 1960s and 1970s it was ``reactivated'' as a Civil War Reenactment unit headed by Richard Hamer of Moline.
The group itself, which had 27 members at its peak, collected detailed historical information on the 12th Illinois. Members of the reenacters group visited the battlefield sites and retraced the steps that local Illinois infantrymen walked more than a century ago.
Among the many pages of history in a fading scrapbook, Mr. Hamer produced a photo copy of a photo of a young Army lieutenant of the era. Mr. Hamer could not recall where the photo was copied, but was sure if it was among the memorabilia he must have been an officer of Company D.
It's likely that the photo is of either William Jobe or Robert Koehler, Mr. Hamer said. The two men, while contemporaries, did not always see eye to eye.
Lt. Koehler returned home from the war to run a tavern and serve as city clerk in Rock Island. Following the war he was often dispondent, lived what he complained was a miserable life, and had constant headaches. In 1893, after losing a political race, Mr. Hamer recalled, Mr. Koehler tried to commit suicide by cutting his wrists, but failed.
Until we can track down additional information on the photo of the young man who appears on this page, we can't be sure of his identity. We do know that Lt. Jobe wrote The Argus that he had his photo taken while stationed near Corinth, Miss., so this may be that photo. He also wrote that a photo had been taken of Company D as well.
Perhaps the story of William Jobe will continue to unfold. There may be others out there like Mr. Hamer and Mr. Doak with pieces of information to contribute. But regardless of how this story ends, we must never forget the contributions these men, and men like them throughout history, made to their nation and their community.
The Civil War and other conflicts, faded with time, seem more like tales from a story book than real-life trials that affected mens' lives, preserved this nation, and changed the lives of everyone who lives in it. The achievements of these men must never be forgotten.
Roger Ruthhart is managing editor of The Rock Island Argus."