This biographical sketch was obtained from a family history compiled by Florette McGuire and Annie McGuire McDowell. The information was gathered for the family records by Serena McGuire Pomeroy, Jacob's daughter:

At the age of sixteen, Jacob and his twin brother, James, awoke one morning and found the house surrounded by soldiers of the Confederate Army who forced the boys to march South with them (Their home was in Tazewell County, Virginia). The officers persecuted, threatened, and starved them for days in their endeavor to get these boys to join the rebel forces. They said they loved their country too much to fight against her, and honored their flag too highly to fire a shot at it.

One day while passing through an orchard, the Captain let them stop and gather some apples. The two brothers and another companion went to a tree and pretended to pick. They dropped their guns and napsacks and ran into the woods. Several shots were fired at them, but they managed to escape. They hid out days, traveling at night, foraging for food as best they could, as they were afraid to ask for food or shelter, never knowing who was friend or foe. They knew where a Northern woman lived, so made their way to her home. She showed them where a large river was shallow enough to be forded, so they made their way home.

On the rolling hills, some distance from the house, had been raised a large quantity of corn, and the corn stocks were still standing. Here they hid for some time with their folks visiting them at night, bringing food, clean clothing, books, etc. Fearing that some one would report their whereabouts to the Confederate officers, they decided to go to the nearest Union Recruiting Station and enlist. This they did on the 11th day of December, 1863, and served for three years, or the duration of the war. They were in Company E., 39th Regiment of the Kentucky Infantry.

They took part in many noted battles, one being the Battle of Gettysburg.

Jacob was honorably discharged from Military Service of the United States on September 15, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky by reason of mustering out of Company.

Jacob brought his wife and 7 children to Arizona in March 1889 and settled in the Gila Valley of Graham County. He was a respected pioneer of the time and is credited by locals as having raised the first stock of cotton grown in Arizona. He died on Nov. 26, 1925. He is buried in the Thatcher Cemetery with his grave marker properly identifying him as having served in the Kentucky 39th Infantry. The American Legion remembers his grave each year with an American flag.

James reared his family in Lawrence County, Kentucky where he died Dec. 6, 1925. He is buried at Davisville, Lawrence Co., Kentucky.

Marlo Woods also adds that the full names of these men were Jacob Jackson McGuire and James Arthur McGuire.

Editor's note: To date we've seen no records indicating that any of the 39th's veterans were definitely at Gettysburg. However, we do know Jenkins' 16th Virginia Cavalry, CSA, was at that immense battle and that the regiment did return to the mountains shortly afterward. It is also known that some members of the 16th deserted the Confederate service to then join the 39th. - RMB