William G. Bentley married Martha Couldter 1889 in Tilden Ne. need
his birth and dates etc. of my late husbands grandfather.birth and death

A possible starting point for the research:

"William G. Bentley"
FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/IGI/individual_record.asp?recid=100158015852&lds=1&region=11&frompage=99

WILLIAM G. BENTLEY, lumber merchant at Ashland, came to Nebraska in
1879, and located at Ashland, and opened the lumber yard where he is
now. Although Mr. Bentley is comparatively a new settler at Ashland,
yet he is a gentleman highly respected, is a man of integrity, and is
a liberal contributor to all public enterprises, for the good and
welfare of Ashland and Saunders County. He is a member of the I. O. O.
F. (Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Saunders Co. Part 6)

Mr Bentley was a Member of the House, Nebraska Bicameral Legislature from 1887-1889

He is listed in the Nebraska State Gazetter Business Directory for
1890-1891 as the Manager of Ashland Lumber Company.

HON. WM. G. BENTLEY, Ashland, Saunders county, was born in
Westmoreland county, Va., Dec. 2, 1844. He was raised in Baltimore,
Maryland, educated in the common and boarding schools of that state,
and trained to business and self-support. He early engaged in business
for himself in Baltimore, but during the war returned to Va., and went
into the Southern army. He was in that capacity for four years, and
was several times wounded. An independent scout much of the time, he
was a general daredevil. His only brother was in the service too, but
on the other side, and that's the way they evened it up. After he
returned from the war he went to Baltimore, and finally into business.
In 1876 he came to Iowa, and took a position as book-keeper for a
lumber firm, and in 1878 he located in Ashland in the lumber business.
He is a traditional Democrat of the anti-bellum school. (Biographical
Manual of the Twentieth Legislature of Nebraska)

To Hindsfeet-ga.  Thankyou for all the info, aside from the civil war,
I cannot find anything else to clarify and look for more info . can
you help me more , by answereing .  I tried getting books you
mentioned  but no luck .I need his parents names, cannot find his
birth in Va. thanks so much you have given so much more than I had.

Having just read
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=474051

I tried to find "William G. Bentley" in the records of the 1881 US census.

I suppose that this is the person in question:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/census/individual_record.asp?INDI_CODE=1880US%5F8220876%5F9

Household:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_8220876
and
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_8220876&HOUSEHOLD_SUB=2

According to the census records William was 32 years old (i.e. perhaps
not born in 1844, but later).