John Milton Cantrell was the son of John Aquilla Cantrell and Mary Ann "Polly" (Manning) Cantrell. He married Martha Davidson 03 Mar 1866 in Jasper, Tennessee.

John Milton Cantrell was recorded on the 1860 Census in the home of his parents in Marion County, Tennessee.

In 1870 John and Martha Davidson Cantrell were recorded in the 5th Civil District in Marion County, Tennessee. He was a farm laborer and had personal property valued at $350.00.

See 1870 Census, TN., Marion Co., Jasper P.O., M593, R: 1546, pg. 433
Ln:
2, Benjamin Smith, 32, M, W, farm laborer, TN
3, Lisa Ann, 30, F, W, TN
4, Susan, 12, F, W, TN
5, Charles, 10, M, W, TN
6, Lila, 8, F, W, TN
7, Florence, 6, F, W, TN
8, Allice, 14, F, W, TN
9, Jane, 3, F, W, TN

10, Mary Cantrell, 55, F, W, keeping house, $300, Va, cannot read or write
11, Benjamin, 22, M, W, TN., US service
12, Thomas, 17, M, W, farm laborer

13, John Cantrell, 24, M, W, farm laborer, $350, TN., US service
14, Martha, 21, F, W, keeping house, TN
15, David, 3, M, W, TN
16, Mary Ann, 9/12, F, W, TN, Sept

17, Abburt Smith, 60, M, W, farmer, $200, $972, TN., US service
18, Charlotte, 59, F, W, Keeping house, SC or Ill
19, Adeline, 22, F, W, TN
20, George, 17, M, W, farm laborer, TN

21, Laylay Smith, 29, M, W, farmer, $350, TN
22, Martha, 25, F, W, keeping house, TN
23, Claudus, 2, M, W, TN

24, John Davidson, 56, M, W, farmer, $400, $630, Ky, US service
25, Lettia A., 45, F, W, keeping house, TN
26, Mary, 17, F, W, TN
27, Sarah, 16, F, W, TN

28, Thomas Davidson, 23, M, W, farmer, $190, TN, US service
29, Clarissa, 17, F, W, keeping house, TN
30, Jane, 4/12, F, W, TN

31, William Powell, 26, M, W, farmer, $1000, $1263, TN, Feb., US service
32, Sarah, 22, F, W, keeping house, TN
33, Frences, 9, M, W, TN
34, Martha, 6, F, W, TN
35, John, 2, M, W, TN

36, Hiram Wood, 27, M, W, farmer, $350, TN, cannot read or write, US service
37, Catherine, 27, F, W, keeping house, TN
38, Martha, 8, F, W, TN
39, Mary, 6, F, W, TN
40, Sarah, 3, F, W, TN
1, Adeline, 7/12, F, W, TN

The 1880 Census for Cooke County, Texas indicates a "Jno Cantrell" age 35 born in Tennessee with wife Martha, age 30, born in Tennessee with children David, 9; Mary, 8. Charles, 6; Maggie, 4; Lucy, 2. All the children were born in Tennessee. Its a good chance that this "Jno Cantrell" is the father of Hattie Lee Cantrell because some of John Cantrell's family settled in Cooke County, Texas. See 1880 Census, Texas, Cooke Co., E.D.113, page 37, line 22, (Reel 11/4/1298)

1880 Cooke County, Texas p257c/
Cantrell, Jno (John Milton Cantrell) w m 35 Farmer Tennessee North Carolina Tennessee
Cantrell, Martha (Martha Davidson) w f 30 wife House Keeping Tennessee -0- -0-
(m 5 Apr 1866 Marion Co Tn; d/o John Hiram Davidson & Letita Ann Johnson)
Cantrell, David w m 9 son Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee
Cantrell, Mary w f 8 dau Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee
Cantrell, Chales w m 6 son Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee
Cantrell, Maggie w f 4 dau Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee
Cantrell, Lucy w f 2 dau Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee

Name: Jno. CANTRELL
Age: 35
Estimated birth year:
Birthplace: TEN
Occupation: Farmer
Relation: Self
Home in 1880: Cooke, Texas
Marital status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Head of household: Jno. CANTRELL
Father's birthplace: NC
Mother's birthplace: TEN
Cannot read/write: View image
Blind: View image
Deaf and dumb: View image
Otherwise disabled: View image
Idiotic or insane: View image
Image Source: Year: 1880; Census Place: , Cooke, Texas;
Roll: T9_1298; Family History Film: 1255298; Page: 257C;
Enumeration District: 113; Image: 103.

See 1880 Census, Tx, Cooke, 113-Dist, T9, R1298, pg 257, 12 June 1880
Lns: 22-32
22. Benj Cantrell, W, M, 29, M, farming, Tn, NC, Tn
23. Jane, W, F, 28, M, wife, HK, Tn3
24. Holton Huckely, W, M, 4, orphan, Tx3
25. Thomas Cantrell, W, M, 25, M, brother, farming, Tn, NC, Tn
26. Jno Cantrell, W, M, 35, brother, farming, Tn, NC, Tn
27. Martha, W, F, 30, wife, HK, Tn3
28. David, W, M, 9, son, farming, Tn3
29. Mary, W, F, 8, daughter, Tn3
30. Charles, W, M, 6, son, Tn3
31. Maggie, W, F, 4, daughter, Tn3
32. Lucy, W, F, 2, daughter, Tn3

See 1890 Census, Texas, Wise County, Record of his service in the Federal forces

1900, Texas, Wise County, Pella Twp., ED139, SR T623, Roll 1680, pg. 97
Ln:
24, John Cantell, head, W ,M, Jan 1843, 57, M, 34, Tn., Ireland, Virginia
25, Marthie, wife, W, F, June 1850, 49, M, 34, 13, 12, Tn.3
26, Robert M., son, W, M, une 1883, 17, S, Tx, Tn.2
27, Early M., daughter, W, F, April 1885, 15, S,Tx.,Tn2
28, Jerusha M.J., daudhter, W. F. April 1887, 13, s, Tx., Tn.2
29, Hattie, daughter, W, F, Dec. 1889, 10, S, Tx., Tn.2
30, Katetie K., daughter, W,F,April 1891, 9, S, Tx., Tn.2
31, Lonnie O., son, W, M, March 1895, 5, S, Tx., Tn.2
Note: Spelling of John's name is "Cantell".

1900 U.S. Census
John Cantell
Gender:
Male
1843 Birth Tennessee
1900 Residence Wise, Texas
1900 Age 57
Race White
Marital Status Married
Marriage Est. Year 1866
Enumeration District (ED) 0139
Page 12
Family No. 218
Ethnicity American

Household

Head John Cantell (age 57)
Wife Marthie Cantell (age 50)
Son Robert M Cantell (age 17)
Daughter Eddy M Cantell (age 15)
Daughter Jerusha M P Cantell (age 13)
Daughter Hattie V Cantell (age 11)
Daughter Katetie K Cantell (age 9)
Son Tommie O Cantell (age 5)

The 1910 US Census for Montague Co., Texas shows John Cantrell, head of household, age 66, with wife Martha, age 59, with Otis, son, age 16, born in Texas, and grandaughter, Maggie Gray, age 2, born in Oklahoma.

1910 U.S. Census
Jno Cantrell
1844 Birth Tennessee
1910 Residence Justice Precinct 8, Texas
1910 Age 66
Race White
Gender Male
County Montague
Marital Status Married

Household

Head Jno Cantrell (age 66)
Wife Martha Cantrell (age 59)
Son Otis Cantrell (age 16)
Granddaughter Maggie Gray (age 2)

The 1920 US Census for Montague Co., Texas shows John Cantrell at age 81 (which is incorrect). That he is head of house hold living with wife Martha, age 69, and grandaughter Maggie Gray age 11. Maggie is shown as being born in Oklahoma. Shs is the daughter of James Rufus and Mary Ann "Mollie" Cantrell Gray

John Cantrell's death record leads us to believe he was born in 1841.

The death record from Montague County, Texas for John Cantrell shows that his mother's name was "Manning". The death record for his wife, Martha (Davidson) Cantrell, from Wise Co., Texas shows that Martha's mother's name was also "Manning" which is incorrect. Martha's mother name was Johnson.

The Montague County, Texas Birth Record for Lonie Otis Cantrell, b. 3-18-1895 indicates that John Milton Cantrell and Martha Davidson were his parants.

The following was taken from the book "Totty and Totty Ties". (Note: Totty/Bean Cemetery is located on private land in Montague County, Texas halfway between Sunset and Forestburg on Road 1749 near where the road crosses Denton Creek. The Totty family married into the Cantrell family))
John Milton Cantrell, my (the author's) maternal grandfather, was born January 1, 1841, 1842, or 1843. An application for a pension based on his Civil War services that he signed in 1915 says 1843; one he signed in 1925 says 1842; and the date on his tombstone is 1841. It seems 1841 was probably right for he was said to have been eighty-three years old at the time of his death, October 25, 1925. Possibly he would have been eithty-three the following January. He was born near McMinnville in Warren County, Tennessee, the best I can figure. Some of the relatives seem to think the county was Marion County, and one of the pension applications says Marion County, but I think that is in error, for the same paper says near McMinnville, which is in Warren County, not Marion County. The census for Marion County in 1830 lists eleven families by that name, and the 1850 lists thirteen Cantrell names, and the marriage records beginning with 1852 for that county include many, many Cantrell's, none of them that I can identify as ours.

A John Cantrell resided in White County, Tennessee as early as 1806, the year the county was formed, and Warren was a part of that county at that time, for it was not formed until 1807. According to the minutes of that county, a John Cantrell was appointee, along with John Burks, Richard Burks, Moses Perkins, William Cowan, and Charles Burks, to lay out a road from where Looney's Trace crossed Barren Fork of Collins River to the east of Short Mountain. "Looney's Trace" is mentioned in the legislative act settling up Warren County. This "Trace" which passed through the present site of McMinnville was evidently a well-traced road in 1807.

John Milton Cantrell joined the Southern Division of the Federal Army August 4, 1863, and served untill June 16, 1864. He was in Camp D., First Regiment of the Alabama and Tennessee Independent Vidette Cavalry and held the rank of private. At the time of his enlistment, his post office was Looney's Creek, Tennessee. He was discharged from the service at Stevenson, Alabama. Carl D. Cantrell indicates that John Milton Cantrell enlisted August 4, 1862, in Company "C" 1st Regiment, Vidette's Alabama and Tennessee Cav., Federal Troops, Southern Division. He fought for the North until June 13, 1864 and was dischared in Steveson, AL. He filed for a pension in 1897 from Wise County, Texas.

On April 5, 1866, he married sixteen-year old Martha Davidson of Marion County, Tennessee. The Reverand William M. Pryer performed the wedding ceremony in the Davidson home in or near Jasper, Tennessee.

At the age of 31 in the year of 1874, John Cantrell and his wife Martha, their children, along with his mother and perhaps hers, and some of Matha's sisters and brothers-in-law the Drumgooles and the Hollaway's, moved in covered wagons from Tennessee to a farm in Montague County, Texas, near Sunset. Maggie Cantrell was a baby at the time they settled in their new home and she was born May 11, 1876. How long they were on the road is not known, but Maggie was supposedly five or six months old when they got to the farm in Montague County.

A Declaration-for-Pension paper filled out for John Cantrell in May 1925 states that the family resided in Tennessee until 1874, were in Missouri in 1875, and were in Texas "at my present home in 1876."

John Cantrell was a dark-haired, dark eyed, dark complexioned, wiry little man. He was about five feet five inches tall; he wore a goatee beard and was a patient, lovable grandfather. He was a spry little old fellow and ususlly seemed happy, but sometimes, when a summer was unusually dry and there was a poor fruit crop, and crops looked bad, he would say, "If this don't change, we'll be hungry before spring." He probably knew first hand what hunger was as he grew up. According to some reports, the family had hit it hard before coming to Texas. His family canned and dried fruit in the summer, and if that cellar was not full, he was concerned about how the family would get by that winter.