General James Willis Cantey (November 30, 1794 – August 20, 1860) was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the South Carolina Militia, and a member of the

South Carolina Legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...

. He was born in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...

, to James Cantey and Martha Whitaker. Cantey married Camilla Floride Richardson, the granddaughter of General

Richard Richardson (general) Richard Richardson (1704-1780) was an American planter and military officer from Clarendon County, South Carolina who served as a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War. Career Richardson was born in Jamestown, Virginia in the ear ...

and sister of Governor

John Peter Richardson II John Peter Richardson II (April 14, 1801January 24, 1864) was the 59th Governor of South Carolina from 1840 to 1842. Early life and career Richardson was son of John Peter Richardson and Floride Bonneau Peyre, and grandson of General Richard ...

, and they had nine children. In 1813 Cantey served in Captain John Irwin's cavalry company in the Creek Indian hostilities. Cantey fought in the battles of Ottosee and Talassee. He fought in close combat and was given commendations for his gallantry in battle. Cantey was elected Sheriff of Camden District in 1833, and was elected Brigadier General of the 5th Brigade in 1834. In 1836 General Cantey recruited a company of mounted infantry for three months duty in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

. In 1843 he was elected Adjutant and Inspector General of South Carolina and served in that position until 1853. He was also elected to two terms in the

in 1846 and again in 1848. General Cantey's son-in-law was General Patrick Henry Nelson,

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

officer and militia General from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. General Cantey is the uncle of General James Cantey (1818–1874),

during the

. General Cantey's grandson, Patrick Henry Nelson II, founded The Nelson Law Firm, was a member of the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

, and was the Fifth Circuit Solicitor and the president of the

South Carolina Bar The South Carolina Bar (SC Bar) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Organization The South Carolina Bar began in 1884 as the South Carolina Bar Association, a professional organization of approximat ...

Association (1911–1912).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantey, James Willis 1794 births 1860 deaths People from Camden, South Carolina