Anton Cantieny

Name: Anton Cantieni Company: E
Birth Date: December 8, 1848 Place: Lax, Switzerland	Mustered In Date: August 3, 1864 Rank: Private/Musician Age: 16 Residence prior to military service: Switzerland; Ohio; Illinois; Wisconsin; St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota; Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Death Date: May 1895 Place: Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota	Mustered Out Date: August 23, 1865 Rank: Musician Age: about 17 Residence following military service: Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota; Black Hills, South Dakota; Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota Vocation following military service: Lumberman (1870), Prospector, (1877), Wine Merchant, Fireman, Fire Chief

Anton Cantieny Biography and Civil War Narrative

Anton Cantieny (spelled Cantieni in military records) was born in Lax, Switzerland on December 8, 1848 to Casper (born 1807) and Mary Cantieni. Casper and Mary came to America in 1850 with their young son, Anton, arriving in New York. The Cantieni family first settled in Ohio, where Anton's sister Mary was born about 1855. While in Ohio, Casper worked as a house carpenter. They moved on to Illinois and then Wisconsin, where Anton's brother Caspar Jr. was born June 4, 1858. While in Wisconsin, Casper ran a hotel. By the time of the 1860 U.S. Census, Caspar Cantieni had moved his family to St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Caspar (age 48) ran a saloon and lived with his wife, Mary (age 31), Antoine (age 11), Mary (age 4), and Caspar Jr. (age 2).

On September 16, 1861, "Casper Cantini" was mustered into Company A of Brackett's Battalion of Cavalry, where he served as a wagoner. A year later he was discharged for disability on September 2, 1862.

Anton, having turned 16 in 1864, enlisted as a drummer with Company E of the 5th Minnesota on August 3, 1864. Previous musicians had included Jonathan Hardy (discharged for disability on March 16, 1863) and John Lipke (transfered to Invalid Corps in November 1863). Bugler Henry Ley started in Company E before being transfered to Non-Commissioned Staff as Regimental Bugler. Anton Cantieny was mustered out of the 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment on August 23, 1865.

Following the war, Anton returned to his family in Minneapolis. In 1870 "Antoine" worked as a Lumberman and lived with his parents, Casper (age 64; Confectioner) and Mary (age 40). Also in the household were his sister Mary (age 15), brother Casper Antoine (age 12), and sister Rosina (age 7).

Anton went to the Black Hills in 1877 to search for fortune, but not succeeding, he moved to Fargo, North Dakota, in 1879. He engaged in business as a wine merchant. Cantieny soon noticed the lack of fire protection in Fargo and organized the Continental Hose company, becoming a charter member. He ran the first hose cart to a fire in November 1880.

About 1880, Anton Cantieny married Hulda A. Brandt, born December 8, 1857.

Anton and Hulda had a daughter, Florence, born September 1881 in North Dakota.

In 1882, Anton Cantieny was elected assistant chief of the fire department and alderman from his ward. About 1885 he was elected fire chief of Fargo.

On July 26, 1884, Anton's younger brother Casper "Tony Cantieny" had a serious run-in with the law. While Minneapolis police officer Robert Laughlin was attempting to arrest him, he shot Officer Laughlin, who subsequently died. Laughlin was the first Minneapolis police officer killed in the line of duty. Numerous law publications refer to State v. Cantieny, 24 N.W. 458 in discussions of "public offense," manslaughter during an arrest made without a warrant, and the admission as testimony of statements made by dying victims.

In 1888, Anton and Hulda had another daughter, Josephine Julia, born January 7 in Fargo, North Dakota. Anton Cantieny died in May 1895 at the age of 46 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. His wife, Hulda, then married Anton's brother Tony. Tony and Hulda had a son, Charles Pleasant Hunter Cantieny, born April 19, 1898. Tony died July 12 1907 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County. Hulda died in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on January 13, 1942, at the age of 84. Josephine Julia never married; she died September 30, 1981, in Golden Valley, Hennepin County, Minnesota, at the age of 93.

Sources

Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, Volume 1, p. 290
Minneapolis Police Federation Tribute to Robert Laughlin
Casper Cantieny Biography

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