BIOGRAPHY: George A. Cantine; Newburgh, Orange co., New York transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the Counties. Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United States. New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895 COL. GEORGE A. CANTINE. Though a resident of Newburgh, the reputation gained by Colonel Cantine is by no means limited to this city or county, or, indeed, to the state it- self. As an orator, he justly ranks among the greatest men of the age-Beecher, Talmage, Phillips and others whose names are household words. A ripe scholar and fluent speaker, he captivates every audience, moving his listeners to tears by his pathos, arousing hearty laughter by his wit and humor, or awakening the highest emotions by his magnetic eloquence. His repertoire of addresses is large, embracing such themes as "German Civilization in Europe," "Madame Roland," "Soldier and Citizen," "National Civilization of America, "Money," "Art in History," "Battle-fields," and "The War for the Union: Its Memories and Its Lessons. The family of which this distinguished gentle-man is a member traces its lineage to Bordeaux, France, whence Moses Cantine, a Huguenot, fled to England at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Coining to America, he settled at New Paltz, Ulster County, N. Y., where he married Elizabeth, widow of Simon Lefevre, and daughter of Christian Deyo, one of the original patentees of that French settlement. One son, Peter, was born of this union in 1693, and he married Elizabeth, daughter of Matthys Blanshann and Margaret Schooenhoven, of Hurley, N. Y., and granddaughter of a Huguenot refugee. They had thirteen children, one of whom, a daughter, died in infancy. Their son Moses married Maria Slecht, of Dutchess County. Another son, John, was conspicuous as a general and legislator during the Revolutionary period. Mathew Cantine was a member of the Provincial Congress in 1775-76-77, and also of the first Council of Safety, in 1777. Moses I., son of Gen. John Cantine, was Public Printer of New York for many years, and founded the Albany Argus. His wife, Christina, and Hannah, wife of Martin Van Buren, were sisters, and the latter having died, Miss Christina, daughter of Moses I. Cantine, presided at the White House during the administration of President Van Buren. Among the other members of the family were Peter A. Cantine, who in 1816-17 represented Sullivan and Ulster Counties in the New York Assembly; Rev. Albert Cantine, now a prominent missionary in Syria; Rev. Romaine Cantine, D. D., a very distinguished scholar and clergyman of San Jose, Cal.; and Frank Can-tine, a prominent attorney of New York City. The male descendants of the Cantines have been considerably less than the female. The latter have married into many of the most distinguished families of this country and Europe. A Miss Cantine, a noted belle of New York City, recently married the second son of the late Jay Gould, another Miss Cantine married a baronet, and still another a French prince. The family name was originally spelled Kantyn. The grandfather of Colonel Cantine, Abraham Cantine, was born in Ulster County, N. Y., and became a large land-owner in Ulster, Dutchess and Rensselaer Counties. His education was received partly in France, and he was a man of broad information and splendid mental capacity. He was elected Sheriff of Ulster County in 1819, and filled other offices of trust. During Revolutionary War times the family was prominent, being stanch defenders of the colonies. Mathew was a member of the Provincial Congress of New York in 1775-77, and was appointed to serve on the first Council of Safety. John, who was first elected to the New York Assembly in 1777 from Ulster County, served in that body for many sessions, and in 1789 was sent to the United States Congress. In 1720-22-25 Peter Cantine was one of the Trustees of Kingston; one of his descend-ants, Judge Peter Cantine, is a prominent attorney at Saugerties. Peter Cantine, Jr., was a member of the New York Senate for years, and was a Presidential Elector in 1796. Following him, Moses I. Cantine was a member of the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and Forty-first General Assemblies, 1814-18. From 1805 until 1812 he was District Attorney, and later was chosen Judge of Greene County. Johannes Cantine was also a member of the New York Assembly. John Cantine was Sheriff of Tioga County in 1804. The father of our subject, Orrin Cantine, was born in Ulster County in 1815, and died at Washington in December, 1893, aged seventy-eight. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, and was well-to-do, owning considerable property in Broome and Dutchess Counties. His wife, who was a descendant of one of the prominent old Dutch families who settled New York, bore the maiden name of Lucile Storm and was born in Dutchess County, N. Y. She died when fifty years old. They were the parents of six children, all but one of whom attained years of maturity. Charles, who was a member of the Fourth New York Heavy Artillery during the Civil War, is now residing in Italy; he is a civil engineer and railroad contractor, and has gained wealth in his business transactions. William is engaged in mining and stock-raising in California. Orrin T., whose home is in Connecticut, is en-gaged in farming. The only daughter, Alice, is the wife of Herve B. Jones, of Brooklyn, N. Y. The subject of this notice was born in New York City May 26, 1841, and in boyhood at-tended the schools of the metropolis, preparing for college at Poultney, Vt. In 1861 he enlisted as a member of Company C, Seventh Vermont Infantry, and was mustered in at Rutland as Third Sergeant. In January, 1862, he was ordered to the front, and, reaching Ship Island in the Gulf of Mexico, was placed under the command of Gen. Ben Butler. After the capture of New Orleans, he proceeded with the regiment to Vicksburg and Baton Rouge and took part in the second battle at the latter place, Vice-President Breckenridge commanding the Confederate troops. After leaving Louisiana the regiment was stationed at various points in Florida, thence to Alabama, and from there to Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. Though participating in a number of important engagements, he was wounded but once, that being in the battle of Baton Rouge, when he was injured by a shell in the ankle. After remaining a year with his regiment he resigned, and subsequently became engaged in recruiting colored troops. He was attached to the secret service and sequestration department connected with and covering the Gulf States. Shortly after he was breveted Lieutenant-Colonel, he re-signed, November, 1864, on account of ill-health. At the time of entering the service he weighed one hundred and eighty-eight pounds; on leaving his weight was only one hundred and twenty pounds. For two years after leaving the army he was unable to engage in active study or work of any nature, owing to the delicate state of his health. In 1861 Colonel Cantine was pursuing his studies with the view to entering one of the learned professions. On his return he finished his college course, graduating with high honors, and became professor of commercial law, mathematics and political economy in the Boston Commercial College. In the mean time he began the study of law, at the same time contributing to various newspapers and magazines, a line of work which he has since continued, and for which he is by culture, extensive travel and broad scholar-ship especially adapted. From Boston he re-moved to Rome, N. Y., where he engaged in a general insurance business. After traveling extensively for the New York Life Insurance and other companies for a few years, he took up his headquarters in Washington, D. C., as general correspondent, and also entered the lecture plat-form. As a stump speaker he took an active part in the campaigns of Presidents Grant, Hayes and Garfield. For one year Colonel Cantine was Inspector General of the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of New York, and afterwards traveled for several years, adjusting insurances in the South and West. In this way he became acquainted with many of the prominent men of the Western and Southern States, whose friendship he has since retained and by whom he is highly regarded. On his return to New York he became general agent of the New York Life Insurance Company, with headquarters at Syracuse and New York City, and in 1887 became general agent in charge of the Hudson River District. June 2, 1892, he was appointed Agency Director in charge of the branch office and clearing house at Newburgh. He has a large staff of assistants to look after the interests of several thousand policy-holders. His territory extends from Albany to New York, from Massachusetts and Connecticut on the east, and from Ulster to Rock-land Counties on the west. The main office is located at Nos. 98-100 Water Street, Newburgh, and No. 346 Broadway, New York. As above noted, Colonel Cantine is a popular lecturer, and is in constant demand for addresses from all over the country. He was first married in Vermont, his wife being Marian J. Cook, who was born in that state, and died in Syracuse in 1886. Mrs. Cantine was widely known on ac-count of her many estimable qualities of head and heart. She will long be remembered for the many works of charity for which she was distinguished. Two sons were born of the union, the elder of whom, Edward B., inherits his father's literary and oratorical ability; he is also an Agency Director for the New York Life Insurance Company at Albany, and is one of the prominent young men of that city, having formerly served as Alderman, and being at present Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. The younger son, Francis M., is a confidential clerk and stenographer in the office of his father. The second marriage of Colonel Cantine occurred April 12, 1892, his wife being Miss Emily S. Edwards, who was born in Rockland County, and who is the only child of Thomas Edwards, now of the firm of Edwards & Forsyth, of Newburgh. Mrs. Cantine was reared in Newburgh, and is a graduate of the justly celebrated academy at this place. Socially Colonel Cantine is a prominent Mason, being Eminent Commander of Hudson River Commandery No. 35, K. T., at Newburgh; mem-ber of Newburgh Lodge No. 309, F. & A. M.; Highland Chapter No. 52, R. A. M. ; and of King Solomon Council No. 31, R. & S. M., of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He is a Thirty-second-degree life member of the Aurora Grata Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masons; also a member of the Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, both of which bodies are located in Brooklyn, N. V. He is a demitted member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Encampment, is a charter member of the Newburgh City Club, and is a member of Skillen Post No. 47, G. A. R., at Rome, N. Y. The Life Underwriters' Association of New York City also numbers him among its members, as do several other prominent clubs and societies. In religious belief he is a Methodist and is connected with Trinity Church of New-burgh. He is prominent in the Republican party, but has never held office, although he was nominated as a member of the Assembly of the Third District of Oneida County. He is always willing, however, to give to his party the assistance of his presence and influence, and has accomplished much by means of his stump speeches. He was commissioned by Governor Tilden Captain and Quartermaster of the Fourth Brigade State National Guard, September 15, 1876, and was commissioned Brigade Inspector, with the rank of Major, by Governor Cornell, April 13, 1880. From the facts as given above, it will be seen that Colonel Cantine has been alike prominent in times of war and peace. As a soldier, his career is written in the annals of his country. Brave, patriotic and devoted, he discharged in the fullest measure his duties as a loyal citizen. In civic life he has always identified himself with every progressive movement for the benefit of the people. In society he is known and appreciated as a gentleman of liberal views and generous impulses, modest and unostentatious, and whose high character is worthy of the utmost confidence on the part of his associates.