Cannon, John bio

History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co., Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 507-508, Bernadotte Township
John Cannon, farmer, sec. 4; P. O., Smithfield; one of the old pioneers of this county, was born in Sangamon Co. March 31, 1824, and with his parents came to Fulton county when only six weeks old, which place he has ever since made his home. July 4, 1846, he joined the 4th Ill. Vols., Co. K. and was engaged in the battles of Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, and most of the other important battles of the Mexican war, being wounded at the last named place. He well remembers Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Jeff. Davis. He helped fire the first gun at Vera Cruz. Was mustered out at New Orleans June, 1847. Married Miss Jane Sherwood Dec. 15, 1847; three of the five children born to this union are now living, viz: Telitha, Amanda and Charles. Has been Constable and is now Justice of the Peace. Has fought his way to a good farm and comfortable home. When a boy he knew no other playmates than the Indians, with whom he roamed over the fields that are now covered with grain. Democrat.
submitted by Carla Finley

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 604–605; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John Cannon, a veteran of the Mexican War, is a farmer of much practical ability and has acquired a comfortable property in the pursuit of his calling which places him among the moneyed men of Bernadotte Township. He comes of one of the oldest pioneer families of this state, and was himself born here, in the early day of the settlement of Illinois. His birth occurred March 31, 1824, in a little log cabin on the Sangamon River in Sangamon County. His parents were natives respectively of South Carolina and Georgia and when he was about six weeks old, they again took up the march and on May 5, 1824, arrived in Fulton County and were among the very first to settle here, locating on section 4, Bernadotte Township. They remained there two years, and then the father bought sixty acres of patent land, about one mile southeast of the first location. He lived on that, engaged in its improvement twelve years. In 1838 he removed with his family to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section3. They resided on that about fifteen years, when the father died in 1862. The mother survived until 1870. They were highly esteemed people and as pioneers of this county their names will ever be held in reverence.
John Cannon of this sketch, began life for himself at the age of nineteen making his way to Jefferson county, Iowa, where he engaged with his cousin Thomas Camron. He remained with him about a year, and then came back to Fulton County, and took up his residence with his father, living with him until 1846. In that year he enlisted in the Mexican War, as a member of Company K, Fourth Illinois Infantry, commanded by Col. E. D. Baker. He served twelve months in the army during that war, and in the battles in which he took part showed himself to possess much coolness, courage and other fine soldiery qualities. He fought in the battles of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo and several other celebrated engagements. At the battle of Cerro Gordo, he narrowly escaped death, having his hat shot from his head, and a bullet knocked his gun from his hand, splintering it to pieces. Our subject picked up a Mexican gun and with characteristic coolness and nerve commenced firing as though nothing had happened. As the Americans were driving the enemy over a hill, Gen. Twiggs, seeing a man at some distance on a horse, ordered some one to shoot him. Our subject seizing the opportunity, fired and killed the man. The General seeing the man fall, made the remark “that is as far as a cannon would kill a man.” Some of the boys remarked “it was a Cannon,” which witty pun raised a general laugh.
At the close of the war Mr. Cannon came back to Fulton County, and lived with his father until his marriage, which occurred December 15, 1848, when he led to the altar Sarah J., daughter of Daniel and Nancy Sherwood. To them have come five children, three daughters and two sons, namely: Mary Jane who was born April 25, 1849, married James Robinson, and died in October, 1871, leaving two sons whom our subject and his wife reared; the next child in order of birth is Telitha M., born March 22, 1852, married William Warfield, of Harris Township, and they have nine children; Amanda M., the third daughter, born November 27, 1853, married John Howe, of Cass Township; Charles O., born November 25, 1855, married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Eliza White, and they live in Bernadotte Township; John W., born March 14, 1857, died September 9, 1867, and now lies in the Totton cemetery.
In the month of March, 1849, our subject followed the tide of emigration to California in search of gold. He went with an ox-team and was nearly a year on the way. He stopped at Salt Lake City about two months, and from there went to Los Angeles, Cal., where he sent two months, and then made his way to the city of Stockton. From there he went into the mining regions in the mountains, and the ensuing two years was engaged there in various kinds of business and at one time had a large stock of goods for sale, such as would be needed in the country where he was located. He traded with the Indians principally. In 1851, he retraced his steps to Fulton County, and invested some of his money in one hundred and sixty acres of land where he now lives on section 4, Bernadotte Township, and has ever since been actively engaged in the development and improvement of his estate.
Mr. Cannon is a Democrat but has not taken an active part in politics of late years. He is an important member of the local government having been Justice of the Peace for twenty years and Constable for four years and has held many other offices. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and takes an active part in the church work and Sunday-school. He is valued in his community for his good citizenship and for those fine traits of character that mark him as an upright man, a considerate neighbor and one who is true and faithful in his domestic relations as a kind husband and a wise father.