Michael J. Cantwell (April 1, 1837 – December 1, 1903) was an Irish American immigrant, printer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer.
He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the capital city of Madison in the 1885 and 1887 sessions.
Born in Ireland, Cantwell emigrated to the United States in 1849 and settled in Madison, Wisconsin.
[2] Cantwell re-enlisted and was commissioned second lieutenant of Company C in the 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment in November 1861.
He served in the western theater of the war, participating in the critical Vicksburg campaign, and the subsequent march with General William Tecumseh Sherman against Atlanta.