Jerry and Linda Butler

Josiah Grantvil Montgomery was born in North Carolina and moved to Decatur Co. TN with his father, David between 1820 and 1830. He is the adopted son of David Montgomery. This has been a family tradition for many years and has been confirmed through genealogical DNA testing by the Montgomery Surname DNA Project.

Josiah Granvil was better known as Grant Montgomery. He married Parthena Temple between 1850 and 1854. Parthena was known as Thena. She was also an orphan, having one sister, Kissire Temple. In 1850, Parthena was living in the house of E. C. Britt. Kissire was living with Shadric Eason. They are the only Temple's listed in the Decatur Co. TN census in 1850.

Family tradition says that there were three Temple girls and one boy. The third sister's name was Mary Anne and she married a Williams near Jackson, TN. They had a son named Timothy. The father of the Temple children left the 3 girls with different families while he and his son went west. He was to return for the three girls. This was the last that the daughters would see of their father.

Grant served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He volunteered for one year service in the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry on April 15, 1864 at Clifton, TN. He was recorded as being 5' 8" in height, blue eyes and having fair complexion. On July 24, 1864 at Clifton, he mustered into Company C holding the rank of Private. During the time of Grant's service, the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry patrolled and participated in skirmishes in Perry, Hickman and Wayne Counties. Grant mustered out on May 6, 1865 at Nashville, TN about one month after Lee's surrender ended the Civil War. The 1890 Civil War Veterans Census indicates that J. G. Montgomery lived at Dunbar, Tennessee and was shot in the left foot during his service in the Civil War.

On his return home from the Civil War, it was reported that a man had mistreated Grant's family. Grant immediately rode to the man's house where he was burning a brush pile. Grant shot him and the man fell into the fire.

Grant and Thena had five children with four surviving to adult hood. They farmed in the Dunbar community of Decatur Co. TN and both died between 1900 and 1910.