The Bloody Vendetta

This account of the "Bloody Vendetta" is taken from Erwin's book.  So the researcher can follow the events, I have placed them in order and used the people involved given name as to hold down the confusion. I have done my own research on this subject including reviews of newspapers available at the time.  I have added some facts such as where place would be in the present time so the researcher can more easily locate these areas on a modern map.  Any materials which have been added will be highlighted in blue.

Erwin gives a bit of history on the main families involved in the "Vendetta" to begin his account.

He starts off the the Russell family.  The first of this family to come to Wmson Co was Phillip T who settled on Eight Mile Prairie in 1817.  He had 3 sons: James, Samuel and Jefferson.  Jefferson and his wife had the following children: Harriet, Winfide, Scott, Nancy, Adelade, Mary, John R, Thomas J and Hope.  Jefferson and his family lived in the center of Eight Mile Prairie.  Of Phillip's relatives, it seems only grandson Thomas J, Jefferson's son, was directly involved in the "Vendetta".

Next is the family of George W Sisney.  George was first married to Panina Brown, who died in 1863.  Their children were Winfield S, John, George W Jr and Martha Jane, who in 1876 was 18.George remarried to Fredonia Williams, they had 4 children

The Henderson family according to Erwin was from the line of Joseph Henderson of KY, he did not come to IL who had 3 sons. William, whose children were Felix, James, Pad, John, Emma, Margaret and Nancy.  Wm came to the county in March 1865.  Joseph W, whose children were Samuel, William, Thomas, Synoma, Lucy and Dike.  This Joseph came to the county in Mar 1864.  The third son was James, who had a daughter named Grantie who was 11 in 1876. James Sr was born on Blood River in KY, (?this is the one that was murdered at age 40).  He came to IL, then to MO, TX and returned to KY to live with his brother William.  In 1851, he went to California for 7yrs, then returned to KY and sold tobacco for his brother John, who was a manufactor.  Felix G travel with James Sr, James wound up in the 20th KY, and was later a spy.  He then moved to Massac County, IL after the (Civil) War for a year.  He then joined the 5th IA Cav as a guide and while at Ft Henry, he shot Capt Azburn.  After this he came to Willamson Co, IL in Feb 1864 and bought land in Oct. Felix lived with James until a few years before he (James Sr) died.

The next family was the Bulliner's lead by George Bulliner.  His children were Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy Emeline, Rebecca Adeline, David, John, Monroe, George, Emannal, Amanda Jane and Martha Jane, age 16 in 1876.  George lived in McNairy Co, TN.  He came to Wmson Co 28 Jan 1862 and bought Arthur Blake's farm 2 miles southeast of Eight Mile Prairie.  In 1867, he had a horse mill and a cotton gin on his place.  His son, David, kept a store with FM Sparks, then moved it to Crainville where he went into buisness with William Spence.  David later sold the store to Spence.  George Bulliner died when he was 61 years old.

According to Erwin, the Hinchcliff  family was first headed by William, who settled early in the county and died in 1858. William had 3 sons: Vincent, Robert and William.  They lived on the north side of Eight Mile Prairie about half a mile from the Russell's.  Vincent was a physician, while was Robert lived in a cottage with a great garden.

The largest family were the Crain's.  Spencer and Jasper came very early.  Spencer had lots of children including Jasper U.  Jasper Sr had many children as well including: Spencer Jr and William. It was their grandchildren who got caught up in the Vendetta.   Jasper U's children were: Terry, Samuel R, Lorenzo, Alonzo, May, Pierce (m Amanda Bulliner, Geo's daughter) and Eva.  Spencer Jr's children included: William J aka "Black Bill", Martha and Elizabeth.  William's children were Nancy Ann, George F (justice of the peace), Terry aka "Big Terry", Noah W aka "Yaller Bill", William J aka "Big Jep", Warren, Marshall T and Wesley

Eight Mile Prairie was located in the area of what is now Cambria.  The first town in this area was Fredonia, which was south of present day Cambria, in sec 5 of Carterville Twp. There was a post office located here in 1836, est by William Ryburn who also erected a mill there in 1838. In 1876 the Carbondale--Shawneetown RR went through Fredonia and there was a RR station there. Phillip Russell settled in the area in 1817 about where the Cambria Carterville Crossroad is located about where the Lakeside Nursery is now, the area was called Russell's Corner. The Bulliner's lived about in Sec 22 of Carterville Twp.  WH Hinchcliff lived in Sec 5 of Carterville Twp, this is about where the cemetery is now.  Crainville was est in 1834 by the Crain family, located in sec 11 of Carterville Twp