Cpl George Culver Tennille, Jr

Soon after his birth the family relocated to Texas with Stephen F Austin's third colony. He and his wife Mary Jane had five children. He became an essential member of the Taylor faction of the Sutton-Taylor feud, though he was almost twice the age of most of the young feudists. He was a good friend of the famed killer John Wesley Hardin and considered leaving Texas with Hardin when he fled the country. On July 8, 1874, Gonzales County Sheriff Green Dewitt led a 20 man posse to a neighboring ranch to arrest Tennille. Believing that the posse would either shoot him or lynch him while "attempting to escape," he choose to go down fighting. After exchanging a number of shots with the posse his rifle jammed on a defective cartridge. He managed to eject it and was ready to fire again when he was fatally wounded. His grave was originally marked only by a stone. It has since been marked with a home-made marker that reads George C Tenille(sic), Jr. 1825 - 1874.

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/jcs03

George Culver Tennille was born in 1825 in Saline Co., MO. He moved with his parents to TX in 1826. He was a licensed lawyer. His first 3 marriages ended in divorce with no children. His 4th marriage was to Amanda Billings 7/13/1855 in Gonzales Co., TX. They had 6 children - Sarah Jane "Sallie", Ann Caroline "Annie", Thomas Conley, Henrietta "Hetti", Harriett Melissa, and Nancie Parilee, all born in TX.

George Culver Tennille ran the family ranch after his father's death. In 1858, his mother Sarah Tennille Ross (then remarried) signed over her late husband's estate (George Tennille) to her son George Culver Tennille, his wife Amanda, their children and all the Tennille grandchildren.

George Culver Tennille fought in the Civil War from 1861-1865 while leaving his ranch in care of his wife, his several hundred slaves, and two Mexican men. At the end of the Civil War, George Culver Tennille freed his slaves.

George Culver Tennille was caught up in the Sutton-Taylor Feud (which lasted from 1868-1885 in DeWitt, Gonzales and a few other surrounding counties). George Culver Tennille tried to remain neutral in the Feud. However, he was considered friends with many of the Taylor's and their kin. Two of his daughters, Sallie and Annie married Joe and James Clements who were cousins of the famous TX outlaw, John Wesley Hardin who fought on the side of the Taylor's. The Clements families were related to the Taylor's as well. George Culver Tennille would at times, allow the Taylor sympathizers to spend the night at his home and fed some of them, from time to time. George Culver Tennille was in the process of putting his affairs in order. He went to a neighbor's ranch and asked him to sell his horses and give the money to his wife Amanda, while he hid out in Mexico until things cooled down. However, the so-called Sutton posse (also known as the Regulators and appointed by the Governor for awhile) caught up with George Culver Tennille and gunned him down at his neighbor's before he was able to go to Mexico. They shot him approximately 25 times. He was only 49 years old when he died. The Feud continued until 1885 when the TX Rangers were finally called in to stop the bloodshed.

George Culver Tennille had been a well educated man and a licensed lawyer, a large ranch owner and served in many military battles. He died 7/8/1874 in Gonzales Co., TX during the Sutton-Taylor Feud. It is unknown how and when the Tennille's moved from Brazoria County to Goliad and Gonzales Counties in TX.

George Culver Tennille's wife Amanda, continued living on the ranch until she married James Monroe "Doc" Bockius in 1884. After her 2nd husband's death in 1909, Amanda moved to Roswell, NM to live with her daughter Sarah and son-in-law, Joseph Clements who had moved there to get away from the Feud. Amanda died 4/10/1916 in Roswell, NM.

Source: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/u/c/Deanna-L-Kuckenmei...

U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 about G. C. Tennille

Name: G. C. Tennille

Side: Confederate

Regiment State/Origin: Texas

Regiment Name: 2 Texas Infantry

Regiment Name Expanded: 2nd Regiment, Texas Infantry

Company: I

Rank In: Private

Rank In Expanded: Private

Rank Out: Corporal

Rank Out Expanded: Corporal

Alternate Name: G. C./Tennelle

Film Number: M227 roll 36

George was no where near the barroom shooting that set the wheels in motion. The famous Taylor-Sutton Feud was about to consume the county, continuing for eight long years. As the feud pulled in more and more neighbors, George refused to chose sides, a decision that rubbed against both the Taylors and the Suttons.

Neutrality wasn’t an option. If a person offered lodging to either side, as a good neighbor would, his position was decided for him and his fate sealed. Such was the predicament George found himself in. Through marriage, he had connections to the Taylors but still refused to get involved. So, he decided to head to Mexico until things died down.

His success during the Civil War had contributed to George’s reputation for being an outstanding marksman as well as his having superior strength. On several occasions he accomplished alone what three or four working together couldn’t. That notoriety may be at the heart of his demise.

On the night before George was to head out, he visited a neighbor to be sure his family was taken care of during his absence. After instructions to sell some of his horses and making sure his wife, Amanda (Billings) received the payment, he said his good-byes.

The head of the Sutton Gang and local law agent, William E. Sutton, had issued a warrant for George and was setting a trap while George was with the neighbor. The Sutton posse surrounded his horse and took refuge behind trees. George, believing he had taken care of everything, returned to his horse. As he climbed over a split rail fence, the posse revealed themselves and fired simultaneously into him. Twenty five times.

George’s fourteen year old son, Thomas C. Tennille was now in charge of the farm and the family Steel Dust Quarter Horse breeding business. A few days after his fathers death, Tom was riding one of the horses back to the house when he spotted the fifty plus member, Sutton Gang questioning his mother as to the where George Jr was. Knowing he was next, Tom spurred his horse and made a wide circle around the house then headed for a safe haven. It was the speed of his quarter horse and clever maneuvering that saved him on that fateful day.

Duderstadt, Ernest. “Genealogy of Frederick Duderstadt and Henrietta Tennille Duderstadt: Tennille Bits.”

George Culver Tennille was a licensed lawyer and a well educated man. After their marriage, he taught his wife to read and write. Andreas Duderstadt worked for him when he first came to America.