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| THE HATFIELD-MCCOY FEUD Family origins The McCoys, led by Randolph "Ole Ran’ McCoy (1825–1914) (grandson of William), lived mostly on the Kentucky side of Tug Fork (a tributary of the Big Sandy River), and the Hatfields, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield (1839–1921) (great-grandson of Ephraim), lived mostly on the West Virginia side. Both families were part of the first wave of pioneers to settle the Tug Valley and were involved in the manufacture and sale of moonshine. The majority of both the Hatfields and the McCoys fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, however, the first real violence in the feud was the murder of returning Union soldier, Harmon McCoy. Harmon was killed by a group of ex-Confederates called the 'Logan Bulldogs,' among whom was reputed trigger man, Devil Anse Hatfield. The Hatfields were well-connected politically. "Devil Anse" Hatfield's timbering operation was a source of wealth for his family, but he employed many non-Hatfields, and even hired Albert McCoy Lorenzo Dow McCoy, and Selkirk McCoy. The Feud - The Beginning According to historian Michel Sellers, the feud began when a Hatfield wanted to marry a McCoy, but the clans disagreed and strife resulted. "Most people believe that the Hatfield-McCoy feud began with the death of Asa Harmon McCoy (Randall McCoy's brother) on January 7, year unknown." The uncle of Devil Anse, Jim Vance, and his "Wildcats" despised Hans Hall McCoy because he had joined the Union army. Harmon had been discharged from the army early because of a broken leg; several nights after he returned home, he was murdered in a nearby cave. The first recorded instance of violence in the feud occurred after an 1873 dispute about the ownership of a hog: Floyd Hatfield had it and Randolph McCoy said it was his. But in truth, the dispute was over land or property lines and the ownership of that land. The pig was only in the fight because one family believed that since the pig was on their land, that meant it was theirs; the other side objected. The matter was taken to the local Justice of the Peace, and the McCoys lost because of the testimony of Bill Staton, a relative of both families. The individual presiding over the case was Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield. In June 1880, Staton Hatfield was killed by two McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris, who were later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. But the court decided later on it was not self-defense; it was murder in the first degree. The Feud's Escalation The feud escalated after Roseanna McCoy began an affair with Johnse Hatfield (Devil Anse's son), leaving her family to live with the Hatfields in West Virginia. Roseanna eventually returned to the McCoys, but when the couple tried to resume their relationship, Johnse Hatfield was kidnapped by the McCoys and was saved only when Roseanna made a desperate ride to alert Devil Anse Hatfield, who organized a rescue party. Despite what was seen as a betrayal of her family on his behalf, Johnse thereafter abandoned the pregnant Roseanna, marrying instead her cousin Nancy McCoy in 1881. The escalation continued in 1882 when Ellison Hatfield, brother of "Devil Anse" Hatfield, was brutally murdered by three of Roseanna McCoy's brothers, Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud. Ellison was stabbed 26 times and finished off with a shot. The brothers were themselves murdered in turn as the vendetta escalated. They were kidnapped and tied to pawpaw bushes, where each was shot numerous times. Their bodies were described as "bullet-riddled." Between 1880 and 1891, the feud claimed more than a dozen members of the two families, becoming headline news around the country and compelling the governors of both Kentucky and West Virginia to call up their state militias to restore order after the disappearance of dozens of bounty hunters sent to calm the conflict. In 1888, Wall Hatfield and eight others were kidnapped, by a posse led by Frank Phillips, and brought to Kentucky to stand trial for the murder of Alifair McCoy. She had been shot after exiting a burning building that had been set aflame by a group of Hatfields. Because of issues of due process and illegal extradition, the United States Supreme Court became involved (Mahon v. Justice, 127 U.S. 700 (1888)). Eventually the men were tried in Kentucky and all were found guilty. Seven received life imprisonment, while the eighth was executed by hanging. Public hangings were illegal in Kentucky, but to evade the law the scaffold was fenced, and was placed at the foot of a hill so it was visible to the throng. Thousands attended the hanging in Pikeville, Kentucky. The Feud Ends The families finally agreed to stop the fighting in 1891. In 1979, the two families united for a special week's taping of the popular game show Family Feud, in which they played for a cash prize and a pig which was kept on stage during the games. On June 14, 2003, on the initiative of Reo Hatfield, an actual peace treaty was drawn up and signed in Pikeville by representatives of the two families, even though the feud had ended over a century before. The idea was symbolic: to show that Americans could bury their differences and unite in times of crisis. Deaths 1865: Former Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy killed January 7, 1865 probably by the 'Logan Wildcats' led by Jim Vance 1878: Bill Staton (nephew of Randolph McCoy) was killed in 1878 as revenge for testifying for Floyd Hatfield in his trial for stealing a McCoy hog. 1880: Ellison was killed from wounds received on election day in the spring of 1880 (he died in 1882). 1882: Tolbert, Pharmer & Randolph McCoy Jr. (Bud) tied to pawpaw trees & killed August 9, 1882 (the day of Ellison's death) as revenge for Ellison Hatfield's 1880 election day shooting/stabbing. 1886: 'Jeff' killed fall of 1886 following his murder of Fred Wolford 1888: Alifair & Calvin McCoy killed January 1, 1888 at Randolph's house by 9 attackers led by Jim Vance. The attackers failed in their attempt to eliminate witnesses against them. 1889: Ellison Mounts was hanged on February 18, 1889 for Alifair's murder. |
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