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| Tug Fork, USA (Mc Carr, Kentucky)
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| Information |
Hatfield-McCoy Feud
From the 1860s until 1891, this area was the site of the infamous bloody feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and McCoy family of Kentucky. The two families lived on either side of the tributary that divides the two states. During the American Civil War, the Hatfields fought on the side of the Confederacy and the McCoy's fought on the side of the Union. Both families manufactured and sold moonshine.
The feud began with both families staging guerrilla raids on each other during the war, stealing livestock. The murder of Asa Harmon McCoy in a local cave during 1865 may have been caused by a Hatfield family member. The case was never brought to trial.
That Damn Pig
In the 1870s, a dispute began between the families over property lines and the actual ownership of a pig that had been kept in the disputed area. The McCoy's lost the dispute in court due to the testimony of Bill Staton, a man related to both families. Bill Staton was later murdered by Sam and Paris McCoy.
Romance Between the Families
Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield became lovers and she came to live with his family for a time. Roseanna went back to her own family after a time, but when her romance with Johnse rekindled, he was nearly murdered by her family. Roseanna betrayed her family in order to get help from the Hatfields to save Johnse's life. She suceeded and Johnse was spared with no blood shed between the families.
Johnse ended the relationship with Roseanna, leaving her pregnant with their illegitimate child. Roseanna lost the fetus during a bout with measles. To add further insult to Roseanna's injured heart, Johnse married her teenaged cousin, Nancy McCoy, only a few months later.
The Feud Explodes
In 1882 Ellison Hatfield, brother of Hatfield patriarch "Devil Anse" Hatfield, was murdered by Tolbert, Pharmer and Bud McCoy. Ellison was stabbed 26 times and shot in the back. Within days of Ellison's murder, Tolbert, Pharmer and Bud were kidnapped by Hatfields, tied to bushes and executed by multiple gun shots. The Hatfield's also invaded the home of Mary McCoy Elliott and between her and her daughter with a switch. Jeff McCoy sought revenge for his sister and niece's beating, and was arrested for his trouble. He was shot during an escape attempt.
More than a dozen McCoys and Hatfields were murdered by 1891. On New Year's Day in 1891, some Hatfields (including Johnze) and some Hatfield sympathizers (including Selkirk McCoy!) set fire to the Randall McCoy's home and shot to death his daughter Alifair and son Calvin while they either fled or tried to put out the fire. They also beat Randall's wife Sarah severely and apparently drove Randall's daughter Adelaide into a state of insanity.
Bounty hunters and state militia were called in after this last act of violence. Nine Hatfields were captured and put on trial. The sentences ranged from execution to prison terms. The families both agreed to end the violence. Nancy McCoy Hatfield divorced Johnze Hatfield and wound up marrying Frank Phillips, the officer charged by the Governor of Kentucky with apprehending the guilty Hatfields. Johnze Hatfield would later win himself a pardon when he slit the throat of a fellow inmate who was attempting to murder the visiting Lt. Governor, William Pryor Thorne.
The Hatfields and McCoys in Modern Day
The area in which the Hatfields and McCoys battled is now the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System used for hiking and off road recreational vehicle use. In 2007 it was revealed that the descendants of the McCoy family have a tendency towards Von Hippel-Lindau disease. The disease can cause adrenal gland tumors, which leads to increased adrenaline production and aggressive/temperamental behavior. The families have since participated in a reunion in 2003. The families signed an official truce during this reunion. They also participated in a specially themed week of the TV show The Family Feud in 1979. |
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| Related Sites |
Wikipedia: Hatfield-McCoy Feud
Wikipedia entry for the infamous feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families. |
Libby's Geneology: Hatfields & McCoys
The Hatfield & McCoy page at the web site of geneologist Libby Preston. |
Blue Ridge Country: Hatfields & McCoys
Web page for the Hatfields and the McCoys at Blue Ridge Country. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Sing Sing Prison Museum |
| The Hermitage |
| The A.L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Hatfields and the McCoys (11/17/08) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
History's Mysteries: Family Feud: The Hatfields And McCoys |
Hatfields & Mccoys: An American Feud (Biography) |
Hatfields and McCoys: An American Feud |
The Coffin Quilt: The Feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys |
The Tale of the Devil: The Biography of Devil Anse Hatfield |
Hatfields and the McCoys |
The True Story Of The Hatfield And McCoy Feud |
Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900 (Fred W. Morrison Series in Southern Studies) |
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