I wish this was only a fairy tale, a novel, or a fictional story that teaches good morals...but unfortunately, this is real history, and where grudges, hatred, and bitterness toward others can bring out the "dark-side" of human nature....yet, it also tells of the love of Christ and how He can forgive us and turn a situation around....
There were two families in the late 1800's: the Hatfield's of West Virginia and the McCoy's of Kentucky. These families lived in the "back country" of the region and this is what happened.
In 1865, on January 7th, an Asa Harmon McCoy was a Union soldier returning home from the Civil War. He had been dismissed from the army because of a broken leg.
Harmon McCoy had been warned by a Jim Vance, who was a member of the Hatfield family that he would meet strong resistance on his return home because of his participation in the Civil War and joining the ranks of the Union army. The Hatfields had supported the Confederacy, and so the division between the 2 families had begun. Harmon McCoy had been told by Vance that he would be "visited" by "Devil Anse's Wildcats", a gang from the Hatfield family that despised those who fought for the Union.
After Harmon McCoy had gotten home and was drawing water from his well, he heard some gunshots. Remembering the warning he had been given, he decided to hide in a cave...perhaps until this thing cooled down a bit. Harmon had a slave himself, named Pete, and Pete brought daily supplies to Harmon while he hid out in this cave.
One day the "Wildcats" of the Hatfield family followed Pete's footsteps to the cave Harmon McCoy was hiding because the snow had made Pete's footsteps visible. There the "Wildcats" discovered Harmon McCoy and shot him..fatally. Jim Vance of the Hatfield family of West Virginia was believed to have commit the murder...but no real proof ever surfaced.
So began the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
The 2nd confrontation came in 1878, and it was over the ownership of a hog. Floyd Hatfield had the hog while a Randolph McCoy argued this hog was his.
The story goes that this hog had been raised by Randolph McCoy, but one day had wandered its way over to Hatfield land. The Hatfield thought was since the hog was on their land...it was their hog.
Much argument developed over this hog, and finally the case was taken to the Justice of the Peace. In a rather surprising result, the McCoys lost the case mainly because of the testimony of a Bill Stanton, who happened to be a relative to both sides of the families. Presiding over the case was an Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield, and in June of 1880, Bill Stanton who had given testimony during the "hog case", was killed by 2 McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris. Both were later acquitted.
The feud continued to escalate when a Roseanna McCoy began a "courtship" with a Johnson "Johnse" Hatfield, the son of the locally famous leader of the Hatfield family, "Devil Anse" Hatfield.
In fact, Roseanna left her own family, the McCoys, and went and lived with the Hatfields. The fathers of both sides of the family refused for any marriage to take place, so Roseanna eventually moved back to her own family(the McCoys).
When Roseanna and "Johnse" tried to renew their relationship, Johnse Hatfield was arrested by the McCoys for outstanding Kentucky bootlegging warrants.
Johnse Hatfield was freed from the McCoys when Roseanna McCoy made a desperate midnight ride to Devil Anse Hatfield and told him what had happened. Devil Anse Hatfield formed a rescue party and caught up with the McCoys by surrounding them and they gave up Johnse Hatfield. Then, the Hatfields returned to West Virginia before he was to go to court in Pikeville, Kentucky, which had been scheduled the following day.
Even though Roseanna McCoy had taken the chance to rescue her lover, Johnse Hatfield, he broke up with her and abandoned her...for she was with child from Johnse Hatfield. She ended up staying at her Aunt's home and had a baby girl...who died of measles shortly after birth. Roseanne McCoy passed away herself while still in her 20's...the story being she died of a broken heart. What had made matters worse, Johnse Hatfield had went ahead and gotten married...to a Nancy McCoy, who was the cousin of Roseanna in 1881.
Then, in 1882 Ellison Hatfield, the brother of Devil Anse, was killed by 3 younger brothers of Roseanna McCoy. It was reported Ellison was stabbed 26 times and then shot.
The 3 younger brothers were arrested by Hatfield constables, but were to be taken to Pikeville, Kentucky for trial instead of a trial in West Virginia. Devil Anse Hatfield did not like the whole idea so he put a group together and stopped the constables before they got the 3 brothers to Pikeville.
Devil Anse and his group then took the 3 younger brothers of Roseanna McCoy back to West Virginia where they were tied to paw paw bushes and shot...repeatedly and were killed.
In 1888, there was the infamous New Year's massacre. What happened here was a gang of Hatfields surrounded a McCoy cabin and opened fire into the home of the sleeping family. The cabin itself was set on fire so a Randolph McCoy would come out in the open. Randolph was able to escape but 2 of his children were murdered and his wife was beaten and left for dead.
Randolph McCoy's family then moved to Pikeville to escape the Hatfield raid parties.
Then, later in the year of 1888, a Wall Hatfield along with 8 others were arrested and brought to trial in Kentucky for the murder of Alifair McCoy, who had been killed during the New Year's massacre. She had been shot while running out of the burning house.
All the men were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, except for Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts, who was hanged. Thousands attended the hanging in Pikeville.
Between 1880 and 1891 over a dozen members between the 2 families had been killed, and 10 other members had been wounded. The feud between the 2 families had become national news, with both the governor of West Virginia and the governor of Kentucky were involved with putting an end to this feud.
At the age of 72, Devil Anse Hatfield had been invited to a revival meeting, and went forward and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was baptized in Island Creek, and was a major contributor to ending this horrible feud. His conversion to Christ now only had an immediate impact on both families, but has continued to have ramifications to the future generations of the Hatfields and the McCoys as well as other families within the region. Some say the message of forgiveness and reconciliation is still going on today.
Many Hatfields committed their lives to Christ Jesus, including numerous conversions between 1910-11.
Devil Anse Hatfield passed away at the age of 81, and at that time it was the largest funeral ever in Logan County...with thousands of mourners...including some bearing the name...McCoy.
James 5:16: " When you sin, tell what you have done, then pray for one another and you will find healing. The prayer of an innocent man is powerful...and will produce wonderful and effective results."
There were two families in the late 1800's: the Hatfield's of West Virginia and the McCoy's of Kentucky. These families lived in the "back country" of the region and this is what happened.
In 1865, on January 7th, an Asa Harmon McCoy was a Union soldier returning home from the Civil War. He had been dismissed from the army because of a broken leg.
Harmon McCoy had been warned by a Jim Vance, who was a member of the Hatfield family that he would meet strong resistance on his return home because of his participation in the Civil War and joining the ranks of the Union army. The Hatfields had supported the Confederacy, and so the division between the 2 families had begun. Harmon McCoy had been told by Vance that he would be "visited" by "Devil Anse's Wildcats", a gang from the Hatfield family that despised those who fought for the Union.
After Harmon McCoy had gotten home and was drawing water from his well, he heard some gunshots. Remembering the warning he had been given, he decided to hide in a cave...perhaps until this thing cooled down a bit. Harmon had a slave himself, named Pete, and Pete brought daily supplies to Harmon while he hid out in this cave.
One day the "Wildcats" of the Hatfield family followed Pete's footsteps to the cave Harmon McCoy was hiding because the snow had made Pete's footsteps visible. There the "Wildcats" discovered Harmon McCoy and shot him..fatally. Jim Vance of the Hatfield family of West Virginia was believed to have commit the murder...but no real proof ever surfaced.
So began the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
The 2nd confrontation came in 1878, and it was over the ownership of a hog. Floyd Hatfield had the hog while a Randolph McCoy argued this hog was his.
The story goes that this hog had been raised by Randolph McCoy, but one day had wandered its way over to Hatfield land. The Hatfield thought was since the hog was on their land...it was their hog.
Much argument developed over this hog, and finally the case was taken to the Justice of the Peace. In a rather surprising result, the McCoys lost the case mainly because of the testimony of a Bill Stanton, who happened to be a relative to both sides of the families. Presiding over the case was an Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield, and in June of 1880, Bill Stanton who had given testimony during the "hog case", was killed by 2 McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris. Both were later acquitted.
The feud continued to escalate when a Roseanna McCoy began a "courtship" with a Johnson "Johnse" Hatfield, the son of the locally famous leader of the Hatfield family, "Devil Anse" Hatfield.
In fact, Roseanna left her own family, the McCoys, and went and lived with the Hatfields. The fathers of both sides of the family refused for any marriage to take place, so Roseanna eventually moved back to her own family(the McCoys).
When Roseanna and "Johnse" tried to renew their relationship, Johnse Hatfield was arrested by the McCoys for outstanding Kentucky bootlegging warrants.
Johnse Hatfield was freed from the McCoys when Roseanna McCoy made a desperate midnight ride to Devil Anse Hatfield and told him what had happened. Devil Anse Hatfield formed a rescue party and caught up with the McCoys by surrounding them and they gave up Johnse Hatfield. Then, the Hatfields returned to West Virginia before he was to go to court in Pikeville, Kentucky, which had been scheduled the following day.
Even though Roseanna McCoy had taken the chance to rescue her lover, Johnse Hatfield, he broke up with her and abandoned her...for she was with child from Johnse Hatfield. She ended up staying at her Aunt's home and had a baby girl...who died of measles shortly after birth. Roseanne McCoy passed away herself while still in her 20's...the story being she died of a broken heart. What had made matters worse, Johnse Hatfield had went ahead and gotten married...to a Nancy McCoy, who was the cousin of Roseanna in 1881.
Then, in 1882 Ellison Hatfield, the brother of Devil Anse, was killed by 3 younger brothers of Roseanna McCoy. It was reported Ellison was stabbed 26 times and then shot.
The 3 younger brothers were arrested by Hatfield constables, but were to be taken to Pikeville, Kentucky for trial instead of a trial in West Virginia. Devil Anse Hatfield did not like the whole idea so he put a group together and stopped the constables before they got the 3 brothers to Pikeville.
Devil Anse and his group then took the 3 younger brothers of Roseanna McCoy back to West Virginia where they were tied to paw paw bushes and shot...repeatedly and were killed.
In 1888, there was the infamous New Year's massacre. What happened here was a gang of Hatfields surrounded a McCoy cabin and opened fire into the home of the sleeping family. The cabin itself was set on fire so a Randolph McCoy would come out in the open. Randolph was able to escape but 2 of his children were murdered and his wife was beaten and left for dead.
Randolph McCoy's family then moved to Pikeville to escape the Hatfield raid parties.
Then, later in the year of 1888, a Wall Hatfield along with 8 others were arrested and brought to trial in Kentucky for the murder of Alifair McCoy, who had been killed during the New Year's massacre. She had been shot while running out of the burning house.
All the men were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, except for Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts, who was hanged. Thousands attended the hanging in Pikeville.
Between 1880 and 1891 over a dozen members between the 2 families had been killed, and 10 other members had been wounded. The feud between the 2 families had become national news, with both the governor of West Virginia and the governor of Kentucky were involved with putting an end to this feud.
At the age of 72, Devil Anse Hatfield had been invited to a revival meeting, and went forward and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was baptized in Island Creek, and was a major contributor to ending this horrible feud. His conversion to Christ now only had an immediate impact on both families, but has continued to have ramifications to the future generations of the Hatfields and the McCoys as well as other families within the region. Some say the message of forgiveness and reconciliation is still going on today.
Many Hatfields committed their lives to Christ Jesus, including numerous conversions between 1910-11.
Devil Anse Hatfield passed away at the age of 81, and at that time it was the largest funeral ever in Logan County...with thousands of mourners...including some bearing the name...McCoy.
James 5:16: " When you sin, tell what you have done, then pray for one another and you will find healing. The prayer of an innocent man is powerful...and will produce wonderful and effective results."
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