What is a feud?

Nearly everyone believes they know something about the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. But... do they? TV and movies, books, cartoons, and even a musical dinner theater event have presented varying takes on the feud story. Often humorous, seldom accurate, they do share the common viewpoint that two backwoods families fought each other for decades led by two powerful clan leaders, Anderson (Devil Anse) Hatfield and Randolph (Ol Ran'l) McCoy.

But was this true? First, let's examine the word feud itself - Webster defines a feud as, "a mutual enmity or quarrel that is often prolonged or inveterate".  

Over the next few posts, we will examine the provable facts of the conflict between these two families and make our own determination based on several key questions.

One: Was this conflict truly due to a long period of enmity between the two families and was it inveterate, or firmly established by long persistence?

Two: Were Anderson Hatfield and Randolph McCoy clan leaders? Did they each command a sizeable number of relations to aid in the so-called feud?

Three: When did events begin that led to the legendary feud and when did they cease? What led to the creation of the feud legend and were there outside influences that fueled public perception of the events?

By looking at these event with "accuracy motivated reasoning", we will find answers to those questions and resolve in our minds whether the Hatfield and McCoy feud is mythology or fact.

Timeline and the killing of Asa Harmon McCoy

 

It is necessary at the beginning to consider two events that some historians, and many feud chroniclers consider part of the events leading to the conflict between the two families.

The timeline I created above reflects the key events from the folklore of the feud. Some of them are historical fact muddled by the tales of the feud and retelling of the story in popular media. One of the most recent was the History channel sponsored three-part series produced and starring Kevin Costner. It is beautifully filmed, superbly acted, and actually gets some of the facts right. You can check out the trailer at the link below.

Kevin Costner's Hatfields and McCoys

January 7, 1865 - Asa Harmon McCoy is killed by Confederate rebels, part of the Logan Wildcats.

The death of Asa Harmon McCoy at the hands of Confederate rebels is often used as a starting point for conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys. There are several problems with this point, one being that the majority of the Hatfield and McCoy family members that fought in the Civil War fought for the Confederacy. Asa was an outlier from both families by his support of the Union. 

The feud lore claims that Anderson Hatfield as a leader of the rebel group known as the Logan Wildcats chased down the cowardly Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy and finding him hiding in a cave, killed him. 

The record however tells a different story. There was a group known as the Logan Wildcats: It was a militia group formed in Logan County prior to the war. Once the Civil War broke out, it became Company D of the 36th Infantry, and remained in service in the regular Confederate Army until it was mustered out three days after Lee’s surrender. Anderson Hatfield never appeared on its roster and there are no records that this unit ever came within a hundred miles of the Tug River Valley.

What the record does show is that Asa Harmon McCoy, far from being a coward, had received a severe chest wound and been captured by Confederate forces. After a time as a prisoner of war, he was released to return home and heal from his wounds. He immediately rejoined the Union war effort, Breaking a leg soon after, he recuperated and was back in action again less than two months later. Finally discharged from military service on Christmas Eve of 1864 he returned home but re-upped and was killed by rebels as he attempted to return to his regiment. Far from being a coward!

Marking this event as the beginning of hostilities between the Hatfields and McCoys is problematic since there is no record of violence from either family towards the other until 1882 - seventeen years later!

The Pig Incident

 

Alleged Pig Trial Cabin

Virtually all of the feud legends agree that the alleged stealing of a pig by a Hatfield was a pivotal event in leading to the hostilities between the families. It was relatively common at the time in this area for pigs to be allowed to freely range for feeding purposes - neighboring land boundaries were often crossed by the animals and as long as their was clear identification by the owners of their livestock, disputes were minimal.

Feud legend maintains that a pig owned by Randolph McCoy was discovered on land farmed by Floyd Hatfield. Randolph confronted Floyd, a huge trial with twelve jurors was held with large crowds gathering to watch the legal wrangling and McCoy loses the trial, thus setting up more bad blood between the families.

The record shows several issues with this claim. Pictured above is the cabin where the supposed trial was held. It is small, barely large enough to contain the plaintiff and defendant, there is no way that a large crowd squeezed into this building to watch a trial over a hog.

Also not mentioned is that the land the supposed pig was rooting on was owned by Uriah McCoy, a cousin of Randolph who leased the land to Floyd Hatfield. Wouldn't Randolph have gone to his cousin and let him know that his renter had one of his pigs? There is no court record of a pig trial, both Randolph McCoy and Anderson Hatfield had been involved in much larger law suits over much larger sums of money and both had won and lost cases. 

Plus, this is revealing in that if Randolph was the clan leader claimed, why was Uriah leasing land to a Hatfield, why did a McCoy family member testify against Randolph in the trial (Bill Staton, related to the McCoys), and once the case was decided in favor of Floyd Hatfield, why did the McCoy family continue to coexist peacefully with Hatfields for over two more years?

Finally, Randolph McCoy never charged Floyd Hatfield with stealing a hog. Had a charge been brought, it would have been brought into Circuit Court, because hog stealing was a felony under Kentucky law. Had the charge been litigated, it would be in Pike Circuit Court records, and no such case appears in the record. The pig trial is a myth.

Bill Staton Killed by Sam McCoy

 

Adultery Charges - William Staton / Martha McCoy

Many of the feud promoters use the killing of Bill Staton on June 18, 1880 as an additional "proof" of enmity between the Hatfields and McCoys. Bill was a McCoy family member by birth, his mother was a McCoy, but he was married to a Hatfield. He was supposedly the key witness in the pig trial and testified against Randolph McCoy.

As we have seen, there is no evidence of a pig trial, Bill was a McCoy, and his killer was Sam McCoy, another family member. Feudists claim the killing was due to his pig trial testimony and subsequent ill feelings that he was a traitor to the McCoys.

Pictured above is evidence far more likely to have provoked his killing. Bill was accused of an adulterous relationship with Martha McCoy. He was a West Virginia resident, Martha lived on the Kentucky side of the river. Bench warrants were issued for both he and Martha, Bill refused to face the charges and Martha was left to face the music on her own. She was found guilty and fined twenty dollars.

Staton was later confronted by Sam and Paris McCoy, who killed him in June of 1880. There were no witnesses to the killing although Sam McCoy was unsuccessfully brought to trial. Isn't it far more likely that Bill Staton was killed for the mistreatment and dishonor of Martha McCoy, a cousin to Sam and Paris? 

The Death of Ellison Hatfield

 

The first undisputed violence in the story of the Hatfield / McCoy legend is the August 1882 killing of Ellison Hatfield. It was election day in Pike County, Kentucky and citizens from every corner of the Tug Valley were gathered. Election day was always an event; vendors, usually women of the community were selling cakes, pies, and other crafted items. Men clustered around a passed jug of moonshine and discussed everything from the weather to the politics of the day.

Speculation is varied on what started the fight between Hatfield and the McCoy brothers that day. Some stories are as petty as an argument over a 25 cent debt, some mention a quarrel over a pretty girl. Some lay the blame at the imagined hatred between the families. What is known is that Tolbert, Pharmer and Bud McCoy, sons of Randolph McCoy, stabbed Ellison Hatfield multiple times and then shot him in the back as he lay on the ground. Still alive, he was taken across the river to what is now the town of Matewan where he died two days later.

For unknown reasons the three McCoy sons were not immediately taken into custody, nor taken to jail. When finally taken despite protestations by Randolph McCoy, they did not go to Pikeville jail due to the late hour, but stopped for the night at the home of  John Hatfield. The following morning as they headed up Blackberry Creek towards Pikeville they were met and apprehended by a group of men led by Anderson Hatfield, brother of the murdered man. This pushed events towards the bloodiest day of the entire  "feud", August 9, 1882. 

The Paw-Paw Executions

Anderson Hatfield and Family

It is important to note that the Hatfields lived on the West Virginia side of the Tug River, in Logan County. Randolph McCoy and his son's resided in Kentucky near Pikeville. There is substantial supposition that Anderson didn't believe his brother's killers would be brought to justice in Kentucky, and decided to take matters in his own hand.

A posse led by Anderson Hatfield took the men across the river into West Virginia territory, tied them to paw-paw bushes and shot and killed all three. The state of Kentucky issued indictments for “Devil Anse” and twenty of his supporters, yet no action was taken to extradite the Hatfields for five years. 

The bloodiest day of the supposed feud occurred with a clear act of lawlessness, yet no other hostilities between Hatfields and McCoys broke out for over five years. If, as the folklore insists, this was a feud, why was there no violence for such a length of time? Dozens of McCoys lived near the spot where the McCoys were killed, yet none of them were bothered by the Hatfield gang. Isn't it safe to presume that Anderson Hatfield was only concerned with the McCoys who killed his brother?

Dozens of Hatfields lived on the Kentucky side of the river alongside family members of Randolph McCoy, yet none of them were harmed. Why such peace, for such an extended period of time if this was an all-out clan feud? 

New Year's Day Raid 1888

 

Randolph McCoy

On New Year's Day 1888, a group of nine to fourteen Hatfields and supporters launched an attack on the cabin where Randolph McCoy and his wife Sally lived. A nighttime raid, it led to the burning of the cabin, the severe beating of Sally McCoy, and the death of two adult children of Randolph and Sally, Alifair and Calvin.

Historians are uncertain of the reasons for the raid. Some attribute it to retribution for McCoy incursions into Logan County, others to an attempt by Anderson Hatfield to finally end the "feud" by killing his clan rival Randolph McCoy.

Despite the reasons, this event was very damaging to Anderson Hatfield. Although he was not present at the raid, his reputation was ruined, even with his supporters. His local political influence was done with, he became a virtual outcast amongst family members, and ultimately sold his land and moved away from the Tug Valley.

Nine men suspected of being involved in the raid were brought to trial. Eight (some records claim seven) were given a life sentence for the killing of Alifair and Calvin, only one, Ellison Mounts received the death penalty. 

This was the last recorded violence of the legendary feud. All that remained to put an end to the hostilities between the families was the hanging of Ellison Mounts.

The Hanging of Ellison Mounts and the End of the Feud

The Hanging of Ellison Mounts

On February 18, 1890, Ellison Mounts, twenty-five years old, was executed for his part in the New Year's raid on the McCoy cabin and the killing of Alifair and Calvin McCoy.

Mounts, thought by many to be the illegitimate son of Ellison Hatfield was poor, mentally challenged, and was in all likelihood a scapegoat for the bloodshed between the Hatfields and McCoys.

Lacking the funds for a defense attorney, his lawyer was court appointed, and Mounts, seeing that the other men received life in prison for their part in the raid, pleaded guilty thinking life was the worst he would receive.

Shocked by the sentence, his lawyer attempted a plea change, but local sentiment and the courts were against him and were looking for a visible end to the Hatfield/McCoy drama. Poor Ellison Mounts went to the gallows and his final words to the crowd were, "The Hatfields made me do it!". 

The saga of the Hatfields and McCoys was over. 

Conclusions

My great-grandmother
Francis Marcum (Spaulding) 
daughter of Mary Sidney McCoy

Why the interest in the Hatfield / McCoy legend? For starters, my great-grandmother was the daughter of Mary Sidney McCoy, a niece of Randolph McCoy. I heard family stories as a young boy of the feud, heard opinions on what really happened, and got an early earful of how no one in the family really liked Randolph McCoy.

The facts uncovered in my research tend to support the premise that contrary to popular belief, neither Anderson Hatfield, nor Randolph McCoy were clan leaders. Whether it was in court, or in lawlessness, neither had a large number of followers. Despite over two hundred family members named Hatfield and McCoy in the Tug River Valley, the total number of persons involved in the violence sharing either of those names was just over twenty.

So, was there a feud? I don't believe so, the record doesn't support it. What can be the cause of so much folklore and legend around these two families? Well, everyone likes a story, particularly one with drama. That certainly wasn't lacking with the Hatfield and McCoy families.

Historian Thomas Dotson claims, “The feud story was a creation of the big city newspapers.  The immediate purpose for its creation was to devalue the people and thereby facilitate the transfer of ownership of the wealth of the Valley to the same big city financiers who controlled those newspapers.   The ultimate purpose was to transform the independent mountaineers into docile and willing wage workers. This transformation was abetted by the state governments and the elites on both the state and local levels, who hoped to profit by the transformation.”

There may be room for debate on Dotson's viewpoint, yet the fact remains that residents of the Tug River Valley to this day still suffer economically and are still looked upon as "less than" by those whose perceptions of Appalachia have been molded by stories such as the Hatfield and McCoy feud. They deserve better.