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.