The Feud

The Feud. Hatfield Cemetery. , More than 130 years later, the many interpretations of the Hatfield-McCoy feud can only illustrate how a complex piece of history could become the stuff of legend. Newspapers would claim the fighting lasted a long and bloody 50 years claiming over one hundred lives. However, most historians of the feud argue it took place sporadically during the later decades of the 19th century, and directly resulted in the deaths of twelve people. The reputation of a lawless and violent people was a product of misrepresenting a tenacious and fiercely independent community that thrived in the rugged hills of the Appalachian wilderness., So how much of the infamous feud is legend, and how much is fact?, The conflict began in the aftermath of the American Civil War, a time of reconstruction on a local, state, and national scale. The igniting incident of the feud is up for much debate. Some argue it was in 1865 with the murder of Asa Harmon McCoy, a Union soldier and brother to feud patriarch Randolph McCoy. Others believe it began in 1878 with a legal dispute between Floyd Hatfield and Randolph, the outcome of which led to Sam McCoy killing Bill Staton, a juror from the case, in 1880. But most agree the feud escalated even further in 1882 with the killing of Ellison Hatfield and the execution of Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randolph Jr. McCoy for his murder. More fatalities would follow, such as that of Jeff McCoy by "Cap" Hatfield in 1886., The eventual involvement of outside forces , not just by law enforcement but also by what some argue to be political and economic interests , would exacerbate the already tense conflict. One of the feud's more well-known tragedies took place January 1, 1888, when Jim Vance and Cap Hatfield led an attack on Randolph and Sarah McCoy's homestead., Two McCoys, siblings Calvin and Alifair, were killed and their mother Sarah left badly beaten. Their house was burned to the ground. Less than a week later, Jim Vance died at the hands of "Bad" Frank Phillips, a Kentucky bounty hunter and special deputy. Phillips also killed West Virginia deputy Bill Dempsey at the Battle of Grapevine Creek where nine Hatfield feudists were apprehended., In 1890, the historic feud came to an end with the execution of Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts, one of the nine Hatfield feudists tried and convicted for the murder of Alifair McCoy., [Sidebar] , The Present , In more recent years, descendants of Hatfields and McCoys have sought reconciliation between their two families, with historic events such as the first Hatfield McCoy Reunion Festival in 2000 and the signing of an official truce in 2003. Today, the Hatfield McCoy Foundation seeks to preserve their families' heritage and history in the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation., [Captions] , Below: Portrait of Randall McCoy, patriarch of the McCoy clan at the time of the feud. Wikimedia Commons, Right: Portrait of Ellison Hatfield in Confederate uniform. , Courtesy of WV State Archives., Above: Photograph of the Hatfield Family taken in 1887. , West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries, Above: Anderson and his uncle Jim Vance , Courtesy of WV State Archives , Above: Portrait of Anderson"Devil Anse" Hatfield, patriarch of Hatfield clan at the time of the feud , West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries.