American history help? (Hatfield McCoy fued)?

Question

American history help? (Hatfield McCoy fued)?

Answer 1

It roots were in the Civil War. "Devil Anse" Hatfield's uncle, Jim Vance, shot and killed one of the McCoys in 1865 when he returned from the war because he fought for the Union. There was no more violence between the two families until 13 years later when the feud/violence erupted again over the ownership of a pig.

Answer 2

The first known event linking the Hatfields and McCoys was at the end of the Civil War. Devil Anse fought for the Confederate Army for two years. Then he and some of his family members left the army and returned home. They joined a local Confederate militia known as the Logan Wildcats. Randle McCoy’s brother, Asa Harmon McCoy, was a Union soldier. In 1865 Asa was wounded in battle and came home. While Asa was recuperating, he was murdered. No one was ever charged with the murder but it was rumored that Devil Anse and the Logan Wildcats were involved. Some believe the feud started with this incident but there were no attempts at retaliation by the McCoys and no further conflict between the families for over a decade./p>



Then in the late 1870s, Devil Anse Hatfield got into a land dispute with Randle McCoy’s cousin Perry Cline. Anse won the land dispute and was granted Perry’s entire 5,000 acre plot of land. The McCoys felt that Anse had used his political connections to influence the court’s decision. A few months after the verdict, Randle McCoy accused Anse’s cousin, and best friend, Floyd Hatfield of stealing his hog. A lawsuit was brought against Floyd and the magistrate put together a jury of six McCoys and six Hatfields to hear the case. At the end of the trial one of the McCoys voted with the Hatfields for acquittal. That McCoy worked on Devil Anse’s timber crew and the McCoys claimed he voted with the Hatfields to save his job. As a result, the McCoys felt like they had been cheated again. This heightened ill feelings between the two families and several armed confrontations followed. This is when the violence between the families began in earnest.



-----------------------

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

No, No, NO about half is accurate. Randolph McCoy and Devil Anse Hatfield never served together in the civil war. Devil didnt desert his time was up and he had a family starving back home. Ran'el McCoy's pig got into Floyd Hatfield's corn. And he sued for reinburstment or the pig. The kidnapping of Johnse Hatfield by Roseanna McCoy's brothers never happened as seen on the show. "Johnse Hatfield was arrested by the McCoys on outstanding Kentucky bootlegging warrants. He was freed from McCoy custody only when Roseanna made a desperate midnight ride to alert Devil Anse Hatfield, who organized a rescue party. The Hatfield party surrounded the McCoys and took Johnse back to West Virginia before he could be transported to the county seat, Pikeville, Kentucky, for justice the next day."

I don't understand why they changed the Judge so much. In reality the Judge was William Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield, the local Baptist preacher. He was a peace maker, not a foul mouthed fighter.



Now why is kinda off. For years the families living on opposite sides of the river and in different states, crossed the river to trade goods, marry each other, and to attend friendly family gatherings together. The tide turned in 1865 with the death of Asa Harman McCoy (Old Randall McCoy's brother) on January 7, 1865. Jim Vance (uncle of Devil Anse) and his "Logan Wildcats" despised Asa Harmon McCoy because he had joined the Union army during the American Civil War. Both families were southern sympathizers (but both had some family members that joined the Union Army). Asa Harman McCoy had been discharged from the army early because of a broken leg. One night, on his return home, he was murdered in a nearby cave by Jim Vance of the Hatfield family. Being southern sympathizers, neither family thought much of it and even the McCoy’s felt Asa had gotten what he deserved.

Within a few months after the trial, Bill Staton was shot to death by Paris and Sam McCoy. They were caught and tried but were found not guilty with a plea of self defense. It was rumored that Devil Anse Hatfield had arranged the acquittal in an attempt to maintain peace between the two families. Instead, the McCoy’s were outraged that Paris and Sam had been brought to trial in the first place.



The feud escalated after Roseanna McCoy began an affair with Johnse Hatfield (Devil Anse's son), leaving her family to live with the Hatfields in West Virginia. During her stay with the Hatfields, she became pregnant. Roseanna eventually returned to the McCoys, but when the couple tried to resume their relationship, Johnse Hatfield was arrested by the McCoys on outstanding Kentucky bootlegging warrants (Johnse was indeed a well known bootlegger). He was freed from McCoy custody only when Roseanna made a desperate midnight ride to alert Devil Anse Hatfield, who organized a rescue party. Hell bent on vengeance, the Hatfield party reacted quickly and surrounded the McCoys allowing them to capture Johnse and take him back to West Virginia. Despite what was seen as a betrayal of her family on his behalf, Johnse added to the McCoy shame and abandoned the pregnant Roseanna, marrying instead her cousin Nancy McCoy in 1881.



The escalation continued in 1882 when Ellison Hatfield, younger brother of "Devil Anse" Hatfield, was killed by three of Roseanna McCoy's young brothers: Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud. Ellison was stabbed 26 times and finished off with a shot in the back. The three McCoy brothers were arrested by Hatfield constables and were to be taken to Pikeville for trial. Devil Anse Hatfield quickly organized a large group of followers and cut off the constables with the three McCoy prisoners in tow before they reached Pikeville. The three brothers were taken by force to West Virginia to await the fate of mortally wounded Ellison Hatfield. When Ellison died from his injuries three days later, the McCoy brothers were themselves murdered in turn. They were tied to pawpaw bushes and gunned down, further escalating the feud.



Soon after the incident, the Hatfields broke into the home of Mary McCoy and whipped her with a cow tail. Mary McCoy was married to a Hatfield relation but the Hatfields felt she was leaking information to the McCoy’s. Mary’s husband, Jeff McCoy, quickly sought revenge for the beating and was promptly shot to death on the banks of the Tug River.



After that it was full war. Where they actually shot back and forth whenever sighted.



In 1888, Wall Hatfield and eight others were arrested by a posse led by Frank Phillips, and brought to Kentucky to stand trial for the murder of Alifair McCoy who was killed during the New Years Massacre. She had been shot after exiting the burning house. The Supreme Court became involved and ruled in favor of Kentucky (the McCoy’s). All were found guilty. Seven received life imprisonment, while the eighth, Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts, was executed by hanging. Thousands attended the hanging in Pikeville, Kentucky.

Answer 4

Randolph McCoy who fought in the war started disliking Devil Anse Hatfield when he deserted the confederacy to go home. there was also land arguments and the group,"Wildcats" murdered Harmon McCoy because he fought on the Union side. (the main people in the "Wildcats" were Hatfields)