Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-15
DARK AND BLOODY GROUND.
The Terrible vendettas on the Ken
tucky-virginia Border.
THE M'coY AND HATE!ss..5 TrUo.
A Deadly strife That Has Resulted In
Many Murders-The Principal
Relatives-The Vendetta In
War Time-1ts Origin.

origin long before the war Of the rebel
lion. The bugle-blast that called the
stalwart Virginian and the Kentucky
mountain-ranger from the fury of
private feud to the organized onslaught
of national strife was thought to have
silenced the voice of personal vendetta.
But even on the tented field, where the
desire for blood might we'll have been
satiated in the most savage hearts, those
inveterate haters losG no opportunity OF
closing accounts with each other. and
more than one brave, nOble-hearted fell
low, who never turned his back to the
foe, was found pierced through the
lungs with bullet that entered from
behind. 1t was no unusual thing to find,
| after a bloody battle, a Markham search
| ing among the dead for a Farley, and to
hear, when the slain foe was found
| where the implements of death had
reaped their fullest harvest, curses
heaped on the head of sharpshOoter or
| swordsman who had robbed him of his
Legitimate prey.
1t would be hard to trace the line Of
blood to where it poured from the first
wound in those deadly feuds. A hun
dred years of this country's life have
| marched along the trail of history since
| the first vow spoken for the 6rst blow
struck that resulted in the bloody ven-
dettas of Virginian-Kentucky border
counties. Among the brawny litter
ates of the mountainous region of the
Tug Fork of the Big Sandy hate is the
religion and violence the creed. The
rifle or the revolver settles all debts.
pays all scores, and the whistling bullet
answers all charges of cowardice and
lack of honor. The father educates the
son in the story of hate, and teaches the
boy to handle his weapons, so that he
may ride with him on raids against his
neighbor. The daughter is taught by
the mother that only disaster and
shame can result from knowing a scion
of the stock of Mccoy or Hatfield, and
SO the feud is kept alive.
Civilization seems, in its progress
across the continent, to have skirted the
border land of Kentucky and Virginia.
The same feelings that animated the
fierce highlanders in their feuds, that
stained Scottish history with the awful
massacre of Glen Coe, that slew feeble
women and defenseless babes, are yet
alive in the outlaws of the dark and
bloody ground. Whether the murder
Gus feuds will end when the last
armed foe express" or be stamped out
by the law is IL question. In the mean
time there is no peace on the border: no
neutrality: Pike and Logan counties
are drenched with blood, and murder
has ceased to amaze.
Major E. r. Merriman had in his reg
iment during the war several families
who were bitterly opposed to each other.
In one of the companies were the Nc
Coys and Farleys. mentioned in the
Chronicles S dispatches from Charleston
during the past month. The major had
been transferred from the Seventh New
York as instructor of tactics in the Vir-
ginia regiment. The men were nearly
all refugees whose murderous deeds had
driven them from their homes to the
Cotton mountains. They were trawny
men, with hearts that knew no fear.
They brought their own rifles to the
war. They were men who wasted no
the target. The loyalty of those braves
may not be questioned. They fought
nobly for the union and died with their
their faces toward the foe. But many
made no secret of their feelings and
| said that they had joined the side that
was opposed to their old enemies, the
Hatffelds, who were confederates. To
the aid Of the union old Farley brought
his five sons; Markham brought four
stalwarts. Between these families a
feud s.existed for years. The Far
raids and the Markhams had suf-
fured in the death of friends. Why they
were found with the federals
and in the same regiment it is hard to
say. But what is stranger yet, before
| the war had wasted year an apparent
friendship sprang up between the
whilom enemies. The men were orgin-
| ally from the banks of the Big Sandy
| river, and had made their living by log
| ging to the Ohio. Few of the men could
read or write when they entered the
army, but before being mustered out all
| that were left could write their own
names. John Markham showed great
ability as a soldier, and before long he
was made Il sergeant. That had the
effect OF breaking up the friendship
| noted as having taken the place of Bit
ter feud. One OF the Farleys was pro-
NOTED and again there was q semblance
of peace.
On one occasion Sergeant Markham
obtained permission to purchase some
cider from farmer and he proposed to
retail it among the men of his company.
Farley went into partnership with him,
and when the cider was brought to camp
he was delegated to deal it out. Quite
sum was realized. Farley, when the
firm settled up, demanded money for his
extra labor.
"You ask too much" said the SER
geant.
$50 do" was the reply. "Justice is
too much to ask from Markham"
Both men drew their revolvers; each
dropped back one step and fred. The
affair had all the effect Of a duel. The
big sergeant stood serene; the Farley
was dead. HI
Markham turned and tried to make
his escape; but the murder had taken
place in the company street and dozen
soldiers presented their weapons at his
breast. A court martial was called and
Sergeant Markham was sentenced to be
hanged. He had no word to say against
the death sentence: but spoke bitterly
of its mode Of execution.
Il shot Farley" "he said, "shoot me"
Every effort was made by his friends
to get him pardoned; but the president
declined to interfere. When he knew
there was no hope Markham prepared to
meet death like a man. The execution
was to take place on the Norway Falls
of the Kanawah river. When the day
arrived he rode to the scaifold on his
H..