The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-26
HATFIELD.M'COY VENDETTA
History of Bloody Feud Which Lasted
Thirty Years and Cost q Score of Lives.
1t Originated in Quarrel Over a Razorback
Hog, Led to Indiscriminats Murder, and
Is Now Terminated by Marriage.

Special Correspondence of the sunday Journal
PIKEvILLE. KY. Feb 1S-In quaint lit
tie log church few miles east of this
place. surrounded by rugged peaks of the
Kentucky mountains. q simple marriage
ceremony was performed q few days since
which united the Mccoy and Hatfield fam
lilies. that for thirty years have been en-
gagged in one of the bloodiest feuds in the
annals of the South. The cessation of hos
tilities comes after o lapse Of time in which
almost two generations of both families
sacrificed their lives that their peculiar
ideas of honor might be enforced. When
Miss Hattie McCoy's and Frank Hatfeld's
extended hands met in the little old meet
ing house on the banks of Tug river few
days ago q bloody chasm was closed that
had eneulfed fathers. mothers. brothers and
sisters and innumerable more remote rela-
tives or both sides. In the shadows of the
poorly lighted church stood two score of
persons to witness the ceremony. To every
one the occasion possessed peculiar signlfi-
canoe. They represen ted the survivors of the
two families that for almost q quarter of q
century have appeared to exist for the sole
purpose Of continuing the vendetta in
which so many lives have been lost Not
outstanding the fact that the members of
both families had reasons for rejoicing at
the conclusion of the terrible feud, they
appeared to be oppressed by the solemnity
of the occasion. Though they mingled to-
gether without reserve, the men shaking
hands and cOnversing with each other.
many of whom had never before met ex-
cept with rifles, ready to slay on the slight
est opportunity, phantoms of the past
seemed to be passing In endless procession
through the room as if the victims of the
family hatred would protest against the
contamination of tho ceremony that would
wipe out old lines that had been made
sacred by such copious baptisms of blood.
By mutual consent ali the Immediate rep
resentatlves of the two families had as
sembled to cementthe friendly ties proposed
and make impossible repetltiOns OF the
dreadful scenes that have made this part
of the State 30 notorious, and il was done.
The Mccoy Hatfield war, as il Is COM
monty called in this section of the country,
has been sufficiently extensive as to become
part of the history of Kentucky and West
Virginia, and o very interesting chapter it
forms In the records of the two States.
The history OF the South presents many
cnses of family feuds in which loss OF life
ton and desperation of the participants
In carrying to q fatal termination their
family luminosity Is something remarkable.
but the chronology of the country suggests
no parallel to the ferocious warfare that
has been conducted by the represen tatives
of this Kentucky vendetta. 1t presents
many peculiar features and pathetic and
ridiculous incidents hive frequently been
mingled together under circumstances
that surround the whole affair with
nrOVOka6
the mere fact that several dozen
desperately brave men have frequently
been engaged In deadly combat until their
ranks were reduced to almost nothing.
Arising over q trIf1nR affair. the feud final
~ embroiled two whole counties. and.
though the com ats W ere of the fiercest kind
and always more or less fatal to the repre-
sentatives of the two families. no Governor
Of Kentucky or West Virginia has ever
been known to honor q requisition for the
alleged murderers in these mountain bat
ties. The death list as o. direct result OF
the feud comprises fifteen men, one boy
and one young lady. while the indirect
fatalities growing out of the vendetta can
scarcely be computed. Of these only one
died legally imposed death. and strangely
enough. IL was the last tragedy in the an
nails of the war. and hevictim was the son
of the first man whose blood was shed in
the interest of this peculiarly arranged
plan of personal vengeance.
ORIGIN OF THE FEUD.
The feud originated in 1861. The whole
country wac atlame with rumors of war;
On the Kentucky side of Tug river. q
branch of the Big Sandy. 200 miles from
where that stream empties its waters into
the Ohio. Randolph Mccoy lived. He wes
one of the wealthiest farmers in that part
of the State. He particularly prided him.
self on the number of ..niGgers'; he owned.
w la nf ri afn
On the West Virginia side of Ing river. on
Grapevine creek, Anderson Hatfield flour
ished. What Ole Randi was to that por-
ton, Of Kentucky. Bad Anse. as the
known on account of his fighting
proclivities. WAS to West Firginia's
mountains. Ole Rsnd'Ps children were
about as numerous as the laws of
nature would permit, and the household of
Bad Anse was much the same In this par.
tlcular. The prospect of freeing their ne
groes appeared sufficient in the eyes of
both to warrant them in casting their
fortunes with the Confectionery. Ole Ran
d1 didn't propose to have his slaves made
az good as white folks" and Bad Anse
lowed that if his ringers" were took he
couldn't get along. nohow. They were q
unit as to how their fortunes should be
cast In the approaching struggle. They
had always been fair neighbors, except on
one OK two occasions. when, made mellow
by too much 'moonshine." their big six
foot boys had come to blows. This. aud an
occasional dispute over the relative value
of their human chattels. alone distur bed
their neighborly equilibrium.
While they were awaiting Developments
and news from down South" a small
| steamboat pushed it's way into the head.
waters of the Tug river to trade with the
farmers. This was the only way commun-
| ication could be established with the out.
size world. This relic of those days has
not yet been disturbed. Ole Randi con-
cluded that he would send some hogs down
to Cincinnati. The sides of the small boat
almost touched the moss-grown banks OF
| the stream. While the Mccoy slaves were
| of hogs peculiar to this country aboard the
boat. several Hatfield slaves came TO the
| landing to witness the fun. One long -nosed
| hog refused TO stay on the boat after being
| driven aboard, and leaped into the river
and swan ashore. He found il most con-
venient to make landing on the West
Virginia bank. regardless of the fact that
| he belonged on the opposite side. That
| razor backed hog was making history then
| but the natives didn't realize it then Of
fOrcibly as q few years later.
Ii was lots of sport for the Hatfield dark
| les to watch the Mccoy "niggers" chase
| the escaped porker; and they failed to
catch him. The Mccoy slaves told sheir
master that the Hatfield negroes scared
the hog OF into ravine with the purpose
, of killing and eating il later. This anRered
ole Randi and he sent the Hatfelds word
that he wanted them TO fetch that hog to
to his side of the river. Bad ADse did no,
take interest enough in the cage to trouble
himself over it. He lowed" that II