marthajefferson:history meme: 05/10 moments | The Hatfield–McCoy feud (1863-1891)The Hatfield–McCoy

marthajefferson:history meme: 05/10 moments | The Hatfield–McCoy feud (1863-1891)The Hatfield–McCoy feud involved two families of the West Virginia–Kentucky area along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield while the McCoys of Kentucky were under the leadership of Randolph “Ole Ran'l” McCoy. Those involved in the feud were descended from Ephraim Hatfield (born c.1765) and William McCoy (born c.1750). The feud has entered the American folklore lexicon as a metonym for any bitterly feuding rival parties. More than 100 years later, the story of the feud has become a modern symbol of the perils of family honor, justice, and vengeance. William McCoy, the patriarch of the McCoys, was born in Ulster in the north of Ireland around 1750 and immigrated to Doe Hill, Virginia. The family, led by grandson Randolph “Ole Ran'l” McCoy, lived mostly on the Kentucky side of Tug Fork (a tributary of the Big Sandy River). Of English origin, the Hatfields, led by William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield, son of Ephraim and Nancy (Vance) Hatfield, lived mostly on the West Virginia side. The majority of the Hatfields living in Mingo County (then part of Logan County), West Virginia fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War; most McCoys, living in Pike County, Kentucky, also fought for the Confederacy; with the exception of Asa Harmon McCoy, who fought for the Union. The first real violence in the feud was the death of returning Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy, murdered by a group of ex-Confederate Homeguards called the “Logan Wildcats.” Devil Anse Hatfield was a suspect at first, but was later confirmed to have been sick at home at the time of the murder. It was widely believed that his uncle, Jim Vance, a member of the Wildcats, committed the murder. [x] -- source link

More pics about