The Hatfield clan (armed and ready for the McCoys) When you hear the words "family feud," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Richard Dawson? Your last family reunion? Shucks, that ain't nothin' compared to the notorious bickerin' between the Hatfields and McCoys. Their saga began in 1865, when Asa Harmon McCoy was murdered after he returned home from taking up the Union cause during the Civil War, and the McCoys blamed the Confederate-supporting Hatfields. The rift continued with the nasty neighbors fit to be hogtied in a dispute over a pig (and the land under its feet). It escalated from there into a murderous mix of star-crossed lovers, revenge killings, and legal battles -- one of which went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1888. Amazingly, the two patriarchs, Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy and William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, managed to outlive the feud, which ended by agreement in 1891. An official truce was signed in 2003, and these days, the two clans engage only in friendly competition and even hold annual reunions. They even inspired a workshop in conflict resolution! While their fences have long been mended, the mark of the feudin' families remains in song, film, television, and theater as the epitome of the ultimate grudge match. Suggested Sites... Hatfield - McCoys - a history from the "real McCoy." Life Visits the Hatfields and McCoys - a 1944 LIFE Magazine interview with family members, and some great pics. Disease Underlies Hatfield-McCoy Feud - Von Hippel-Lindau disease may have been part of the problem. Hatfield & McCoy Reunion Festival Marathon and Half Marathon - a healthy Hatfield-McCoy rivalry. FamilyFeud.ca - an unofficial history.

Directory categories: Hatfields and McCoys, Genealogy, Reunions

Archived under: American History, Crime, Death, History, Regional, Relationships

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting