Driving Tour of the Hatfield & McCoy Feud

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1. Devil Anse Hatfield and the Hatfield Family Cemetery & Wash Stand

The Hatfield Family Cemetery near Sarah Ann contains the graves of Hatfield patriarch Devil Anse Hatfield and most of the other members of the Hatfield family who were involved in the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud. The series of skirmishes, murders, and lawsuits between the Hatfield and the McCoy families from the 1870s to the 1890s became a national media sensation and turned the families into icons of Appalachian culture. In 1926, the children of Devil Anse Hatfield erected a large Italian marble sculpture over his grave which remains the most prominent feature of the cemetery. Once neglected, the site has now become a local tourist attraction following a resurgence in interest in the feud during the 2010s. The cemetery, and a second one seven miles away was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

2. Hatfield Cemetery in Mingo County, WV

This cemetery is the final resting place of Ephraim Hatfield and his wife Nancy, the parents of the infamous Devil Anse Hatfield. This site is the original Hatfield Cemetery and the people buried here had a significant effect on the deadly Hatfield-McCoy feud of late 1800s.

3. Battle of Grapevine Creek (1888)

The Battle of Grapevine Creek occurred in January 1888 on the West Virginia side of the Tug Fork River near what is today the northern portion of the town of Matewan. The battle stemmed from the events of the New Year's Day attack the Hatfields led against the McCoy family. In this battle, the Hatfields fought against a group of men led by Frank Phillips, a bounty hunter closely tied to the McCoy family. Phillips hoped to capture the men behind the New Year's Day attack and force them to stand trial. The battle was a decisive victory for Phillips, ending with the deaths and retreat of the majority of the Hatfield men and the capture of nine who would later stand trial for their involvement in the New Year's Day attack. The Battle of Grapevine Creek is notable for being the final battle of the feud as well as the only one to be fought using the military tactics.

4. Paw Paw Tree Incident

In a horrific show of vigilante justice during the Hatfield-McCoy family feud, three McCoy boys were tied to paw paw trees and shot. The Hatfields killed the boys as retribution for the murder of Ellison Hatfield, Devil Anse's brother. It was the beginning of years of violence between the two families. This is just one instance out of many in which the hatred of the feud led to the untimely death of the participants.

5. Hatfield-McCoy Hog Trial Cabin

No one can exactly pin point when the bad blood between Devil Anse Hatfield and Randolph McCoy first boiled over. Some say it can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, where Scotch-Irish ancestors often displayed a similar temperament. Others say Civil War loyalties played a factor (the Hatfield's remained staunch Confederates, even though West Virginia seceded from Virginia in 1863). But, there can be no denying that the unexpected verdict of the 1878 Hog Trial touched off a fire that would sear their very souls for the next 12 years. In the fall of 1878, Randolph McCoy brought charges against Floyd Hatfield for stealing one of his hogs. The resulting trial occurred at a Hatfield cabin and was presided over by the local justice of the peace, Preacher Anderson Hatfield. Preacher Anderson was Devil Anse Hatfield's cousin and did not want to appear biased so he gathered a jury of six Hatfields and six McCoys to hear the case. When the jury reached its verdict, Selkirk McCoy, nephew of Sarah McCoy and a veteran of the Virginia Confederacy, sided with the six Hatfields in favor of Floyd. The McCoys felt betrayed and open hostilities soon erupted between the Haftield and McCoy families. Later Bill Staton, who testified in favor of his brother-in-law, Floyd Hatfield, was killed by two of Randolph McCoy's nephews while he was hunting. They were tried and acquitted in a trial presided over by Valentine Hatfield, uncle of Devil Anse. After this, violence between the families continued and the resulting conflict eventually escalated into the most infamous family feud in American history. In August 1882, a fight broke out between Tolbert McCoy and Elias Hatfield at the cabin during an Election Day celebration. Devil Anse's brother Ellison Hatfield joined the fight, along with Tolbert's two brothers. One of the McCoys pulled a knife and Ellison was stabbed 27 times and then shot in the back. Anse and a posse intercepted the McCoy brothers as they were being taken to a Kentucky jail and escorted them back to West Virginia. Ellison was still alive and, according to Anse, the three McCoys would live only if Ellison survived. The following day Ellison died. Anse and his followers then transported the McCoy brothers across the river to Kentucky, tied them to several pawpaw trees and shot them. Indictments were issued for Anse and several of his supporters, but for five years no action was taken to extradite them. The consensus is that at least 15 persons, no more than 27, died as a direct result of the hostilities between various factions of the two proud families. Although tragic, the Hatfield-McCoy quarrel remains embedded in the American psyche. The clash ran a gauntlet of emotions, impulses, and influences that ranged from execution to economics and from romance to revenge. Ambush, betrayal, irony, frontier justice, murder, and politics helped nourish two families who preferred to settle their disputes with shotguns and pistols in an all-out border war.

6. Randolph McCoy Statue, McCoy Well, and Site of New Year's Day Massacre of 1888

Located along Highway 319 in Hardy, this statue of Randolph McCoy was dedicated in 2017 and is located next to the McCoy Home. At this location on New Year's Day 1888, the home and its residents were attacked by members of the Hatfield family. The attack resulted in the death of two of Randolph's children and the destruction of the home. Today, only the site of the McCoy well remain. The land is now the site of a private residence; however, the current owners acknowledge the location's status as a historic landmark and kindly welcome visitors and tourists to view the well and the statue of Randolph McCoy.

7. McCoy Cemetery

Buried here are the victims of the famous Paw Paw tree incident from the Hatfield & McCoy feud. Three McCoy boys were shot 50 times by Hatfield men in retribution for Ellison Hatfield's murder. Also buried here are Alifair and Calvin McCoy who were killed during the New Year's Night raid of 1888. This feud is one of the most infamous in national history and caused the death of many.

8. Sally McCoy Historical Marker

Sarah Elizabeth McCoy, nicknamed "Sally" by her mother, was the daughter of Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield, a young couple who were each on opposing sides of the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud. Sally was born in February of 1881 and resided with her mother and her great-aunt, Betty McCoy, with whom her mother stayed after being disowned by her family for having an affair with a member of the Hatfield family. A few months after being born, Sally fell gravely ill. She died later that same year, at only eight months old, and was buried near the home where she lived and alongside the final resting place of her mother in a plot adjacent to the McCoy Cemetery.

9. The Betty McCoy House

In 1881, this home was the location where Roseanna McCoy found refuge following her romantic affair with Johnse Hatfield. The son of Devil Anse" Hatfield, Johnse met and fell in love with Roseanna McCoy during the famous feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families. Fearing the consequences of his actions, Johnse abandoned Roseanna who found refuge with Betty Mccoy and gave birth to Hatfield's daughter at this home. The baby girl contracted measles and died after ten months. The tragedy of these two young "star-crossed" lovers continues to be one of the most familiar aspects of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Driving Tour of the Hatfield & McCoy Feud

Created by Miranda Smith on November 29th 2018, 9:40:09 am.

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Description

The Hatfield & McCoy Feud is one of the most prolific feuds in the history of the United States and led to the intervention of government officials in Kentucky and West Virginia. This tour starts in southern West Virginia and takes drivers mostly through the western portion of Mingo County and eastern portion of Pike County. This tour does not include all of the landmarks related to the feud and those who are interested are encouraged to continue on to Pikeville to see the McCoy House and other sites. Those who are willing to go on an extended drive through rural roads, or who simply wish to read more about the feud and places associated with it, should look at the extended tour in Clio as it includes more landmarks in both West Virginia and Kentucky.

Entries on This Tour

Driving Tour of the Hatfield & McCoy Feud

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