Hatfields vs. McCoys: How Two American Families Fought a Vendetta Over a Pig (8 photos)

In the late 19th century, a conflict between two farming families on the West Virginia-Kentucky border lasted 12 years. The conflict resulted in 11 gunfights, seven life sentences, and one hanging. The Hatfield-McCoy War has become part of American folklore and symbolizes the irreconcilable enmity of neighbors.





Devil Anse and Old Man Ranley

Right on the border of West Virginia and Kentucky, the Hatfield and McCoy families lived in peace for two centuries. Each clan had 50 strong, and most importantly, armed men, ready to use their rifles and revolvers at the slightest provocation. The head of the Hatfield clan, the stern William Hatfield, was nicknamed "Devil Anse" for his dangerous character. Under his leadership, the family farmed and distilled moonshine in the Virginia woods.

Opposite "Devil Anse"'s lands, in Kentucky, lived the McCoys, led by "Old Man Ranley." The family was a logging family and was wealthier than their future adversaries. Ranley was always carrying revolvers and a Bible, but this didn't stop him from illegally producing and selling moonshine. The families clashed during the American Civil War. "Old Man Ranley" sided with the North, while "Devil Anse" supported the South.



William Anderson Hatfield "Devil Anse" and Randolph McCoy "Old Man Ranley"

When one of the McCoys, Ace Harmon, returned home from the Union army, he was shot by unknown assailants. Suspicion fell on neighbors who had threatened the murdered man in front of witnesses several weeks earlier. Judge Billy Staton was unable to prove the Hatfields' guilt, and the case was hushed up.





The Hatfield clan in 1897

Two years later, several McCoy boys provoked a fight with a judge and killed him. The conflict took place in Kentucky Territory, where "Old Man Ranly" was an influential man, so the court acquitted the killers, who claimed to have defended themselves from an attack.

The Pig of Discord

In 1878, the Cold War turned hot. "Devil Anse"'s cousin, Floyd Hatfield, and "Old Man Ranley" had a dispute over a pig. Neighbors accused each other of stealing the animal. The case went to court, with Floyd's side ruled. Meanwhile, it was discovered that 16-year-old Rosanna McCoy had become pregnant by John Hatfield, the son of the hated family's patriarch.



"Devil Anse" (second from left) with his brothers

The girl left for her lover, but found no happiness in her enemy's family. Rosanna returned to her father, and the McCoys decided to teach their neighbors a lesson. They arrested John for illegally selling moonshine, but the Hatfields rode into Kentucky on horseback, attacked the McCoys, and rescued the boy. Miraculously, there were no casualties, although the first fatalities occurred just four years later.

In 1882, during a fight in a local saloon, three McCoys stabbed Alison Hatfield 26 times. The killers were arrested, but "Devil Anse" was still out for blood. Leading a posse of relatives, he attacked the convoy transporting the McCoys to a prison in a neighboring state. Anse ordered all three of them tied to trees and shot. It was later discovered that each of the executed men had been shot 50 times, even by children.



"Devil Anse" Hatfield (second from left) with his wife and children

A few months later, another McCoy was killed in a shootout. Since the murder took place in Virginia, where all the judges were related to the Hatfields, the perpetrators went unpunished. Both sides began a brutal vendetta. They ambushed neighbors, and shootouts became the norm for local residents.

Bloody Ending

On New Year's Eve 1888, the Hatfields surrounded and attacked the house of "Old Man Ranley." The head of the McCoy clan survived the shootout, but his wife was maimed and his two young children were killed. A few days later, armed McCoys counterattacked and killed two Hatfields. Matters escalated to the point that the Kentucky and West Virginia state governments threatened to use troops to apprehend the killers.



Allison Mount Hatfield, who participated in the attack on the McCoy home. He was accused of child murder and hanged.

Civil war was brewing, and the central government intervened, siding with the McCoys. Eight Hatfields were arrested, seven received life sentences, and Allison Mount, the murderer of "Old Man Ranley's" children, was hanged. The clan patriarchs escaped the trial and both died in old age.

Profits Instead of Blood

Today, both families make money by producing a corn moonshine called "Devil's Drink" and hosting themed tours that tell the story of their former feud. The story became known to the world thanks to the 2012 miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" produced by the History Channel.



A memorial wall in the town of Matewan depicting the Hatfield and McCoy families and the disputed pig



A show restaurant opened by the Hatfield and McCoy families

In 2003, descendants of the Hatfields and McCoys signed a symbolic peace treaty. The reconciliation ceremony was broadcast live on local television.