The Hatfields and McCoys were two wealthy farming families who fought for over 30 years on the Kentucky-West Virginia border. The feud began during the Civil War, escalated over a pig ownership dispute, and resulted in at least 12 deaths. The families’ descendants held a reunion in 2000, and the term “The Hatfields and the McCoys” is still used to refer to warring families.
The Hatfields and the McCoys were two families who lived across from each other on the Kentucky-West Virginia border. A bitter feud between the two families lasted over 30 years, costing the lives of at least 12 men. The famous feud is often used as a comparison when discussing bitter family feuds, and the intense emotions of the feud itself are sometimes akin to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Like many stories about 19th century America, it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction when examining the accounts of families.
The feud likely had its roots during the Civil War when, ironically, both families were on the same side. Both families were farmers and were relatively well off. They felt the Civil War threatened their way of life, and William Anderson Hatfield and Randolph McCoy both led anti-Union guerrilla groups. However, rivalries between the two families began to be intense during the war, especially after the death of Asa McCoy, who was fighting on the Union side.
In 1873, the Hatfields and the McCoys began a bitter dispute over the ownership of a pig. In 19th-century America, taking someone else’s cattle was considered a serious offense, as a single pig could contribute many cuts of meat to the winter pantry. One McCoy claimed that one Hatfield had a pig that did not belong to him, and the matter was brought to trial before another Hatfield. Predictably, the final verdict was in favor of the Hatfields and the feud began. In 19, the presiding judge was killed by two McCoy brothers, the first in a string of feud-related deaths.
Matters were further complicated in the 1880s when a McCoy daughter fell in love with a Hatfield son, leaving her family to live with the Hatfields. She later returned, followed by her husband, who was kidnapped by the McCoys and then rescued by a group of Hatfields. The feud garnered national attention, even leading to a call-up by the militia in an effort to end the social unrest and deaths. In 1891, a truce was finally established between the families, and over 100 years later, in 2000, a reunion of their descendants was held, with friendly references to the notorious feud. The term “The Hatfields and the McCoys” is still commonly used in America to refer to two warring families.
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