Hatfields & McCoys History Channel Lots of smoke

[Moose26]

Memorial Day starts a 3 part mini series. Lots of smoke poles.

 

[Moose26]

OOPS, Hatfields - enough error to cause a fight.

 

[CharlieDeltaJuliet]

Looks like it might be good. I will tune in.

 

[Saddlebag Preacher]

Looking forward to it also. Have some family history with that fued, actually my step father's side, so my sister really has the blood connection on the West Virginia side. Have an aquaintance who handled the reenactors for the back ground people.

Costner came to Ft. Knox last week and did a speech and a song (didn't know he had an album, but he does) for some of our folks killed overseas. Seems a good guy, but boy is he tall!

 

[4v50 Gary]

The Hatfields and McCoys feuded in the late 1880s. They used Winchesters and revolvers. Those hillbillys of Kentucky (McCoys) and West Virginia (Hatfields) were not ignorant when it came to weapons technology. If ARs or AKs were around then, they'd use those too.

 

[Moose26]

1865: Former Union soldier Asa Harman McCoy killed January 7, 1865 probably by the 'Logan Wildcats' led by Jim Vance.

1878: Bill Staton (nephew of Randolph McCoy – not shown on family tree) was killed in 1878 as revenge for testifying for Floyd Hatfield in his trial for stealing a McCoy hog. Shot by Sam McCoy-nephew of Randolph McCoy Sr.

1882: Ellison Hatfield is mortally wounded in a fight with Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randolph McCoy, Jr. on August 7, 1882, dying two days later on August 9.

1882: Tolbert McCoy tied to pawpaw trees & killed as revenge for Ellison Hatfield's shooting/stabbing on August 9, 1882, the day Ellison died.

1882: Pharmer McCoy tied to pawpaw trees & killed as revenge for Ellison Hatfield's shooting/stabbing on August 9, 1882, the day Ellison died.

1882: Randolph McCoy Jr. tied to pawpaw trees & killed as revenge for Ellison Hatfield's shooting/stabbing on August 9, 1882, the day Ellison died.

1886: 'Jeff McCoy' killed fall of 1886 following his murder of mail carrier Fred Wolford, shot by "Cap" Hatfield

1888: Alifair McCoy killed January 1, 1888 at Randolph's house by 9 attackers led by Jim Vance. The attackers failed in their attempt to eliminate witnesses against them.

1888: Calvin McCoy killed January 1, 1888 at Randolph's house by 9 attackers led by Jim Vance. The attackers failed in their attempt to eliminate witnesses against them.

1888: January 7-Jim Vance killed by Frank Phillips

1888: January 18-Bill Dempsey killed by Jeff McCoy and Frank Phillips

1890: Ellison Mounts was hanged on February 18, 1890 for Alifair's murder.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Great timeline Moose26. I didn't know the first killing was in 1865.


Alifair was a 16 year old girl when she was killed. It hit the national newspapers and outraged a lot of city people about the backwoods feud.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

It is a legendary feud dating back to the Civil War.

 

[littleguns223]

This will be very interesting to watch. Will tune in.

 

[Smokepole14]

This will be very interesting to watch. Will tune in.

Yeah definitely will watch, besides the 58 remmy on the front advertisement hooked me. BP is a very addicting disease lol

 

[sleepyone]

Looks like the McCoys got kilt lots more than the Hatfields. I score it 8-4 in favor of the Hatfields. However, the McCoys finished what the Hatfields started.

 

[Gatofeo]

History Channel had an interesting 1-hour documentary on this feud some years back.
As I recall, the conclusion was reached that most of it was inflamed by sensationalized reporting from the northern newspapers. Much of it was exaggerated, so the documentary claimed.
But your timeline sure refutes that. Interesting.

I don't think this series on the feud is by accident. The proliferation of, "Let's Watch Dumb Rednecks Do Stupid Things" shows on TV, particularly the misnamed History Channel, is disgusting.
If the media portrayed blacks, chicanos, asians or even Episcopalians as unfairly and prejudicial as they did rural people, there would be a hue and cry.
It's almost minsterel show, the way they portray rural residents.

I certainly won't look for objectivity from this Hatfield/McCoy series. It's just another opportunity for urban dwellers to assert their superiority over rural residents, point and laugh at the "rubes."

 

[4v50 Gary]

1888 was supposed to have been the big shoot out where numerous Hatfields and their supporters were killed and Anse "Devil" Hatfield's spirit was broken.

If anyone thinks those hillbillys are stupid, those hillbillys can point to urban gangs who fight over colors and turf - housing projects, or glares or perceived slights. Now that's dumb.

 

[Ex]

Interesting that this thread comes up. I have the blood of both familys.

 

[bikerdoc]

Though not related, my wife's family traces back to that part of KY, and mine to that part of WV. I too resent hillbilly, redneck, jokes.

 

[Moose26]

My wife's mothers family all were in the Summersville, WV area. We visited the area and Grandma warned us to stay away from some places even today.

 

[JN01]

I don't think this series on the feud is by accident. The proliferation of, "Let's Watch Dumb Rednecks Do Stupid Things" shows on TV, particularly the misnamed History Channel, is disgusting.
If the media portrayed blacks, chicanos, asians or even Episcopalians as unfairly and prejudicial as they did rural people, there would be a hue and cry.
It's almost minsterel show, the way they portray rural residents.

+1000

I wish all that "reality" crap would run its course and go away.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

All I will say to you folks making the dumb redneck comments don't go out in them areas and say that. At the least you will get a busted mouth, knifed or shot.

 

[meef]

All I will say to you folks making the dumb redneck comments don't go out in them areas and say that. At the least you will get a busted mouth, knifed or shot.

::Jeff Foxworthy voice::

If you tend to punch, knife or shoot people that offend you - you just might be a redneck.

 

[Pulp]

Well, if I was in the area, I think I'd stay away from pawpaw trees! Seems to be a dangerous tree to be around.

Just think, if the society fixers of the day had outlawed pawpaw trees, some of those folks might still be alive! But then I reckon the Bambi lovers of the day would have protested the removal of the pawpaw trees, and a new feud would have developed.

 

[buggley]

i heard of that war.... something about them kentuckys throwing dynomite across the river and us west virginians lighting it and throwing it back.

 

[jon_in_wv]

Though not related, my wife's family traces back to that part of KY, and mine to that part of WV. I too resent hillbilly, redneck, jokes.

West Virginians don't take offense to the term "redneck" or "hillbilly". The history of those words make them proud to claim both titles. Its the ignorance of history from the people calling them the names they would resent.

 

[bikerdoc]

Its the ignorance of history from the people calling them the names they would resent.

Your right jon. You said what I was trying to say.

I like Deltaboy's comment.

 

[The Red Hot Rider]

i heard of that war.... something about them kentuckys throwing dynomite across the river and us west virginians lighting it and throwing it back.

Wellllll.....that's not quite EXACTLY how it went. I actually live in Pike County, KY...where most of the feuding and violence happened. As a matter of fact, I wrote a book about the feud.

I will not be so "low road" as to make comments as obviously trollish as yours. Suffice to say, I doubt that there are many people around this neck of the KY/WV border, on either side, that would make such comments outside of their own home. It's been a long time since the last of the killings, but some wounds only scab over without ever fully healing.

Eastern KY and Southern West Virginia might as well be the same state, culturally speaking. Both areas are homes to Appalachian people. There's lots of pride in mountain people, and comments like the above can do NO good. As a matter of fact, it's just poking a hornet's nest. Plenty of Kentuckians AND West Virginians died in that conflict, and for someone to make comments like that is provocative and disrespectful of the people who died in the feud.

Actually, your comment reveals some ignorance about the feud on your part. The feud wasn't necessarily based on KY vs WV sentiment. It sprang from a mountain culture of honor and old resentments from The Civil War. Nor was it as simple as Hatfields versus McCoys. Hatfields and McCoys were intermarried, as a matter of fact. It was more like a question of "Do you support Randall, or do you support Anse?".

If you want a pretty good idea of what mountain culture was/is like, in my humble opinion, watch a movied called "Matewan". You'll be glad you did...great movie.

So, to wrap it up, before people make provocative comments like "...them kentuckys throwing dynomite across the river and us west virginians lighting it and throwing it back" (notice I'm not commenting on the poor grammar, erroneous spelling, and lack of punctuation...high road, you know), they should find out what they are talking about first and consider the implications of their statement. It would make them seem less "trollish".

 

[Curator]

Wana know what fuels the Shiite vs, Suni or Orangemen vs Cathotics? Here it is: Hatfield vs. McCoys, North vs. South. What's next, Normans vs. Saxons, Neandrethals vs. Cro-Magnon? Come-on folks let it rest! Forgive your enemies; it will make them go crazy!