Blood Feud: The Hatfields And The Mccoys: The Epic Story Of Murder And Vengeance (2012)

America’s most notorious family feud began in 1865 with the murder of a Harmon McCoy, a Union soldier, by a Confederate Hatfield relative. But Southern grudges run long and deep. More than a decade later tempers flared over stolen hogs. This accusation triggered years of bloody violence and retribution that led to a tragic __Romeo-and-Juliet__ interlude, a Supreme Court ruling, and Kentucky’s last public hanging. The final feud trial took place in 1898, but the rivalry didn’t end there. Its legend continues to have an enormous impact on the popular imagination and the people of the region. Here is a fascinating new look at the infamous story of the Hatfields and the McCoys. America’s most notorious family feud began in 1865 with the murder of a Union McCoy soldier by a Confederate Hatfield relative of "Devil Anse" Hatfield. More than a decade later, Ranel McCoy accused a Hatfield cousin of stealing one of his hogs, triggering years of violence and retribution, including a Romeo-and-Juliet interlude that eventually led to the death of one of McCoy’s daughters. In a drunken brawl, three of McCoy's sons killed Devil Anse Hatfield’s younger brother. Exacting vigilante vengeance, a group of Hatfields tied them up and shot them dead. McCoy posses hijacked part of the Hatfield firing squad across state lines to stand trial, while those still free burned down Ranel McCoy’s cabin and shot two of his children in a botched attempt to suppress the posses. Legal wrangling ensued until the US Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky could try the captured West Virginian Hatfields. Seven went to prison, and one, mentally disabled, yelled, “The Hatfields made me do it!” as he was hanged. But the feud didn’t end there. Its legend continues to have an enormous impact on the popular imagination and the region.

With a charming voice, a wonderfully dry sense of humor, and an abiding gift for spinning a yarn, bestselling author Lisa Alther makes an impartial, comprehensive, and compelling investigation of what happened, masterfully setting the feud in its historical and cultural contexts, digging deep into the many causes and explanations of the fighting, and revealing surprising alliances and entanglements. Here is a fascinating new look at the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

A Fascinating New Look At The Infamous Story Of The Hatfields And The Mccoys And Their Blood Feud That Began In 1865 With The Murder Of Harmon Mccoy, A Union Soldier, By A Confederate Hatfield Relative. Introduction : Murderland -- The Path To Pikeville -- Dark And Bloody Ground -- Border States -- Hog Trial -- Montagues And Capulets Of The Cumberlands -- Pawpaw Murders -- Devil Anse And The Hellhounds -- New Year's Night Massacre -- All Over But The Shouting -- The Hatfields Made Me Do It! -- Survivors -- Other Feuds -- The Corsica Of America -- The Inner Hillbilly -- Man Toys -- Epilogue : The Hatfield-mccoy Industry -- Appendix : Green Are The Woods / By Abner Vance. Lisa Alther. Maps And Genealogical Tables On Folded Dust Jacket. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 270-273) And Index. Content: Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Introduction PART 1: ORIGINS 1. The Path to Pikeville 2. Dark and Bloody Ground 3. Border States PART 2: AVENGEMENT 4. Hog Trial 5. Montagues and Capulets of the Cumberlands 6. Pawpaw Murders 7. Devil Anse and the Hellhounds 8. New Year's Night Massacre 9. All Over but the Shouting 10. "The Hatfields Made Me Do It!" PART 3: AFTERMATH 11. Survivors 12. Other Feuds 13. The Corsica of America 14. The Inner Hillbilly 15. Man Toys Epilogue: The Hatfield-McCoy Industry Acknowledgments Appendix: "Green Are the Woods" by Abner Vance. Introduction : murderland Origins The path to Pikeville Dark and bloody ground Border states Avengement Hog trial Montagues and Capulets of the Cumberlands Pawpaw murders Devil anse and the hellhounds New year's night massacre All over but the shouting "The Hatfields made me do it!" Aftermath Survivors Other feuds The Corsica of America The inner hillbilly Man toys Epilogue: the Hatfield-McCoy industry Acknowledgments Appendix: "Green are the woods" by Abner Vance Endnotes Selected bibliography Index. From the Introduction: Murderland... I had always regarded the Hatfield-McCoy feud with derision, at what I saw as the drunken antics of dim-witted psychopaths fighting over the ownership of a hog. But as I researched the topic, it soon became clear not only that I myself have more than one dog in this unfortunate fight but also that derision is hardly an appropriate response to a tragedy with such far-reaching consequences.