Episode 556: The Hatfield and McCoy Feud Part II - Murderland

The infamous feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families intensified in the 1880s with the Paw Paw murders and New Year's Night Massacre, leading to armed vigilance and a climate of violence across the region.

The Paw Paw murders

In a turning point for the feud, three McCoy brothers were executed by Hatfield-aligned vigilantes, an event that caused widespread alarm and an increase in weaponry among the general population, not just the feuding families. Perry Klein took this opportunity to seek political resolution; leveraging his relationship with Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner, he was able to bring the Pawpaw murders to the spotlight, leading to renewed indictments five years after the crimes.

The New Year's Night Massacre

A Fateful Night of Violence

On the fateful New Year's Night, Devil Anse Hatfield, with Bad Jim Vance at the helm, led a planned assault on the McCoy home. The initial attempt, set for New Year's Eve, was foiled when the raiders accidentally alerted the McCoys. However, they returned the following night. The McCoy's dog signaled the arrival of the attackers, who were made up of Hatfield family members and associates, including the intellectually disabled Cotton-Top Mounts and several of Devil Anse's sons.

The Attack and Its Repercussions

The assault turned into a chaotic firefight, with Calvin McCoy and his father Randall returning fire. An attempt to burn the McCoy cabin was met with resistance, as Randall McCoy shot one of the attackers in the hand as they tried to light the home ablaze. Despite efforts to save the cabin, the Hatfields succeeded in setting it on fire, forcing Calvin and Randall McCoy out of their defensive position in the attic.

Fatalities and Injuries

In the chaos, Calvin McCoy attempted to flee to a corn crib for better cover, while Randall McCoy tried to provide covering fire in his nightshirt and long johns. Nevertheless, Calvin was shot in the head and killed, a casualty of either John C. or Cap Hatfield. Randall manag ...

Explore the lives and actions of the notable individuals from the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud. Each played integral roles in the bitter conflict that has become a symbol of American feuding.

Devil Anse Hatfield

The leader of the Hatfield clan, organizer of the Paw Paw murders and New Year's Night Massacre

Devil Anse Hatfield, the leader of the Hatfield clan, was indicted for the Paw Paw murders. Despite his claim of being bedridden during the executions, Hatfield organized the New Year's Night Massacre against Randall McCoy's home. Displeased with the failure to kill McCoy during the raid, Hatfield prepared for further attacks.

His evasion of arrest and fortification of his home

To evade capture, Devil Anse Hatfield fortified his home into a veritable fortress, complete with thick logs, high walls, a stocked supply of food, water, ammunition, and weapons. His small army used signals for communication and defended the site with a drawbridge and strategic positioning. Always cautious, Devil Anse never traveled unarmed and was alert to his surroundings, successfully defending his fortress from bounty hunters and ambushes.

Randall McCoy

The patriarch of the McCoy family, target of the New Year's Night Massacre

Randall McCoy, head of the McCoy family, narrowly survived the New Year's Night Massacre and, on his wife’s advice, decided to rely on the law to handle the Hatfields, whom he referred to as "Devil's Hellhounds." This conflict forced McCoy to relocate from Tug Fork Valley to Pikeville, Kentucky, to find safety after the massacre.

Bad Jim Vance

The violent enforcer and leader of the New Year's Night Massacre raiding party

Bad Jim Vance, known for his violent enforcement within the Hatfield camp and a tendency for excesses, played a crucial role in the New Year's Night Massacre. His life ended during a shootout against a posse led by Ba ...

This historical recount delves into the eventual capture, conviction, and execution of Cotton Top Mounts, whose fate was intertwined with the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

The manhunt for Cotton Top Mounts

Detectives pursued Cotton Top Mounts for days, following his tracks to Mate Creek. During the ambush by law enforcement, Mounts managed to shoot and wound a detective in the leg. Despite this act of defiance, he was eventually subdued and captured.

His confession and implication of other Hatfields

Cotton Top Mounts was manipulated into confessing to the murder of Alafare McCoy, a crime actually committed by Cap Hatfield. Cap Hatfield, taking advantage of Mounts, promised him $500, a rifle, a saddle, and a liberating rescue from jail in exchange for his confession. This rescue, however, was a false promise that never came to fruition.

His conviction and hanging for the murder of Alafare McCoy

Mounts was convicted for the murder he confessed to and sentenced to hang. His hopes were dashed when, on the day of his execution, he was confronted with the grim reality that no one would come to save him. His last words expressed his betrayal, stating that the Hatfields were the ones who had made him commit the crime.

On the day Mounts was to be executed, he had req ...

The storied conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys not only left deep wounds between the families but also had long-lasting repercussions for the reputation of the entire Appalachia region. The media coverage and corporate exploitation that followed cast a dark shadow over Appalachia, one that took generations to begin to clear.

The media coverage cementing hillbilly stereotypes

When TC Crawford left Appalachia and returned to New York City with his sensational stories of the infamous feud, the reports ran for three weeks straight in two newspapers. These stories, sharing newspaper space with tales of Jack the Ripper, contributed heavily to the sensationalism and stereotypes of Appalachia. Crawford's reporting, which relied on yellow journalism, along with his dramatically portrayed dispatches, helped shape a stereotypical and negative view of the people in the Appalachia region as "hillbillies."

The corporate exploitation of the region for timber and coal

Appalachia's reputation for feuds and discord functioned as a barrier to its industrialization. The feuding was seen as a deterrent to business, putting off the necessary expansion of the railroad, coal, and timber industries. These industries were crucial for attracting large-scale investments from prominent figures such as the Rockefellers. The overarching aim at the time was to quell the feuds not only for peace but to lure significant investments to make the region prosper. This push for industrialization dramatically changed the local way of life.

One significant event concerning corporate exploitation involved Devil Anse Hatfield who was compelled to sell the land he'd acquired from Perry Klein to a coal agent representing Philadelphia capitalists. As part of purchasing the land, the capitalists settled Devil Anse's debts, which then allowed them to clear much of his land for a railway that ultimately increased the land’s value, especially as it was located near a substantial coal vein. The instances such as the aforementioned coal agent functioned as harbingers of exploitation, where outside wealthy interests moved into a region to utilize its natural resources, often at the detriment to the local community.

Such was the transformation of the Cumberland Mountain region that, following the execution of Cotton Top, corporations including Standard Oil moved in. They carved it up, r ...