	Two independent mined-states separated by the Tug Fork River in Eastern America with the Hatfield's in West Virginia's Logan (now Mingo) County and the McCoys at Kentucky's Pike County. Then War broke out between the States, as Kentuckians and West Virginians fought and died for the Union and South's honour and cause. During the mid 19th century, peace was hard to comes by on the banks of Tug Fork River.
	Men here had freedom and large families and dedicated their skills on guns and fights, as there were no laws. Courts were rare, police virtually never existed.
	Every now and then West Virginians and Kentuckians would cross the Tug Fork River looking for partners. Every now and then there would be marriage between the two sides, and cousins married cousins, Hatfield's married McCoys.
	On either side of the River men stepped forward to assume the mantle of leadership for their kin.
	In Kentucky, that mantle went to Randolph (Randall, Ole Ran'l) McCoy, and ruling the West Virginia bank was Captain William Anderson (Devil Anse) Hatfield. Randolph married his cousin Sarah and produced 16 children, in which there were nine sons and six daughters, and one died at birth. On the other side of the Tug Hatfield and his wife Levicy produced 13 children, nine boys and 4 girls.
	William Hatfield, eldest son Johnson (Johnse) fell in love with Roseanna McCoy.
	In 1863, West Virginia's admittance to the Union, now meant that William Hatfield's family and property were in danger, so he formed the Logan Wildcats, who were one of the most feared guerrilla bands to patrol the the Tug's bank. Both sides would steal horses and pigs from each other. Often each side would take turns to be victims and attackers and the first death came on January 7th 1865.
	A Union veteran who had waited two years to enlist, Harmon McCoy, younger brother of Randolph, and had defied his family's loyalties by joining Northern forces as a private for 12 months. Harmon was discharged on Christmas Eve 1864, and returned home with a message from Devil Anse's ruthless Uncle, Jim Vance, that he may get a visit from Devil Anse's Wildcats. Harmon then hid in a nearby cave with his slave Pete bringing him food and drink everyday. One-day Devil Anse's Wildcats followed Pete and Harmon was shot.
	For 13 years, peace reigned along the Tug. As time passed the Hatfield's and McCoys forgot the tensions of war, and Devil Anse Hatfield became one of the wealthiest men in Logan County.
	In 1878 when Randolph McCoy went to visit his wife's brother-in-law, Floyd Hatfield, he spotted a familiar-looking pig and claimed it was his, then accused Floyd of theft. Soon, both faced each other in court. The final verdict was given after Bill Staton, a nephew of Randolph, and brother-in-law to Ellison Hatfield, who swore to Floyd Hatfield's ownership. Floyd won.
	In 1880 two years after Bill Staton's testimony in court, two McCoys Paris and Sam McCoy took the laws in their own hands and killed Staton.
	In the middle of all this war was love between daughter of Randolph, and son of Devil Anse. Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield met up at the moutain folk, a social event, and Johnse suggested they both go back to the Hatfield cabin.
	One night when both Roseanna and Johnse were together, two McCoys surrounded them and took Johnse prisoner and set out for Pikeville jail. Roseanna knew that Johnse would be killed at the first convenient spot, so she rode the nearest horse she could find and rode it to William Hatfield's, and they came back in large numbers to stop the two McCoys and rescued their son safely.
	After that night Johnse never returned to her side and instead married Roseanna's 16-year old cousin Nancy McCoy on May 14, 1881.
	About a year later, Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy killed William Hatfield's brother Ellison. After his death, three days later, the trio were tied to bushes and burnt.
	By 1891 when the feud ended, the death toll totalled 13.


