The Hatfields and the McCoys (20 page)

5.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 7, 1888; McCoy,
The McCoys,
pp. 213–14, 227.

6. Wilson to Buckner, September 30, 1887, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, pp. 1–2; Buckner to Wilson, January 9, 1888, ibid., pp. 2–3; Buckner to Wilson, January 30, 1888, ibid., pp. 11–12;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 11, 1888.

7.
New York Times,
January 29, 1888;
Wheeling Register,
April 22, 1888; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 87–88.

8. Cline's letter is printed in
Wheeling Intelligencer,
April 24, 1888.

9. Walker to Cline, November 21, 1887, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, p. 21.

10. Buckner to Wilson, January 30, 1888, ibid., p. 15;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890.

11. Phillips to Wilson, December 13, 1887, KenUcky Legislative Document No. 2, p. 8; Wilson to Buckner, January 21, 1888, with affidavits of G. W. Pinson, Johnse Hatfield, and A. J. Auxier, ibid., pp. 3–6;
Wheeling Register,
April 22, 1888; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 89.

12.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 27, April 24, 1888;
Louisville
Courier-Journal,
March 6, 1888.

13. Quoted in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 92.

Chapter 7

1.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890; Testimony of Ellison Mounts,
Commonwealth of Kentucky
v.
Ply ant Mayhorn
[Mahon], Case #19601, Kentucky Court of Appeals.

2. For the members of the Hatfield party, see statements of Charles Gillespie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
October 14, 1888, and
Wheeling Intelligencer,
October 17, 1888, and of Ellison Mounts,
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890. Vance's words are noted in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 95.

3. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 95–96.

4. For details of the attack upon the McCoy home, I have drawn primarily from the confession of Charles Gillespie,
Cincinnati
Enquirer,
October 14, 1888, and
Wheeling Intelligencer,
October 17, 1888; the testimony of Sarah McCoy in
Commonwealth of Kentucky
v.
Ellison Mounts,
Case #19602, Kentucky Court of Appeals; the confession of Ellison Mounts,
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890; and the account of Charles S. Howell,
Pittsburgh Times,
February 1, 1888.

5.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890.

6. McCoy,
The McCoys,
p. 148; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 102.

Chapter 8

1. McCoy,
The McCoys,
pp. 149–50.

2. The oaths taken by the Hatfields are noted in Jones,
Hatfields
and McCoys,
p. 104. For the blame that fell upon Cap for the death of Alifair, see
Pittsburgh Times,
February 1, 1888. For the part of Ellison Mounts, see
Cincinnati Enquirer,
October 14, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
October 17, 1888; Hatfield,
The Hatfields,
p. 108. An account of the bribe is in McCoy,
The McCoys,
pp. 147–48.

3.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 17, 1888;
Big Sandy News
(Louisa, Ky.), January 12, 19, 1888;
Pittsburgh Times,
February 1, 1888.

4.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 24, 30, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 25, 1888;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
January 25, 1888;
Pittsburgh Times,
February 1, 1888; Hatfield,
The Hatfields,
pp. 119–29.

5.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 25, 1888;
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 30, 1888; extracts of letter of John A. Sheppard in Wilson to Buckner, January 21, 1888, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, pp. 7–8.

6.
Big Sandy News,
January 19, 1888;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
January 28, 1888;
Cincinnati Enquirer,
February 1, 1888;
Pittsburgh Times,
February 1, 1888.

7. McCoy,
The McCoys,
pp. 157–65, 229.

8. Ibid., pp. 166–71, 230.

9.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 24, 1888;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
January 25, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 25, 1888; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 111.

10.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 30, 1888;
New York Times,
January 29, 1888; Wilson to Buckner, January 26, 1888, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, pp. 9–10.

11.
Charleston Daily Star
(St. Albans, W.Va.), January 26, 1888, quoted in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 112.

12.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 27, 1888.

13. Ibid.

Chapter 9

1. Buckner to Wilson, January 9, 1888, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, pp. 2–3.

2. Wilson to Buckner, January 21, 1888, ibid., pp. 3–4.

3. Wilson to Buckner, January 26, 1888, ibid., pp. 9–10.

4. Buckner to Wilson, January 30, 1888, ibid., p. 10;
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 31, 1888.

5.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
January 30, 31, 1888;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
January 29, 30, 1888. In West Virginia, the Kanawha Riflemen, as well as the Auburn and Goff Guards, volunteered for action. Kentucky placed the Lexington Guards on the alert. See also Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 118.

6.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 31, February 1, 1888.

7.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 7, 1888;
Cincinnati Enquirer,
February 7, 1888.

8. Buckner to Wilson, January 30, 1888, Kentucky Legislative Document No. 2, pp. 11–17.

9.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 2, 3, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
February 6, 1888.

10. For Caldwell's alleged advice to Wilson, see
Wheeling Intelligencer,
April 17, 1888. Gibson's presentation to Judge Barr and Kentucky's response appear in ibid., February 9, 1888;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 9, 10, 1888.

11.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
February 11, 1888;
Huntington
(W.Va.)
Advertiser,
February 18, 1888.

Chapter 10

1.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 17, 1888.

2. Ibid.

3.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
February 18, 1888.

4.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 28, 29, 1888.

5. Ibid., March 3, 4, 1888.

6. Ibid., March 6, 1888;
Cincinnati Enquirer,
March 6, 1888.

7.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
March 15, 17, 1888.

8. Ibid., March 17, 1888.

9. Ibid., April 6, 7, 1888.

10.
Wheeling Register,
April 17, 19, 22, 25, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
April 17, 24, 1888.

11.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
April 24, 1888.

12. Ibid., May 15, 1888;
Wheeling Register,
May 12, 15, 1888.

13.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
May 19, 1888;
Huntington Advertiser,
June 30, 1888.

Chapter 11

1. Logan County Land Book, 1887–1892. See specifically the list for 1889.

2. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 137–38.

3. Crawford,
An American Vendetta,
p. 35; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 138.

4. For the arms purchases, see, for instance,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
January 31, 1888; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 139.

5.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
June 29, August 4, 1888. For the rewards, see
Huntington Advertiser,
June 16, 1888.

6. Quoted in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 136–37. The
Cincinnati Enquirer,
October 7, 1888, carried a dispatch from Charleston that a McCoy leader had sent word to the Hatfields to “Kill every d—d detective they can find” on the West Virginia side of the Tug Fork and the McCoys would do the same on the Kentucky side.

7.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
June 29, 1888.

8. Interview with Dr. Elliott R. Hatfield, November 13, 1929, Spivak Papers; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 140.

9.
Wheeling Register,
June 26, 1888. The Gibson fight is noted in
Wheeling Intelligencer,
July 27, 1888.

10. For rumor of the flight of the Hatfield partisans, see
Wheeling
Register,
August 4, 1888;
Pittsburgh Times,
October 16, 1888; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 140–41.

11. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 141–42.

12. Ibid., p. 141. Quoted material is from ibid., pp. 156–57.

13. Crawford,
An American Vendetta,
pp. 24, 26.

14. Ibid., pp. 26–31.

15.
Pittsburgh Times,
October 16, 1888;
Wheeling Intelligencer,
October 17, 1888.

16.
Wheeling Register,
November 18, 1888. For Messer's killings, see also
Huntington Advertiser,
September 11, 1888.

17. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 157–58.

18. Ibid., p. 158.

19. Ibid., pp. 198–99.

Chapter 12

1. Testimony of Ellison Mounts,
Commonwealth of Kentucky
v.
Plyant Mayhorn
[Mahon],
'et al.,
Case #19601, Kentucky Court of Appeals; Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 159–60.

2. Testimony of witnesses cited is in
Commonwealth of Kentucky
v.
Valentine Hatfield,
Case #19594, Kentucky Court of Appeals.

3. Ibid.;
Huntington Advertiser,
September 11, 1889.

4.
Commonwealth of Kentucky
v.
Ellison Mounts,
Case #19602, Kentucky Court of Appeals.

5.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890.

6. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 163–64.

7. Ibid., p. 166.

8.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
November 21, 23, 1889.

9. For the Brumfield-MeCoy War, as the Lincoln County disturbances were called, see, for example,
Huntington Daily Advertiser,
November 2, 1889. Alderson's report is in ibid., November 26, 1889. The alleged McCoy-Hand killing is noted in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 164.

Chapter 13

1. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 174–75.

2.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 18, 1890.

3.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
February 20, 1890;
Louisville Courier-Journal,
February 19, 1890.

4. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 180–81.

5. Ibid., pp. 185–86.

6.
Louisville Courier-Journal,
July 12, 1890. See also Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 188–89.

7.
Huntington Times,
September 1890, cited in Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 189–90.

8. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
p. 190.

9.
New York Tribune,
February 1891, and
Wheeling Intelligencer,
February 1891, cited in ibid., pp. 192–93.

10. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 195–96.

11.
Williamson New Era,
April 1894, cited in ibid., pp. 201–2.

12. Joseph T. Lambie,
From Mine to Market: The History of Coal
Transportation on the Norfolk and Western Railway
(New York, 1954), pp. 39–40, 129–31.

13.
Wheeling Intelligencer,
March 1, 1888.

14. Fleming's interests and outlook may be gleaned from John Alexander Williams,
West Virginia and the Captains of Industry
(Morgantown, W.Va., 1976), pp. 138–39, 249–50, passim.

15. William Alexander MacCorkle,
The Recollections of Fifty
Years
(New York, 1928), pp. 285–86. MacCorkle, incidentally, remembered the support given him in his candidacy for the governorship of West Virginia by Devil Anse, who was the “controlling influence” in his district of Logan County. After proposing that the Logan County Democratic convention instruct its delegates to support MacCorkle in the state convention and meeting with no success, Devil Anse addressed the Logan countians. “My fellow citizens,” he declared, “I have proposed instructions for MacCorkle, and you have not passed them, and you have broken up the convention two or three times, and I will say that if you don't pass them this next time, Brother Toler and I will go over to my house and get our Winchesters and we will see justice is done.” MacCorkle, much gratified by the display of Hatfield decisiveness, received the endorsement of the Logan County convention. Ibid.

Chapter 14

1. For two very different accounts of the triple killing, see
Charleston Daily Gazette,
April 10, 1897, and Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 205–7.

2.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
November 6, 7, 1896; Hatfield,
The Hatfields,
pp. 160–61.

3. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 210–14. S. S. MacClintock, “The Kentucky Mountains and Their Feuds,”
American Journal of Sociology
7 (October 1901): 184–85, gives the story of an organized effort to apprehend Cap and young Glenn after their escape and of a dramatic battle at the “Devil's Backbone” in which Randolph McCoy allegedly played a conspicuous role. See also Mutzenberg,
Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies,
pp. 95–108.

4. Jones,
Hatfields and McCoys,
pp. 216–17.

5. Ibid., p. 217.

6. Hatfield,
The Hatfields,
pp. 171–72.

7.
Huntington Advertiser,
October 16, 18, 1911.

8.
Raleigh Register
(Beckley, W.Va.), October 19, 1911;
Huntington Herald-Dispatch,
October 18, 19, 1911;
Huntington Advertiser,
October 18, 1911. For an account by an observer who arrived on the scene within minutes after the shooting, see Interview of Stephen W. Brown with Dave Tamplin of Boomer. W.Va., April 2, 1973, transcript in the possession of the interviewer. A summary of the interview is in
Charleston Gazette,
October 10, 1975.