Hatfield, McCoy Descendants Ink Truce

Yahoo News ^ | Sat Jun 14,10:20 AM ET 2003

[vikingchick]

PIKEVILLE, Ky. - A pen and ink sealed the end of Appalachia's most infamous bloody feud instead of a shotgun and bullets.

Descendants of the Hatfield and McCoy families gathered Saturday morning in Pikeville to sign the truce, making a largely symbolic and official end to the feud that claimed at least a dozen lives.

Signed by more than 60 descendants during the fourth Hatfield-McCoy Festival, the truce was touted as a proclamation of peace, saying "We ask by God's grace and love that we be forever remembered as those that bound together the hearts of two families to form a family of freedom in America."

Waynesboro, Va., resident Reo Hatfield came up with the idea and said he wanted to show that if the two families can come together, anyone could. He had said he wanted to send a broader message to the world that when national security is at risk, Americans put their differences aside and stand united.

"We're not saying you don't have to fight because sometimes you do have to fight," he said. "But you don't have to fight forever."

Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton and West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise also signed proclamations declaring June 14 Hatfield and McCoy Reconciliation Day.

The more than a century of feuding between the McCoys of Kentucky and Hatfields of West Virginia is believed to have its origins in a dispute over a pig. A court battle over timber rights escalated the tension in the 1870s. By 1888, as many as a dozen lives were lost.

Ron McCoy, one of the festival's founders, said plans aren't in place yet as to what to do with the three signed proclamations.

"The Hatfields and McCoys symbolize violence and feuding and fighting, but by signing this, hopefully people will realize that's not the final chapter," he said.

[headsonpikes]

Well, I reckon a bunch of us can go home, now.

;^)

[BCrago66]

I have to find that court case about timber rights.

[mikenola]

Waynesboro, Va., resident Reo Hatfield came up with the idea and said he wanted to show that if the two families can come together, anyone could. He had said he wanted to send a broader message to the world that when national security is at risk, Americans put their differences aside and stand united.

Hey my hometown!, cool! I could tell some stories about this guy ,,,sheesh, our own local slick willy. hehe.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

The more than a century of feuding between the McCoys of Kentucky and Hatfields of West Virginia is believed to have its origins in a dispute over a pig.

Kind of like the feud between Christopher Hitchens and Sidney Blumenthal.

[LibKill]

They did this before, symbolically burying a hatchet (saw it on the History Channel).

I guess a periodic kiss n' make up is good for the tourist trade.

They may be from the hills, but they ain't dumb.

[Monty22]

I hope one of them 'buries the hatchet' and starts the feud again.

C'mon, I need entertainment.

[paltz]

I hope one of them 'buries the hatchet' and starts the feud again.

C'mon, I need entertainment.

Whatever "feuds" happen now will occur in the court room. Simple as that.

[headsonpikes]

"dispute over a pig" bttt!

LOL!

[Sam's Army]

"We're not saying you don't have to fight because sometimes you do have to fight," he said. "But you don't have to fight forever."

Wow. Someone please alert the Civil-War thread posters on this novel idea.

[ALS]

Now they just feud on DU...

[vikingchick]

LOL!

[reagan_fanatic]

"Dammit, Andy, you'ins missed the durn DU'er and shot the damned turkey instead!"

[Shooter 2.5]

Just don't ping them to the thread.

They would start the feud all over again just as a sideline.

[Atchafalaya]

ZZ Top; the best!

[Atchafalaya]

Lookin' for some TUSH.

[Elsie]

I thought this may interest you!

[Devil_Anse]

Thank you, Elsie!

I had heard that there were still a few land use disputes going on among various descendants, though. Wonder if those are finished, too.

[tubebender]

The next big challenge is to settle the Mac vs PC civil war...

[catfish1957]

Surprised there hasn't been a thread started on the H & C mini-series on History Channel.

Not exactly a historian of the event and it's accuract, but I think the makers have done a fine job recreating late 19th century life. My genealogy research of transcribing old text shows that they also did a nice job of doing around the dialect of the time.

In any case, I have been enjoying the heck out of it.