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Descendants of William McCoy


25. ULYSSUS3 MCCOY (SAMUEL2, WILLIAM1, ARCHIBALDA, JOHNB, ALEXANDERC) was born Abt. 1826 in Kentucky, and died Unknown. He married REBECCA UNKNOWN Abt. 1847. She died Unknown.
     
Children of ULYSSUS MCCOY and REBECCA UNKNOWN are:
  i.   ELIZA4 MCCOY, b. Abt. 1847; d. Unknown.
  ii.   JOSEPH MCCOY, b. Abt. 1848; d. Unknown.
  iii.   OSCAR F. MCCOY, b. Abt. 1855; d. Unknown.
  iv.   JOHN C. H. MCCOY, b. Abt. 1857; d. Unknown.
  v.   KANSAS MCCOY, b. Abt. 1858; d. Unknown.


26. URIAH3 MCCOY (SAMUEL2, WILLIAM1, ARCHIBALDA, JOHNB, ALEXANDERC) was born Abt. 1827 in Pike Co., KY, and died July 23, 1874 in Tazewell Co., VA. He married ELIZABETH RUTHERFORD May 23, 1850 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of REUBEN RUTHERFORD and MARY KESEE. She was born November 12, 1827 in Pike Co., KY, and died January 02, 1915 in Lower Pond, Pike Co., KY.

More About ELIZABETH RUTHERFORD:
Alternate/Nickname: This is the Aunt Betty that Roseanna McCoy went to during her pregnancy
Cause of Death: Old Age
     
Children of URIAH MCCOY and ELIZABETH RUTHERFORD are:
  i.   ANDREW4 MCCOY, b. 1852, Pike Co., KY; d. November 20, 1852, Pike Co., KY.
  More About ANDREW MCCOY:
Cause of Death: Croup
88. ii.   ASA MCCOY, b. May 16, 1854, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
89. iii.   JOHN WESLEY MCCOY, b. February 12, 1856, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
90. iv.   REUBEN MCCOY, b. June 05, 1858, Kentucky; d. Unknown.
91. v.   ELLIOTT ALEXANDER MCCOY, b. Abt. 1860, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
92. vi.   THOMAS MCCOY, b. 1861, Stringtown, Pike Co., KY; d. July 03, 1955, Pike Co., KY.
93. vii.   POLLY MCCOY, b. Abt. 1866, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
94. viii.   VICEY MCCOY, b. January 19, 1866, Pike Co., KY; d. May 15, 1952, Burnwell, Pike Co., KY.
95. ix.   HOWARD MCCOY, b. Abt. 1870, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
96. x.   SARAH MCCOY, b. Abt. 1872, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
97. xi.   ARIZONA MCCOY, b. February 26, 1874, Pike Co., KY; d. April 16, 1953, Sprigg, Mingo Co., WV.


27. SARAH3 MCCOY (SAMUEL2, WILLIAM1, ARCHIBALDA, JOHNB, ALEXANDERC) was born Abt. 1829 in Kentucky, and died Bef. 1900 in Pike Co., KY. She married RANDOLPH MCCOY, SR. December 09, 1849 in Pike Co., KY, son of DANIEL MCCOY and MARGARET TAYLOR. He was born October 30, 1825 in Pike Co., KY, and died March 28, 1914 in Pike Co., KY.

Notes for SARAH MCCOY:
Listed in the 1860 District 1, Pike Co., KY Census: Randolph Mccoy 32, Sarah Mccoy 27, Josephine McCoy 12, James H. McCoy 10, Floyd McCoy 9, Tolbert McCoy 7, Lilburn McCoy 6, Samuel McCoy 4, Alifair McCoy 2, Rosanna McCoy 1

The Funeral of Sarah McCoy
By Wm. F. Tyree, September 22, 1937

I was pastor of the Methodist Church in Pikeville, Kentucky, for four years beginning in the fall of the year 1902. Jim McCoy, his wife and two daughters were members of my church. Jim was the son of Randall McCoy and Sarah McCoy, and was one of the few survivors, in the McCoy family, of the noted McCoy-Hatfield feud. Randall McCoy was still alive, and resided at Pikeville. Sarah McCoy, the mother of Jim had been dead for some years.

The funeral of Sarah McCoy had not been "preached". To this generation, such a situation may be very peculiar. You should know that in the mountain country, in past days, travel was slow, usually by horseback, Preachers were Circuit Riders whose preaching places were scattered over wide areas. It was a rare occurrence when a preacher happened to be in the community or neighborhood when a death occurred. This situation gave rise to the practice of conducting a brief religious service at the time of the burial, which was usually done by some layman, who read appropriate scripture, offered prayer, and the neighbors would unite in singing familiar and appropriate hymns. Later, the date for the "preaching" of the funeral was told near and far, thus affording them an opportunity to attend the service. Usually, such a service was held within a year after the death of a person, but, occasionally, much longer periods elapsed, as was so in this instance.

Jim McCoy, who was, at that time, Deputy Sheriff of Pike County, "took a likin" to me and asked me to preach his mother's funeral. I was a young man then, and, as I look back to that occasion, I know now that I did not fully understand nor appreciate the historical background of the setting, nor the tense emotionalism of the hour. Neither will you be able to grasp the significance of the occasion, unless I give you an outline of the facts connected with the feud, as they were, in substance, narrated to me, by Jim McCoy, after the funeral service.

But, first, I must give you some idea of the physical and geographical setting. The whole section of country is timbered, rugged and mountainous. Homes are usually located in the narrow valleys, where small farms have been cleared and cultivated. Much of the mountain area is open range where the cattle, hogs and horses of the mountaineers roamed at will. Homes, in the period of the feud, were usually of what was known as "Double bin" construction, which means, two log bins with an open passage way between, while the roof extended over both bins and the passage way. The walls were chinked with bludgeons of wood and daubed with clay, while the roofs were usually of rived oak clapboards. Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River was the dividing line between Mingo County, West Virginia, on the east, and Pike County, Kentucky, on the west. Subsequent to the days of the feud, Mingo County has been divided into two counties.

Devil Anse Hatfield, who was the dominant leader and head of the Hatfield faction, resided in Mingo County, near Tug Fork, while Randall McCoy, the head of the McCoy faction, resided in Pike County, on Blackberry Creek, a few miles west of Tug Fork. Bad blood existed between these two families from the time of the War Between the States, but the feud proper did not begin until about the year 1890. The real genesis of the trouble is found in the fact that about the time mentioned, Jonse Hatfield, one of the sons of Devil Anse, "stole" Rosanna, a daughter of Randall McCoy. He took Rosanna to the home of his father, Devil Anse, and the common understanding seems to have been that he held her out, in the neighborhood, as his wife. Both West Virginia and Kentucky were, what is known as, Common Law states. Under the common law, no civil authority or ceremony, and no religious ceremony were necessary to the creating of the status of husband and wife, which might be done by the mutual consent of the parties, and a public declaration of their intentions to become husband and wife.

Whatever the facts in the case may have been, the wild young Jonse soon became infatuated with another woman, and life in the home of Devil Anse became a burden to Rosanna. Her mother, Sarah, and her brothers and sisters wanted her to return home, which she finally did, but Randall, her father, could not forgive her for what was to him a betrayal of the McCoy honor. She was soon to have a baby, the child of Jonse. She was a "one man" woman. She loved Jonse with all of the devotion of her heart. Her father could not become reconciled, and, as a way out of the family dilemma, Rosanna went to live with her aunt, at Stringtown, a small settlement not far from her father's home. Here the baby was born, lived a while, contracted measles, and died. Those were days when the hearts of women broke for love. Rosanna, still loving Jonse with all of the desperation of a primitive nature, broken by neglect, could not survive the loss of her baby, which she had hoped might be the means of bringing Jonse back to her, so she died. It does not seem that there was any disease, or that she took her own life; she seems to'have died of a broken heart. Thus came the first great grief into the life of Sarah McCoy.

From the viewpoint of the McCoys, they could hardly be expected to look with approval and equanimity upon the treatment, which Rosanna had received at the hands of a Hatfield. Yet, considerable time elapsed before matters came to an open break. But that time did come.

An election was being held in Pike County in which a voting precinct was located in the McCoy community. Ellias and Ellison Hatfield, sons of Devil Anse, came over from Mingo County and attended the election, which, as was always the case in the mountains, had more social than political significance. Tolbert, Phamer and Little Randall McCoy were there. Tolbert was grown, while Phamer was yet in his teens, and little Randall was only a child.

Without going into the preliminaries which led up to it, a fight was staged between Tolbert McCoy and Ellias Hatfield. The fighting was with bare fists, and Tolbert was victorious. After he had whipped Ellias, Ellison challenged Tolbert, who though wearied somewhat by his fight with Ellias, accepted the challenge and the fight began. This, too, was with bare hands. Ellison was getting the better of Tolbert, which so affected Phamer McCoy that he rushed in and stabbed Ellison several times in the back. A rude litter was prepared and Ellison was carried by Hatfields and their sympathizers across Tug Fork to the home of a friend.

Ellias Hatfield and his friends took charge of Tolbert, Phamer and Little Randall. Later, Devil Anse, having been informed by a messenger of the trouble, appeared on the scene and under his direction the three McCoys were taken over into West Virginia and confined, under guard, in a school house on Mate Creek. Word came to Sarah McCoy that her boys were held prisoners in the school house. She left her home and hurried to the place of their detention. The guards permitted her to see her sons, but would not release them. They were thus held for three days, at the end of which time word came that Ellison Hatfield had died from his wounds. Early the next morning, the Hatfields took the boys back across Tug Fork into Pike County, tied them to trees and shot them to death. Thus the feud was launched in all of its fury. Many homes were to be destroyed and many lives lost before peace would again come to these mountains. Thus came the second great sorrow into the life of Sarah McCoy.

Something like thirty men were implicated in the slaying of the McCoy boys. Indictments were returned against them by the Pike County Grand Jury. Warrants were issued and in due course were sent by Kentucky authorities to West Virginia authorities, for service. (But West Virginia failed to serve the warrants, and month after month passed without any results. In the meantime, feeling ran higher and higher. Rewards were offered by the state of Kentucky for the apprehension of those who were under indictment, and private agencies sought to earn these rewards, without success.

About this time, one Frank Phillips, a native of the Kentucky mountain region, appears on the scene as the special representative of the Governor of Kentucky. He turns out to be a fearless and unique character. He unified and organized the McCoy faction and their friends until, at one time and another he must have had under his direction and control, over one hundred and fifty men. These men traveled on horseback, knew the mountains, were fearless and swift. In the fact of the inactivity of West Virginia authorities, Phillips organized and executed raids into Hatfield territory in West Virginia. Members of the Hatfield faction were captured and brought over into Pike County and placed in jail, tried, sentenced and sent to the penitentiary.

The raids engineered by Phillips were so effective that the Hatfields seem to have concluded that they must do something to change the situation, and decided that the best way to end the matter would be to destroy the head of the McCoy faction, Randall McCoy. To this end, on a winter night, when the ground was covered with snow, certain of the Hatfield faction crossed Tug Fork and made their way to the home of Randall. Surrounding the house, they demanded that Randall surrender. The only men of the family at home that night were Randall and one son, Calvin. They, of course, refused to surrender. The McCoy home was constructed after the plan I have described. Randall and Calvin were sleeping in one of the rooms, while across the passage, in the other of the rooms, were Sarah and her daughter, Allifair. One of the raiders, "Cotton Top" Mounts entered the passageway in an effort to dislodge Randall and Calvin. He came in contact with Allifair at the door of her room. He shot and killed her. He then caught Sarah, the mother, by the hair and dragged her out into the snow and struck her with his rifle, and she fell to the snow and he kicked her and stamped her, leaving her for dead.

In the meantime, others of the party had set fire to the roof of the house and it became necessary for Randall and Calvin to get out or be burned to death. Calvin went first, while his father tried to cover his escape. The boy did not make it. He was shot to death. In the disturbance caused by the collapse of the roof, Randall made his escape, remained in the woods all night, and returned to the location of his home about dawn, the next morning. To his surprise, he found that Sarah, his wife, was still alive, although she had remained lying on the snow from the time of the raid until he found her.

Thus, with Allifair dead and Calvin dead, and herself broken in body, came the third and crowning sorrow into the life of Sarah McCoy.

Mounts was later captured, tried, sentenced to death and was hung on a gallows built in the little swale in the side of a hill back of Pikeville. It is said that there were more people present to witness that execution than ever before assembled, for any reason, in all of eastern Kentucky. The estimates of the number present ranges all the way from seven to ten thousand persons, which is a lot of people to get together in a sparsely populated region such as Pike County was at that time.

This, then, is the background for the funeral of Sarah McCoy. Little did I know or understand what mighty passions, what terrible experiences, what infinite sorrow were to be brought back to memory in that service.

The service was to be held on Sunday afternoon at Jim's home on Ratliff's Creek, immediately across the river from the town of Pikeville. The home was located in the creek bottom, which was between one eighth and one quarter of a mile wide. Just above the house was an apple orchard of old and large trees. The lower limbs were ten or fifteen feet above the ground. Jim had men go up into the mountain side and cut long straight timber, trim it up and snake it down to the orchard, where it was laid in parallel rows about six feet apart. Upon these timbers were laid, cross-wise, sawed two-by-tens for seats. A neat platform was erected for a pulpit, and everything was ready.

Weeks in advance of the funeral, the word went from lip to lip, up the valleys and across the hills, that on a certain Sunday afternoon, at Jim McCoy's house, the funeral of his mother would be preached. That Jim would provide plenty of meat and bread for everybody who cared to come. Jim knew, in advance, although I did not know it, that there would be many people in attendance who would have to leave home on Friday to make their way slowly by farm wagon, hack, buggy, horse-back, mule-back or on foot, to enable them to reach Ratliff's Creek in time for the service on Sunday afternoon. They began arriving early Saturday. Jim furnished beeves, sheep and hogs, together with flour and meal. The travelers did their own killing and dressing of the meat.

The time was late summer. The apples were taking on their colors of red and pink. The corn was just about "made". Water and wood were plentiful. The nights were pleasantly cool. By the hour of noon on Sunday, the valley was filled, from hill to hill, with a quiet throng of plain mountain people, who had come to pay their last loving tribute to the memory of a stalwart character, a faithful woman, a victim of the wrath of men, but withal, a loyal wife and mother and a devout Christian.

Standing upon that platform, I could look down the valley of Ratliff's Creek, across Levisy fork to the hill where, a few years before, "Cotton Top" Mounts had paid, with his life, for the slaying of Allifair, while in the other direction, thirty miles away, within the crest of a little mound, lay sleeping, the tired and broken body of Sarah McCoy, sleeping beside the ashes of Allifair and the dust of Tolbert, Phamer and Little Randall, her children, while still farther on, near the back of Tug Fork, beside her nameless baby, in her last love, reposed the body of Rosanna, who gave all for love, but was cheated in its fruition.
Perhaps my ignorance of the true meaning of this hour was my security for error. As simply as I would begin the service of any other funeral of a good woman, I entered into this service. Appropriate and familiar songs were announced and were sung with deep reverence by the vast assembly; a prayer was offered and scriptures read. A most solemn hush was upon the multitude. Before me sat men who had risked their lives and fortunes in a daring adventure which they held in highest honor. Doubtless, for the first time since the last assembly of Phillip's forces had been called years ago, these survivors from these dangerous and stirring days had met again. I could not know the surging memories which now shook their very souls.

What was my text? I do not know. What did I say? I do not know. I only know that I viewed it as a tremendous occasion, and the largest body of people I had ever been called upon to address. I know that I said something about immortality and eternal peace, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." I am sure that I had not been talking ten minutes when a tall and very old man, of fine features and snow hair rose from his seat, near the middle of the audience, and with most impressive solemnity and deliberation raised his arms toward the skies and cried, with a voice indescribably full of emotion, and with tears rolling down his cheeks, "GLORY TO GOD."'

The sermon was here completed! In less time than it takes to write these words, the congregation was transformed into a weeping, shouting, hand shaking, embracing throng. Happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow mingled to make the beautiful fabric of life, woven in the loom of time, while the shuttle of experience flies across and back again, thread by thread, until it is done.

The mountains keep their silent vigils over the sacred dust of Sarah McCoy while she sleeps with her loved ones and her lost ones beside her.

More About SARAH MCCOY:
Burial: Unknown, Dils Cemetery, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY
Medical Information: Beaten by Jim Vance in the New Year's Day Raid. The beating broke her arm & hip and she had head injuries

Notes for RANDOLPH MCCOY, SR.:
The Hatfield & McCoy Feud resulted in what is described as the perception of the hillbilly - they were depicted as barefoot, overall wearing country bumpkins. What we've failed to remember is that these were real people who suffered real tragedy. Their story is truly tragic. Men and women were killed and lives were forever changed due to the feud.

THE STORY
The story of the Hatfield & McCoy feud is a combination of love, treachery, and - most of all - tragedy. It took place in the mountain terrain of Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. At the head of the hostilities on the Hatfield side was William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield. He was once described as "6 foot of devil and 180 pounds of hell." On the McCoy side was Randolph, who was known as "Ole Randall or Old Randall" McCoy. My family, the McCoys, lived on the Kentucky side of the Tug River and the Hatfields lived on the West Virginia side. For several years these families crossed over the river and courted, married and were friends. That is until the Civil War, and, as one individual put it-that "damnable pig!"

Both families were pre-dominantly Southern sympathizers. All, that is, except for Old Randall's younger brother, Asa Harmon McCoy. Harmon waited two years after the war started to enlist in the Union Army where he served for twelve months. After suffering a broken leg, he was discharged on December 24, 1864. When he returned home he was warned by Devil Anse's uncle, Jim Vance, that The Logan Wildcats (Confederate Raiders formed by Devil Anse) would be "visiting him." One day while Harmon was at his well drawing water, he heard gunshots. Harmon had instructed his slave, Pete, to hide food and water in a nearby cave in the event he had to hide from the raiders. Harmon would become the first tragedy of the feud. His tormentors tracked his slave Pete's footprints in the snow and shot Harmon to death on January 8, 1865 while he hid in the cave. Since Harmon's military service was considered an act of disloyalty, even his family believed the man had brought his murder on himself. No one was ever brought to trial but it was always felt that Jim Vance was involved. It would be over a decade before the next major incident occurred.

Things remained pretty calm until the fall of 1878. That's when Old Randall thought he spotted one of his pigs being stolen by one of his wife's Hatfield relatives, Floyd Hatfield. Old Randall was enraged and demanded Floyd be brought to trial. In the end, the final verdict hinged on the testimony of Old Randall's nephew, Bill Staton. Staton swore it was Floyd Hatfield's pig. The "jury of his peers" for Floyd's trial was made up of 6 Hatfields and 6 McCoys. Old Randall would lose the case. It seems one of the McCoy jurors, Selkirk McCoy, had bad feelings for the family and sided with the Hatfields. As a result, the Hatfields were acquitted of the crime with a 7-5 verdict in their favor.

From that date on Bill Staton's fate was sealed. Within a few months Staton was shot to death by Paris and Sam McCoy. The pair was tried for Staton's murder but they were acquitted with a plea of self-defense. It was felt that in order to keep peace between the families, Devil Anse had arranged for the acquittal. Instead of being grateful, the McCoys were enraged that Sam and Paris were tried at all.

STAR CROSSED LOVERS
As in any tragedy, there are usually star-crossed lovers. This story is no different and it became the 19th century Americanized version of Romeo & Juliet. Old Randall had a daughter named Roseanna. She was very pretty and in the spring of 1880 spied and immediately fell in love with Devil Anse's son, Johnse Hatfield. At 18, Johnse was already a well established bootlegger and womanizer. Roseanna slipped off into the bushes that night with Johnse and the rest is history. Instead of returning home, she went to live at Devil Anse's house. Later, after Johnse refused to marry her, she went home at the pleading of her mother. Because of her affair with Johnse, life in the McCoy home for her was intolerable. A little while later Roseanna left her parent's home and went to stay with her aunt, Betty McCoy. This let the lovers continue to meet and rekindle their affair. One night as they lay in each other's arms, Roseanna's brothers surrounded them and took Johnse prisoner. They said they were taking him to jail but Roseanna believed otherwise. She borrowed a neighbor's horse and rode bareback, hatless, and coatless to tell Devil Anse. Anse rallied his sons and neighbors and rescued his son without incident. Roseanna's Johnse never returned to her bed, but the damage was already done. She was pregnant. She went back to her father's home even though she knew he felt she had committed an unpardonable sin. Some reports say she miscarried the child after she contracted measles. Per Truda McCoy in The McCoy's: Their Story, Roseanna had a daughter named Sarah Elizabeth who died as an infant and was buried under a pine tree near Betty McCoy's home. To add to her shame, Johnse married Roseanna's 16 year old first cousin, Nancy McCoy.

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
In August, 1882, three of Old Randall's sons, Randall, Jr. (Bud), Pharmer and Tolbert, attacked Devil Anse's younger brother, Ellison Hatfield. According to many accounts of the incident, the attack was apparently unprovoked. They stabbed Ellison 26 times and then Pharmer McCoy shot him in the back . The Hatfields ambushed the posse that was taking Pharmer, Tolbert and Bud to jail and held them in a school pending Ellison's recovery or death. Devil Anse had said if his brother lived he would allow Pharmer, Tolbert and Bud to proceed to trial. If he died he would seek retribution. Ellison lived for 3 days after the attack. After he died, The Hatfields dragged the three McCoy brothers across the Tug River, tied them to paw-paw bushes and shot them to death. Devil Anse was the prime suspect until it was determined that he was at home in bed ill when the 3 McCoy brothers were killed.

Soon after this incident, the Hatfields broke into the home of Mary McCoy Daniels and whipped Mary and her daughter with a cow's tail. Even though she was married to a Hatfield relation, they thought she was leaking information to the McCoys. Her brother, Jeff McCoy, tried to seek revenge for the whippings. He was promptly shot to death on the banks of the Tug River.

Things wouldn't end there. Before it was over 13 would die. It was quiet for almost five years. That's when an enterprising lawyer who had lost some land dealings with Devil Anse Hatfield would convince the Kentucky Governor to reopen the case of the deaths of Tolbert, Bud and Pharmer McCoy and appointed "Bad" Frank Phillips to bring the Hatfields to justice.

The Hatfields were eventually tired of being on the run and thought if they eliminated Old Randall McCoy, there wouldn't be anyone to testify and bring them to trial. In an attempt to eliminate Old Randall and any other witnesses, on January 1, 1888 the McCoy's home was raided by the Hatfields. The raiding party consisted of Johnse Hatfield, Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts (a suspected illegitimate son of Ellison Hatfield), Valentine "River Wall" Hatfield, Selkirk McCoy and several other Hatfield sympathizers. They set the McCoy cabin on fire and waited outside with rifles.

When the New Year's Day raid was over, Old Randall's son Calvin and daughter Alifair were dead and his wife, Sarah, had been savagely beaten. According to the newspaper articles of the time, Sarah's bloody head had been frozen to the ground with her own blood. When help arrived the next morning, Old Randall's daughter Adelaide was found sitting on the floor cradling her dead brother's head in her arms. On the bed was the body of her dead sister, Alifair, and her unconscious mother. The February 16, 1888 article in the Ironton Register stated Adelaide had "gone stark raving mad."

In all 9 men were arrested and brought to trial for the killing of the McCoys. Among them were Johnse Hatfield, Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts (a suspected illegitimate son of Ellison Hatfield) and Selkirk McCoy. The governors of Kentucky and West Virginia battled over extradition and other aspects of the case. It was eventually resolved by the United States Supreme Court. The men responsible for the deaths of the McCoys were convicted of their crimes. They were sentenced to death by hanging, (Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts), or prison terms. Some were later pardoned (Johnse Hatfield) and others, such as Valentine "River Wall" Hatfield, would later die in prison.

Roseanna's old lover Johnse McCoy was convicted and sentenced to prison. In a twist of fate, Johnse's wife, Nancy McCoy, divorced him and married Frank Phillips, the special officer appointed by the Governor of Kentucky to arrest the Hatfields for the killing of the three McCoys who had killed Ellison Hatfield five years before. Johnse would later be pardoned after he saved the life of the Lt. Governor, William Pryor Thorne. Thorne was at the prison for an inspection and was attacked by an inmate. Johnse slit the throat of the inmate thereby saving the Lt. Governor.

What was the fate of Randal and Devil Anse? Randal died of burns from a fire in the home of his nephew on March 28, 1914. He was 88. Devil Anse would live another 7 years after Randal's death. He died on January 6, 1921 of pneumonia at the age of 80. To this day his funeral ranks as the largest attended funeral in Logan County, West Virginia. His grave has now been dedicated as a National Monument.

What ever happened to the young and pretty Roseanna? She died before the age of 30. Some say of a broken heart.

More About RANDOLPH MCCOY, SR.:
Alternate/Nickname: Randel
Burial: March 29, 1914, Dils Cemetery, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Burns from falling into a house fire January 7, 1914
     
Children of SARAH MCCOY and RANDOLPH MCCOY are:
  i.   JOSEPHINE4 MCCOY, b. 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
  ii.   JAMES H. MCCOY, b. August 17, 1849, Pond Creek, Pike Co., KY; d. August 30, 1929, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY; m. MELISSA SMITH, February 20, 1873, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
  Notes for JAMES H. MCCOY:
Washington Post, September 7, 1929
Death Claims Last of Feud Survivors
James McCoy Took Part in Noted Strife Between Kentucky Clans
100 Slain in Long War
Pikeville, KY, Sept. 6 (N.YY.W.N.S.) – James McCoy, 80, last of the men who actively engaged in the noted Hatfield – McCoy feud 40 years ago, died here today. Only one member of the family survives, Mrs. Fannie Charles, of Williamson, WV. McCoy had been converted to Christianity and had given much attention to religion in the last ten years of his life.

The Hatfield – McCoy Feud cost nearly 100 lives. It began in a quarrel over ownership of a mountain sow and pigs and continued for years. Pike County, KY, and contiguous territory across Tug River in West Virginia were swept by the factional warfare. Tug River was the scene of more than one killing, when fugitives from one or the other of the clans tried to escape by swimming and were picked out with rifles by trained marksmen of the enemy.

James Most Noted
James McCoy, with “Devil Anse” Hatfield, was the most picturesque of all the hill men who engaged in the feud. Soon after the two families became warring clans, James McCoy was made a deputy sheriff of Pike County and as such arrested many Hatfields. He was in practically every major encounter of the clan war which ended when “Devil Anse” Hatfield’s forces had been more or less dispersed and a majority of McCoy’s slain. Formal enmity was ended 25 years ago when a mountain preacher brought the leaders together and a new peace treaty was made which was faithfully kept. James McCoy, after the feud ended, moved to Pikeville and lived quietly, taking part in various movements to improved conditions in the county.

Last Active Figure
With his death passes the last picturesque active figure of any feud which has marked Kentucky mountain battling in the last 50 years. McCoy is survived by several children. The outstanding tragedy in so far as the McCoys were concerned was the slaying of little Alaphare McCoy, sister of James McCoy. A Hatfield raiding party attacked the cabin one night, beat the venerable Mrs. McCoy, residing there, and when Alaphare, the youngest girl in the family and pet of all the male members, tried to escape, she was shot to death. The McCoys tried reprisals without effect. It has been said James McCoy never recovered from his sorrow at the death of Alaphare.

  More About JAMES H. MCCOY:
Alternate/Nickname: Uncle Jim
Burial: September 01, 1929, Catlettsburg, Boyd Co., KY
Cause of Death: Cancer of the stomach & liver
Occupation: Sheriff of Pike Co., KY
  iii.   FLOYD MCCOY, b. May 04, 1853, Pike Co., KY; d. June 01, 1928, Kenova, Wayne Co., WV; m. MARY RUTHERFORD, March 25, 1875, Pike Co., KY; b. Abt. 1858, Logan Co., WV; d. Unknown.
  More About FLOYD MCCOY:
Burial: June 03, 1928, Catlettsburg, Boyd Co., KY
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemmohrage
Miscellaneous: Birth date according to his death certificate was February 14, 1858 which conlicts with his sister
98. iv.   TOLBERT MCCOY, b. June 16, 1854, Pike Co., KY; d. August 09, 1882, Banks of the Tug River, Pike Co., KY.
  v.   LILBURN MCCOY, b. Abt. 1856, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
  vi.   INFANT CHILD MCCOY, b. February 01, 1857, Pike Co., KY; d. February 04, 1857, Pike Co., KY.
  More About INFANT CHILD MCCOY:
Burial: February 04, 1857, Dils Cemetery, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Cause not known
  vii.   ALIFAIR MCCOY, b. June 10, 1858, Kentucky; d. January 01, 1888, Blackberry Creek, Pike Co., KY.
  More About ALIFAIR MCCOY:
Burial: 1888, McCoy Family Cemetery, Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Murdered - Shot to death in a raid on the McCoy Home by the Hatfields
Medical Information: Typhoid Fever
99. viii.   SAMUEL MCCOY, b. September 14, 1858, Pike Co., KY; d. July 24, 1921, Pike Co., KY.
100. ix.   ROSEANNA MCCOY, b. March 21, 1859, Kentucky; d. 1889, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY.
  x.   CALVIN MCCOY, b. Abt. 1862, Kentucky; d. January 01, 1888, Blackberry Creek, Pike Co., KY.
  More About CALVIN MCCOY:
Burial: 1888, McCoy Family Cemetery, Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Murdered - Shot to death in a raid on the McCoy Home by the Hatfields
  xi.   PHARMER MCCOY, b. Abt. 1863, Kentucky; d. August 09, 1882, Banks of the Tug River, Pike Co., KY.
  More About PHARMER MCCOY:
Burial: August 10, 1882, McCoy Family Cemetery, Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Murdered - Shot to death by the Hatfields
  xii.   RANDOLPH MCCOY, JR., b. Abt. 1864, Kentucky; d. August 09, 1882, Banks of the Tug River, Pike Co., KY.
  More About RANDOLPH MCCOY, JR.:
Alternate/Nickname: Bud
Burial: August 10, 1882, McCoy Family Cemetery, Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek, Pike Co., KY
Cause of Death: Murdered - Shot to death by the Hatfields
101. xiii.   WILLIAM GREENVILLE MCCOY, b. Abt. 1866, Kentucky; d. Unknown.
  xiv.   TRINVILLA MCCOY, b. Abt. 1868, Kentucky; d. Unknown; m. WILLIAM THOMPSON, JR., July 12, 1888, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
  More About TRINVILLA MCCOY:
Alternate/Nickname: Twinnie
  xv.   ADELAIDE MCCOY, b. Abt. 1870, Kentucky; d. Unknown.
  xvi.   FANNY MCCOY, b. Abt. 1873, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. ROLAND CHARLES, February 21, 1891, Pike Co., KY; b. January 1874, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.

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