Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of William McCoy

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Descendants of William McCoy

35. EVAN³ SCOTT (ELIZABETH² MCCOY, WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born Abt. 1822 in Pike Co., KY, and died April 29, 1907 in Pike Co., KY. He married MARTHA RATLIFF July 11, 1842 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of SILAS RATLIFF and ANNA PINSON. She was born 1825 in Pike Co., KY, and died 1878 in Pike Co., KY.

More About MARTHA RATLIFF:
Alternate/Nickname: Matty
Cause of Death: Gravel

Children of EVAN SCOTT and MARTHA RATLIFF are:

125.	i.	WILLIAM WASHINGTON⁴ SCOTT, b. March 01, 1843, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
126.	ii.	HENRY CLAY SCOTT, b. September 09, 1845, Pike Co., KY; d. February 13, 1914, Pikeville, Pike Co., KY.
127.	iii.	ANNA SCOTT, b. 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. January 02, 1916, Pike Co., KY.
128.	iv.	SILAS SCOTT, b. July 23, 1849, Pike Co., KY; d. June 10, 1916, Pike Co., KY.
129.	v.	ANDREW SCOTT, b. 1855, Hardy, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	vi.	JOHN W. SCOTT, b. January 27, 1859, Pike Co., KY; d. May 18, 1924, Pike Co., KY; m. ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON, January 20, 1881, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.

More About JOHN W. SCOTT:
Burial: May 19, 1924, B. M. Priest Cemetery
Cause of Death: Mitral Regugitation

130.	vii.		THOMAS CLINTON SCOTT, b. April 10, 1866, Pike Co., KY; d. October 29, 1936, Varney, Pike Co., KY.
131.	viii.		CRITTENDEN SCOTT, b. March 05, 1867, Pike Co., KY; d. May 07, 1932, Toler, Pike Co., KY.

36. JAMES THOMAS³ SCOTT (ELIZABETH² MCCOY, WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born February 15, 1823 in Pike Co., KY, and died April 25, 1898 in Pike Co., KY. He married LOUVINIA STAFFORD August 31, 1843 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of MILES STAFFORD and NANCY RUNYON. She was born March 15, 1825 in Logan Co., VA, and died August 20, 1893.

Children of JAMES SCOTT and LOUVINIA STAFFORD are:

	i.	ELIZABETH⁴ SCOTT, b. December 11, 1844, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. JOHN F. CHAPMAN, August 22, 1867, Pike Co., KY; b. Abt. 1846, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	ii.	NANCY J. SCOTT, b. 1846, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. JACOB PHILLIPS; b. 1845, Virginia; d. December 13, 1899.
132.	iii.	JOHN H. SCOTT, b. September 15, 1847, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
133.	iv.	WILLIAM T. SCOTT, b. September 12, 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
134.	v.	ANDERSON T. SCOTT, b. May 19, 1851, Hardy, Pike Co., KY; d. May 14, 1928, Hardy, Pike Co., KY.
135.	vi.	EMERY M. SCOTT, b. March 09, 1853, Pike Co., KY; d. January 10, 1918, Pike Co., KY.
136.	vii.	PAULINE SCOTT, b. January 26, 1855, Pike Co., KY; d. November 08, 1929, Pike Co., KY.
	viii.	REBECCA SCOTT, b. December 25, 1856, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	ix.	COLUMBIA SCOTT, b. December 25, 1858, Ransom, Pike Co., KY; d. February 27, 1919, Pike Co., KY; m. UNKNOWN SMITH; d. Unknown.

More About COLUMBIA SCOTT:
Cause of Death: No cause listed

137.	x.	LYDIA SCOTT, b. March 07, 1861, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	xi.	INFANT SCOTT, b. May 30, 1863, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
138.	xii.	MITCHELL SCOTT, b. October 03, 1865, Pike Co., KY; d. March 17, 1946, Matewan, Mingo Co., WV.
	xiii.	LOUISA SCOTT, b. July 07, 1869, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.

37. REBECCA³ SCOTT (ELIZABETH² MCCOY, WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born Abt. 1827 in Pike Co., KY, and died 1910 in John's Creek, Johnson Co., KY. She married WILLIAM BLACKBURN, SR. November 15, 1843 in Pike Co., KY. He died Unknown.

Children of REBECCA SCOTT and WILLIAM BLACKBURN are:

	i.		BARNABUS⁴ BLACKBURN, b. 1844, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. MARY PORTER; b. 1851; d. Unknown.
	ii.		PEYTON S. BLACKBURN, b. 1845, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. SOPHIA PINSON, February 15, 1866, Pike Co., KY; b. July 05, 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. December 29, 1920, Pike Co., KY.

Notes for PEYTON S. BLACKBURN:
Per Chronicles of the Scalf Family by Henry P. Scalf:
The partisans of Peyton Blackburn and Dr. Robert Jackson collided in several pitched skirmishes on Johns Creek. One fight occurred at the mouth of the present Clark Branch and John McGuire, a member of the Fifth Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A., was killed. Another fight, in which no one was killed on either side, occurred on the Blankenship farm near the present postoffice of McCombs. Seeking to revenge the death of McGuire, the Jackson followers ambushed Peyton Blackburn in Pettit (Peyton) Gap, a pass leading from Johns Creek to Brushy Creek, and killed him. One of the participants in this ambush and a member of the Jackson party was William ("Bill") Collins, who afterward married Mary Blackburn, daughter of William Blackburn and Elizabeth Scalf Blackburn.

Then we find:
The internecine struggle waxed fierce in the valley. Jackson's Confederates stalked Blackburn's Unionists. Dow Elkins, searching the countryside for Blackburn, was killed by the accidental discharge of his rifle as he talked with his fianc�e at her door step. Finally Jackson and Blackburn met in battle and John P. McGuire was killed. Seeking revenge, Jackson and his adherents, ambushed Blackburn and shot his brains out.

More About PEYTON S. BLACKBURN:
Cause of Death: Killed in the Civil War

More About SOPHIA PINSON:
Burial: September 29, 1920, Blackburn Family Cemetery
Cause of Death: Paralysis

	iii.	ANDREW BLACKBURN, b. 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown; m. SARAH JUSTICE; b. 1848, Kentucky; d. Unknown.
139.	iv.	JOHN L. BLACKBURN, b. October 22, 1853, Pike Co., KY; d. July 21, 1932, Pike Co., KY.
	v.	HUDSON BLACKBURN, b. 1857, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
140.	vi.	GEORGE THOMAS BLACKBURN, b. 1858, Pike Co., KY; d. 1936, Pike Co., KY.
	vii.	HENDERSON BLACKBURN, b. 1859, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	viii.	WINFIELD BLACKBURN, b. 1860, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	ix.	WILLIAM BLACKBURN, JR., b. 1862, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	x.	VICTORIA BLACKBURN, b. 1864, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	xi.	REBECCA BLACKBURN, b. 1867, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	xii.	JAMES D. BLACKBURN, b. 1871, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.

38. JOHN³ MCCOY (DANIEL², WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born 1819, and died Unknown. He married (1) NANCY ROMAN March 30, 1845 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of WILLIAM ROMAN and NANCY BUNDY. She was born 1827, and died Unknown. He married (2) PAULINE BLAIR December 27, 1853 in Logan Co., WV, daughter of JOHN BLAIR and POLLY BASIDEN. She died Unknown.

Children of JOHN MCCOY and NANCY ROMAN are:

	i.		AMANDA⁴ MCCOY, b. 1846, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	ii.		MARY J. MCCOY, b. 1848, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	iii.		LORENZO DOW MCCOY, b. 1850, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	iv.		ALIFAIR MCCOY, b. 1851, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.
	v.		ALLEN M. MCCOY, b. Abt. June 1852, Pike Co., KY; d. September 09, 1852, Pike Co., KY.

More About ALLEN M. MCCOY:
Cause of Death: Croup

vi.

REBECCA MCCOY, b. 1853, Pike Co., KY; d. Unknown.

39. WILLIAM³ MCCOY (DANIEL², WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born December 29, 1822 in Kentucky, and died June 25, 1869. He married SARAH RUNYON April 06, 1843 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of ADRON RUNYON and JANE MAYNARD. She was born September 14, 1827 in Pike Co., KY, and died Unknown.

More About WILLIAM MCCOY:
Cause of Death: Struck by lightning

Children of WILLIAM MCCOY and SARAH RUNYON are:

	i.	EZEKIEL⁴ MCCOY, JR., d. Unknown; m. SYMTHA JANE GALLATIN; d. Unknown.
	ii.	SARAH JANE MCCOY, d. Unknown.
141.	iii.	POLLY MCCOY, d. Unknown.
	iv.	BARBARY ANN MCCOY, d. Unknown.
	v.	ELIZABETH MCCOY, d. Unknown.

40. RANDOLPH³ MCCOY, SR. (DANIEL², WILLIAM¹, ARCHIBALD^A, JOHN^B, ALEXANDER^C) was born October 30, 1825 in Pike Co., KY, and died March 28, 1914 in Pike Co., KY. He married SARAH MCCOY December 09, 1849 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of SAMUEL MCCOY and ELIZABETH DAVIS. She was born Abt. 1829 in Kentucky, and died Bef. 1900 in Pike Co., KY.

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

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

Children are listed above under (27) Sarah McCoy.

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