Who Was Randall McCoy?

Randall McCoy was a central figure in the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud, which began in 1878 when McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing one of his hogs. This bitter dispute escalated when three of McCoy’s sons killed a Hatfield in 1882, leading to their revenge-fueled deaths at the hands of the Hatfields. The violence reached its peak in 1888 when the Hatfields attacked McCoy’s home, nearly killing him and causing the deaths of five of his children over the course of the feud. McCoy passed away in 1914, having witnessed years of bloodshed and loss.

Early Life

Randolph “Randall” McCoy was born in the Tug River Valley, on the Kentucky side, in a large family of 13 children. Growing up in poverty, he learned to hunt and farm, the primary means of livelihood in Appalachia. His father, Daniel McCoy, showed little interest in work, which left the burden of supporting the family largely on his mother, Margaret. In 1849, Randall married his first cousin, Sarah “Sally” McCoy, and together they raised 16 children on a 300-acre farm in Pike County, Kentucky.

During the Civil War, McCoy served as a soldier for the Confederacy, alongside many of his family members. His brother, Asa Harmon McCoy, however, fought for the Union. When Asa returned home, his Union sympathies made him a target, and in 1865, he was murdered by Confederate supporters. Some speculated that this event contributed to the Hatfield-McCoy feud, though many believe it did not spark the animosity between the families.

The Stolen Hog Incident

The notorious feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys took a serious turn in 1878 when Randall McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield, a cousin of Devil Anse Hatfield, of stealing one of his hogs. McCoy brought the matter to court in Kentucky, where a jury of six Hatfields and six McCoys was assembled. Despite the balanced jury, tensions escalated when McCoy’s cousin, Bill Staton, testified in favor of Hatfield, leading to feelings of betrayal within the McCoy family. The jury ruled in Floyd Hatfield’s favor, a verdict that left Randall McCoy deeply dissatisfied.

This outcome only worsened existing tensions between the families. Randall McCoy already harbored resentment toward Devil Anse Hatfield, who had won a legal battle over timber rights against McCoy’s relative-by-marriage, Perry Cline, a year earlier. McCoy’s frustration with the verdict may have fueled further animosity, culminating in the bloody encounters that followed.

Feud Escalation

In 1880, tensions reached another tragic peak when two of Randall McCoy’s nephews, Sam and Paris McCoy, crossed paths with Bill Staton while out hunting. Staton shot Paris, prompting Sam to retaliate and kill Staton. Sam McCoy was later acquitted, but the violence only deepened the divide between the families, contributing to the escalating feud.

Randall McCoy’s life was marked by the profound loss of his children and the decades-long conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys, a feud that became one of the most notorious in American history.

Election Day Troubles

The tensions between the Hatfields and McCoys flared dramatically in 1880, igniting one of the most infamous family feuds in American history. Randall McCoy’s daughter, Roseanna, became romantically involved with Johnse Hatfield, son of Devil Anse Hatfield, at an Election Day celebration near Blackberry Creek, Kentucky. These gatherings, treated as festive occasions, were marked by food, drink, and socializing. However, to Randall McCoy’s dismay, Roseanna left with Johnse and lived with the Hatfield family for a time. When it became apparent that Johnse had no intention of marrying her, Roseanna returned to Kentucky, where she bore his child, though the baby died young.

The conflict escalated when some of the McCoys caught Roseanna and Johnse together. Believing the McCoys intended to kill Johnse rather than arrest him for moonshining, Roseanna warned the Hatfields, who then rescued Johnse from the McCoys.

Two years later, in 1882, violence erupted again at a polling place in Pike County, Kentucky. What began as a celebratory Election Day quickly turned deadly when Tolbert McCoy, son of Randall McCoy, stabbed Ellison Hatfield, Devil Anse’s brother. Tolbert’s brothers, Pharmer and Randolph Jr., joined in the attack, stabbing and shooting Ellison. The three McCoy brothers were arrested but never made it to jail. Instead, Devil Anse Hatfield and his supporters intercepted the group, taking the McCoys to West Virginia. Despite pleas from Randall McCoy’s wife, Sally, for the lives of her sons, the Hatfields executed them after learning of Ellison’s death.

An indictment was issued against Devil Anse and his men for the killings, but local authorities were unwilling to arrest them, solidifying the bitter divide between the two families.

New Year’s Day Shootout

In a strange twist, Randall McCoy did not retaliate immediately for his sons’ murders. Instead, Perry Cline, a McCoy relative by marriage, convinced the governor of Kentucky in 1887 to offer a reward for the arrest of Devil Anse Hatfield and his accomplices. Cline enlisted the help of “Bad” Frank Phillips, who led raids into West Virginia to capture the indicted men. The Hatfields, however, planned a deadly counterattack to silence the McCoys and their witnesses.

On New Year’s Day, 1888, Jim Vance, a Hatfield supporter, led a group of men—including Johnse and Cap Hatfield—to Randall McCoy’s home in Kentucky. A premature gunshot alerted the McCoys to the impending attack. A violent gunfight ensued, followed by the burning of the McCoy home. During the chaos, McCoy’s daughter Alifair was shot and killed while trying to flee, and his wife Sally was severely injured. His son Calvin was also killed, but Randall managed to escape, hiding in a pigpen. Two of his daughters, Adelaide and Fanny, survived the ordeal.

The attack garnered national attention, turning the Hatfield-McCoy feud into a media sensation. Newspapers sensationalized the feud, capturing public interest and sparking a wave of curiosity about the remote Appalachian region.

Trials and Aftermath

Justice slowly caught up with some of the Hatfield conspirators. In 1889, Ellison Mounts was sentenced to death for the murder of Alifair McCoy. Valentine Hatfield and several others were convicted of the McCoy brothers’ murders, receiving life sentences. However, Randall McCoy was left unsatisfied by the court’s decisions, and though he attempted to organize a vigilante response, he was unable to gather enough support.

Death and Legacy

Following the trials, Randall McCoy lived a quieter life, operating a ferry in Pikeville, Kentucky. He died in 1914 after sustaining injuries from falling into a cooking fire. Though his death went largely unnoticed, his involvement in the feud earned him a permanent place in American folklore. The Hatfield-McCoy feud has been immortalized in books, documentaries, films, and even a musical. In 2012, the story was brought to life once again in a television miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys, starring Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy and Kevin Costner as Devil Anse Hatfield, rekindling the public’s fascination with the bitter rivalry between these two families.