Which hatfields went to prison

Spence, claimed Rose Anna passed in , perhaps succumbing to grief over the loss of her child and Hatfield lover; however, other reports suggest she died a year later. There were other feud related entanglements during the forthcoming years for Johnse, including the horrifying McCoy cabin raid of , known as the New Year's Massacre sometimes called the New Year's Eve Massacre , that resulted in the cabin burning and the death of two more of Ran'l's adult children. By , with his Appalachian homecoming, Johnse finally felt settled, maybe for the first time in his life.

It was especially hot for early June and it had already been a hard day at the Mingo County timber site; so, Johnse and one of his dearest friends, Ock Damron, decided they'd head out a little early. Johnse's trip home, intended to be just a leisurely stroll with his lanky friend along the tracks of the Norfolk and Western Railway, became a trek that would forever change the life of the feudist.

The railroad lines were situated across the waters from Kentucky, but ran parallel with the muddy river. Coleman A. Hatfield wrote about the day's events, saying that Johnse and Ock walked along the tracks and had just emerged from a heavy cut, a place where rock from a mountain had been excavated and leveled to make way for the railway, when three men dressed in dark suits, carrying lever action rifles, stepped from the shadows and stopped the two from the upper end of the opening. Simultaneously, three more armed thugs climbed out from a slightly hidden culvert and moved rapidly toward the men from behind coming from the other end of the line.

The group encircled Johnse and Ock and leveled their weapons within inches of the men's foreheads. Johnse and Ock were caught like wild creatures in a snare. No gunshots were fired and few words were spoken. Ock, who happened to be carrying one of Devil Anse Hatfield's old Winchesters, trembled as he handed his lever action over to one of the party.

Johnse stood motionless and quiet, knowing he was unarmed and exposed. Forced to his knees, Johnse was secured tightly with heavy cord-hogtied like a wild animal to impede movement-while one of the men went after their horses, which were staked in the nearby woods.

Once the animals were led to the scene, Johnse was hurled across the saddle of one of the smaller mares and tied down, while watching helplessly as the men took turns slugging Ock repeatedly about his face and head. Pounded nearly unconscious, Ock yelled out and fell forward with a thud. He was splashed with water, revived, and jerked back to his feet. He was gagged with a dirty rag and hit again. His calloused hands were tied tightly behind his back and his legs secured together with rough binder twine.

Dazed from the beating, Ock was eventually freed, with twine still dangling from his wrists and legs. Johnse watched his friend stagger slowly back towards the logging camp.

The posse mounted in unison and ushered Johnse's horse into the fast-moving water. Johnse grimaced as muddy river water splashed in his face, and he grunted in pain while violently flopping around sideways on the mare. Just as the posse crossed with their prize prisoner to the banks of Kentucky, Humphrey "Doc" Ellis, the local timber business rival, stepped from the shadowy edge of the woods along the riverbank on the West Virginia side. Ellis, who had organized the posse, had long been envious of Johnse's recent success in the logging business, and eagerly awaited any chance to shut down the enterprise.

Amused at the spectacle of Johnse, strapped down to the horse being taken to Kentucky, he fired his rifle in rapid succession into the air, cackling heartily.

Once in Pike County, Johnse was arrested by law enforcement and taken to jail. He was arraigned for trial in September , when he obtained a change of venue to Floyd County, on the grounds of prejudice.

During the attack-often referred to as the New Year's Massacre and considered the peak of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud-Johnse and several Hatfield clan members burned Ran'l's cabin, and two of his adult children, Calvin and Alifair, were murdered. Ran'l's wife, Sally, was brutally assaulted with the butt end of a Winchester-by Johnse, according to the McCoys, or by Uncle Jim Vance, if you accept the Hatfields' account. Thunder possible. Low 44F.

Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Updated: November 11, pm. West Virginia's tourism industry is more than whitewater rafting and snow skiing. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to Herald-Dispatch. Click isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. Hardly any person in America can hear the name "Hatfield" without thinking "McCoy. You can find in the pages of the Tri-State Visitors' Guide several feud-related attractions, activities and festivals.

But before you go exploring, here's a tutorial on what really happened in the hills of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. Here are some key events in the feud:. Bill France in the fall of That raid sparked into action the Kentucky homeguards, who were sent to take Devil Anse and his men. He camped out in a rock house near his home. A couple of court decisions helped to fuel the feud. Anse won the land dispute and was granted Cline's entire 5,acre plot of land.

While visiting, McCoy saw a hog that he said bore the McCoy marking on its ear. Hatfield denied the accusation and the two were hauled into court with Preacher Anderson Hatfield a Baptist preacher and justice of the peace to settle the suit. Both Hatfields and McCoys served as jurors. Floyd won the case.

When she went to be with Johnse in West Virginia, a posse of McCoys rode to the cabin, took Johnse prisoner and set out for the Pikeville jail. Roseanna told Devil Anse, who gathered his own crew to cut off the McCoys and rescue his son. After that, the couple remained apart. Roseanna would give birth to their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth McCoy, in the spring of The baby died of measles later that year. Johnse Hatfield, who would be married four times in his life, met Nancy McCoy the daughter of Asa Harmon McCoy, who had been killed by the Hatfields and they were married on May 14, On Aug.

Tolbert's two younger brothers, Pharmer and Randolph Jr. Preacher Anse Hatfield ordered constables to take the McCoy brothers to the Pikeville jail to face charges. They stopped at Floyd McCoy's house for food and decided to spend the night further up Blackberry Creek.

Devil Anse Hatfield found out and the next morning arrived on the scene, and a posse of nearly 20 family and friends took charge of the McCoy boys. When Ellison died, Devil Anse crossed into Kentucky, tied the boys to paw paw trees and the group of men executed the boys who had killed Ellison. Shortly after that fateful day in , Hatfield bought some land in a more remote location known as Island Creek, and there he took special measures to avoid capture. Hatfield went through a transformation in the later years of his life.

He had once said, "I belong to no Church unless you say that I belong to the one great Church of the world. If you like, you can say it is the devil's Church that I belong to. Hatfield lived peacefully on his farm in Island Creek, where he raised hogs. He remained a crack shot until the end, and he reportedly carried a rifle with him wherever he went. On January 6, , Hatfield died of pneumonia at his Island Creek home.

His family had a life-sized marble statue of him made to honor their fallen leader. That statue still stands today, marking the grave of one of America's most famous feudists.

The story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud also lives on as the subject of countless books, documentaries and movies. We strive for accuracy and fairness.

If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. In late s, Randall McCoy and his kin engaged in a bitter and deadly dispute with another Appalachian family in the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

Stonewall Jackson was a leading Confederate general during the U. Civil War and went on to write a book about her experiences. Jefferson Davis was a 19th century U. George Custer was an American cavalry commander who in led men to their deaths at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Robert Smalls was an enslaved African American who became a politician, serving in both the South Carolina legislature and the U. House of Representatives. By the s, gangster and drug kingpin Frank Lucas had constructed an international drug ring that spanned from New York to South East Asia.

Find out about the life of General John J. Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield led his family in their notorious and bloody feud with the McCoys during the late s along the Kentucky-West Virginia border. Olivia Rodrigo —. Megan Thee Stallion —. Bowen Yang —.