The Hog Trial Cabin
By Jordan Thomas Hall
With the recent success of the History Channel’s “Hatfields and McCoys” miniseries, I felt this the most appropriate time to suggest a trip to the actual sites. Several years ago I traveled to many of the notable feuding sites in Kentucky and West Virginia. From April 2008 here is “A feuding we will go”:
There have been plenty of famous feuds in America: The Ewings and the Barnes (Dallas), the North and the South, and yes, even the I.R.S. and the average citizen. But perhaps none is more famous than the Hatfields and the Kentucky- bred McCoys. But a trip to the battlegrounds this weekend revealed that my family was right in the thick of things.
Mom, Dad, and I left Saturday afternoon for the Tug Fork Valley region, home of the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud. The area spans from Pikeville, Ky., to Matewan, W.Va. Despite leaving the house at 2:00 we were determined to travel the whole trail.
Leaving Pikeville, we pulled onto the new Rt. 119 before turning off onto Rt. 319. Here we passed through the tiny coal camp town of Hardy where everything from the houses to the park was right at the road. About two miles down the road we came to our first historical marker.
The marker, beside the road near a babbling brook, marked the site of the Randolph McCoy house, patriarch of the McCoy clan. The house was burnt to the ground on January 1, 1888, as the result of a Hatfield raid. Two of Randolph’s children, Alifair and Calvin, were killed in the attack.
From there we made it to McCarr, Ky., site of the famous Hog Trial. A historic marker flagged my attention as we quickly slowed down and pulled off the road and into the neighboring post office. The three of us got out of the car and walked to the historic cabin.
The Hog Trial marked the escalation of the bloody Hatfield-McCoy feud. In 1873, Randolph McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing his hog. Thus resulting in a trial that was presided over by Reverend Anderson Hatfield, justice of the peace and a cousin of the accused. To be fair (and I use this word loosely) he assembled a jury of six Hatfields and six McCoys.
When the jury reached its verdict, Selkirk McCoy sided with the six Hatfields in favor of Floyd Hatfield. The McCoys felt betrayed and ‘a feudin’ they went’ . William Stanton, brother- in-law to Floyd, testified in favor of Floyd Hatfield by stating he saw him mark the hog’s ear. This resulted in Floyd’s acquittal.
In retaliation, two of Randolph McCoy’s nephews killed Bill Stanton while he was hunting. They were tried and acquitted in a trial presided over by Valentine Hatfield, uncle of “Devil Anse” (head of the Hatfield clan).
Several years after the Hog Trial, a fight broke out between the families on election day. Tolbert McCoy exchanged heated words with Ellison Hatfield, brother of Devil Anse. A fight ensued and Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randolph McCoy Jr., all sons of Randolph McCoy, stabbed Ellison Hatfield to death. While in route to Pikeville to stand trial Devil Anse and his possee intercepted the three brothers and they were captured, tied to Pawpaw trees, and shot to death. This was known as the Pawpaw Tree Incident and was our next stop, about a mile down the road.
Afterward, we drove less than a mile to Matewan, W. Va. After passing the massive floodwalls, depicting the city’s history, we drove through town with food on our minds. We soon came across Wingo’s, a barbeque joint, and one of the two restaurants I had previously researched. The other, The Depot, was spotted after circling the city three times. But for a town smaller than Hindman it sure has a large history.
Aside from the Hatfield and McCoy feud it was also the site of the Matewan Massacre.
On May 19, 1920, townspeople, miners, and mine company detectives converged on the town of Matewan in what would prove to be a deadly confrontation. At that time, United Mine Workers of America were attempting to organize the area coal miners. The miners who joined the union were fired and evicted from their company-owned home by Baldwin Felts detectives who worked for the coal company.
Mayor Cabel Testerman and Chief of Police Sid Hatfield (yep, another Hatfield) confronted the detectives on the street near the post office building, which is still standing today. A heated argument escaltated into a gun battle that saw seven detectives killed, along with Mayor Testerman, two miners, and an innocent bystander.
The building at the site of the shooting shows evidence of the deadly battle. Bullet holes can be seen in the back of the building, which is marked by a plaque. According to an audio presentation at the site, the Matewan Massacre is the deadliest shootout in American history.
The smell of barbeque lured me to Wingo’s grill. Being the small town that it is, we were the only customers in the restaurant. Mom and I ordered ribs as Dad had their specialty, pork roast. The waitress gave us two options of barbeque sauce: hot or whisky flavored. We both choose whisky flavor in what would turn out as a lose- lose situation. Although the alcohol burned off, the taste was horrible as there wasn’t one indication of any barbeque sauce of any kind.
It was told to me that the restaurant is actually owned by members of the McCoy family. That’s right, “the real McCoy.” So in this McCoy- owned restaurant I had the hog delicacy ribs. Yes, hog, which started the whole feud. And across the street was a large sign reading, “Vote Tennis Hatfield for Sheriff.” How’s that for irony?
The family connection
While talking to my grandfather this past weekend I learned that our family played a part in the feud. According to him, his uncle, Ed Gayheart, was dating a female member of the Hatfield clan while the feud was still taking place.
This is Jordan signing off!
P.S. Thanks everybody for their generosity including Momma and Poppa and Pearl and Leo.