I. The Chafin Line

Your direct ancestry

1. Madge (Chafin) May

2. Julius Chafin

3. The Chafin Siblings

4. Chafin Family Notes

II. The Hatfield Line

Your family’s connection through Levicy Chafin

1. Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield

2. Levicy (Chafin) Hatfield

3. Children of Devil Anse and Levicy (Your direct blood relatives through the Chafin line)

4. Hatfield Family Notes

III. The Browning Line

Your secondary family connection

Your manuscript notes:

“We are also related to the Brownings that were in the family.”

The Browning family appears in:

1. Browning Family Role in the Valley

2. Browning–Chafin Connections

IV. Combined Relationship Chart

How your family fits into the feud

Below is a simplified genealogical map showing the direct connection:

Code

                ┌───────────────────────────────┐

             │    Chafin Family       │

                └───────────────────────────────┘

                       │

          ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐

       │                                   │

   Julius Chafin                          Levicy Chafin

       │                                   │

       │                                   │

   Madge (Chafin) May                 Married Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield

       │                                   │

       │                                       ├───────────────────────────────┐

       │                                   │ Children (Hatfield Line)  │

       │                                       └───────────────────────────────┘

       │                                   │

       │                                   ├── Cap Hatfield

       │                                   ├── Johns Hatfield

       │                                   ├── Tennis Hatfield

       │                                   ├── Bob Hatfield

       │                                   ├── Elliott “Ellis” Hatfield

       │                                   ├── Johnson “Johnse” Hatfield

       │                                   └── Others

       │

       └── Author (You)

Your position in the feud’s genealogy:

V. Summary of Genealogical Significance

This appendix establishes your genealogical authority to write the book.

 

Gratitude to the families, communities, and keepers of memory

A book like this is never written alone. It is built from the voices of families, the records of newspapers, the work of archivists, and the memories passed down through generations. I owe deep gratitude to the people and institutions who helped preserve the history that made this manuscript possible.

To my mother, Madge (Chafin) May, whose stories, strength, and quiet pride in her heritage inspired this work. Her connection to the Chafin line — and through it to the Hatfields — gave me the foundation to write this book not as an outsider, but as a descendant.

To the Chafin family, past and present, who carried the legacy of the Tug Valley with dignity. Their memories, their names, and their perseverance kept the history alive long enough for me to record it.

To the Hatfield and McCoy descendants, who have worked tirelessly to preserve the truth of the feud and to heal the divisions it once created. Their reunions, historical societies, and genealogical work ensure that the story is remembered with respect rather than sensationalism.

To the Browning family, whose presence in our lineage adds depth to the story and ties us to another important Tug Valley line. Their history enriches the tapestry of this book.

To the people of Pike County, Kentucky, and Logan County, West Virginia, who live every day in the shadow of the feud’s history. Their commitment to preserving sites, documents, and oral traditions makes the Tug Valley one of the most historically rich regions in Appalachia.

To the archivists, librarians, and historians who safeguarded the primary sources used throughout this manuscript. The Pikeville Herald, the Ashland Daily Independent, the Catlettsburg dispatch, the Lexington Leader, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Pittsburg Times all preserved the record of events that shaped the feud. Without their work, much of this history would have been lost.

To the keepers of oral history, the storytellers of the mountains — the men and women who passed down ballads, family stories, and memories that carried the emotional truth of the feud long after the gunfire stopped.

To the Hatfield–McCoy Heritage Organizations, museums, and trail systems that continue to educate visitors and descendants. Their dedication ensures that the feud is remembered accurately and respectfully.

To the readers, who approach this story with curiosity, empathy, and a desire to understand the past. The feud is more than a legend; it is a human story. Your willingness to learn gives meaning to the work of preserving it.

Finally, to the Tug Valley itself — the mountains, the river, the hollows, and the communities that shaped the families at the heart of this book. The land remembers, and it is my hope that this manuscript honors that memory.

A complete overview of the Chafin–Hatfield–McCoy manuscript

This book tells the story of the Hatfield–McCoy feud through a lens rarely used in historical writing: the perspective of a descendant whose family lived inside the conflict. It combines primary newspaper sources, genealogical evidence, and family lineage to reconstruct the feud as it unfolded — not as folklore, but as lived history.

The chapters trace the feud from its origins to its legacy, revealing how the Chafin family stood at the center of the Hatfield world and how their story fits into the broader narrative of the Tug Valley.

The opening chapters establish the social, political, and geographic world of the Tug Valley. They show how the feud did not begin with a single event but with years of rising tension:

Newspapers like the Prestonsburg Gazette warned that:

“The disturbances along Tug Fork grow more serious.”

These early warnings reveal a valley drifting toward violence long before the famous events of 1888.

The killing of the three McCoy boys in 1882 marks the true beginning of the feud. Using the Ellison Hatfield confession, this book reconstructs the event with rare clarity:

This chapter establishes the emotional and moral foundation of the feud — the moment when reconciliation became impossible.

Between 1883 and 1887, the feud simmered. The valley lived in a tense silence:

These years were the slow burn that set the stage for the explosion to come.

On January 1, 1888, nine Hatfield men crossed into Kentucky and attacked the McCoy home. The Ashland Daily Independent and Ellison Hatfield’s confession provide the backbone of this chapter:

This was the most violent night of the feud — the moment that shocked Kentucky and the nation.

The Catlettsburg dispatch describes the January 26 shootout:

“The pursuing party overtook the Hatfields near Captain Hatfield’s residence.”

Two men were killed. The Hatfields threatened to burn Pikeville. The jail was placed under heavy guard.

The feud had become open combat.

)

The Pikeville courthouse became a fortress as Hatfield prisoners were brought to trial. The central legal question was jurisdiction:

Witnesses testified about the raid, the shootouts, and the arrests. Sheriff Frank Phillips became a central figure.

The trials marked the beginning of the end.

)

Newspapers across the country — including the Philadelphia Inquirer — declared the feud a national embarrassment:

“The feud has become a matter of national shame.”

The feud became a symbol of frontier lawlessness, state conflict, and American disorder.

)

Convictions were handed down. Cottontop Mounts was executed. Hatfield power collapsed. Kentucky reasserted legal authority.

The feud ended not through reconciliation, but through the courtroom.

The Lexington Leader published one of the earliest retrospectives:

“The tragedies of the border have left a lasting stain.”

Kentucky remembered the feud as a tragedy, not a legend.

The feud lives on today through:

The Tug Valley carries the feud as part of its identity.

Your family stands at the center of the feud’s genealogy:

Your lineage gives you a direct connection to the Hatfield homeplace and the feud’s inner circle.

A structured genealogical map shows how the Chafin, Hatfield, and Browning families interconnect, establishing your authority as a descendant writing this history.

These chapters explain your purpose:

They also thank the families, archivists, newspapers, and communities who preserved the history.

This book transforms the feud from folklore into history, from legend into lineage, from violence into memory. It tells the story of the Hatfields and McCoys through the eyes of a descendant whose family lived inside the conflict.

 

This book was written, compiled, and independently published by Ed May Chafin. All historical research, genealogical analysis, editorial decisions, and layout choices were made by the author.

For information regarding bulk orders, educational use, or permissions, please contact: Ed May Publications Sidney, Kentucky United States

This book is printed on acid‑free paper to ensure long‑term durability.

Library of Congress Control Number: Applied For ISBN: To Be Assigned

15 — Genealogical Appendix ..................................... 121 Chapter 17 — Acknowledgments ............................................ 131 Chapter 18 — Full Book Summary .......................................... 137

I do have an isbn # with Kindle and will provide it later.   I would like to remove the personal notes and I am going to list a gemology below,

 Here is a structured overview of the genealogy and key familial connections involved in the Hatfield-McCoy feud, focusing on the Hatfield bloodline and its intersections with the Browning, Ellis, and Chafin families.

You can copy and paste the text below directly into a Word document.


1. The Main Hatfield Line

2. The Chafin Connection

The Chafin family was tightly woven into the Hatfield hierarchy, providing both marital alignment and significant political protection in Logan County, West Virginia.

3. The Browning Connection

The Browning family intermarried with the Hatfields and frequently acted as scouts, informants, or active participants in the Tug Valley conflicts.

4. The Ellis Connection

The Ellis family maintained close geographic and marital ties to the Hatfields in Logan and Mingo counties, often getting drawn into legal defense and local posse actions.


 

To add to the introduction  The Browning Family comes from my Grandmother Ada Browning (Julius Chafin’s wife) The Ellis Family is my father Carl (Frank) May and his mother Was Callie Ellis related to French Ellis

 

Hatfield N Mccoy's Adventures ndoeSpotsr7a t a f1g891l0 2 l P l7 M 7 f5   h4 u 19cg t0c 7 i6 : 0h5 l y 4 20ug J · Greenbrier Independent January 26, 1888 AWFUL WEST VIRGINIA TRAGEDY. Charleston, W. Va., January 19. - Word reaches here from Oceana, Wyoming county, that the Hatfield gang made a raid Saturday night on the house of Sim McCoy, brother of Randall, whose house was burned and a portion of his family killed several days ago, and taking Mrs. Randall McCoy to a tree, tied her to it and then shot her to death, together with her eldest son. The house was set on fire and McCoy and his two youngest children burned to death.