Harmon McCoy was killed on Jan. 07, 1865 by a band of bushwhackers known as the Logan Wildcats. This band of marauders was headed by Anderson Hatfield & his uncle Jim Vance. This pair both served in the Confederate Army for a short time before deserting.

Harmon McCoy enlisted in the Union Army in 1863, & had returned home to Peter Creek on Dec. 24, 1864. The majority of his neighbors on Peter Creek also served in the Union Army (contrary to some earlier accounts reported in books). "Preacher" Anderson Hatfield, who presided over the hog trail & cousin to Devil Anse, also served in the Union Army.

According to family accounts, the Logan Wildcats had raided the home of Harmon McCoy numerous times during his absense. His son, Larken McCoy, who was 9 at the time of his father's death, would later recount how the family was terrorized & forced to flee into the hills to escape the Logan Wildcats. It was recorded in 1934 that Larken reported that one of the reasons his father was killed was because Jim Vance feared that Harmon would wreak vengeance upon the Logan Wildcats for their treatment of his wife & children.

Lark and his brothers Bud (Asa Harmon Jr.) & Jake would later ride in the posse that killed Jim Vance.

Some people consider the death of Harmon McCoy a war casualty, & not murder. It was reported in Martha McCoy application for a widow's pension that Harmon had re-enlisted. Thus far, no record of this has been uncovered.

Harmon Mccoy was my 2X greatgrandfather & Larken was my greatfather.

Record	Title	Source Website	Type	Created
13-Nov-1890 - Page 1	News - US, San Francisco Chronicle, 1865-1923	Forces War Records	Image	2/02/2009
1-Feb-1888 - Page 1	News - US, The Chicago Tribune, 1849-1923	Forces War Records	Image	9/08/2008
The Hatfield Clan		Forces War Records	Image	2/06/2012
deserter (343x800).jpg		Forces War Records	Image	18/02/2014
Ellison Hatfield		Forces War Records	Memorial	30/05/2012

Hatfields & McCoys

Source Documents

Source URLs