Associated Press Published

Hatfield and McCoy Descendants Discover Battle Site

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The Hatfield and McCoy descendants came armed — with digging tools. Working together as volunteers, they helped archaeologists unearth artifacts from one of the bloodiest sites in America’s most famous feud.

The leader of the dig says they have pinpointed the place where Randolph McCoy’s home was set ablaze in the woods of eastern Kentucky during a murderous New Year’s attack by the Hatfield clan. Two McCoys were gunned down in the 1888 ambush. It marked a turning point in the families’ cross-border feud in Kentucky and West Virginia.

In a region slammed by a slumping coal industry, retracing the McCoy homestead could provide more momentum to lure visitors.

The property is owned by Hatfield descendant Bob Scott, who would like to build a replica cabin on the same spot.