THE GREATEST FAMILY FEUD, THE HATFIELDS AND MCCOYS

The feud between two Appalachian families, the Hatfields and McCoys is one of the most famous battles in history. These two mountain families fought for years. The McCoys lived on the Kentucky side of Tug Fork, a tributary of the Big Sandy River and the Hatfields lived on the West Virginia side.

Most members of both families fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War but Harman McCoy of Kentucky fought on the Union side. Some say his murder was the first violence in the feud. Harmon was actually killed by some ex-confederates but the McCoys suspected Devil Hatfield. Devil was actually innocent of the crime. He owned a timber operation during this period and even employed several McCoys.

Devil Hatfield

The Hatfields were affluent people for their time and well connected politically.

Then, there are those that say the violence really started over the ownership of a hog. Floyd Hatfield had it and Randolph McCoy said it belonged to him.

In truth, the dispute was over property lines. The pig was in the fight because one family believed because the pig was on their land it was theirs. They went to a local Justice of the Peace (who by the way was a preacher and a Hatfield) and the McCoys lost due to the testimony of a relative of both families, Bill Staton.

The feud escalated when Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield began having an affair and Roseanna went to West Virginia to live. Johnse abandoned her when she became pregnant and married her cousin, Nancy McCoy.

Jonse Hatfield

The feuding continued and between 1880 and 1891 more than a dozen members of the two families were shot, stabbed, hung or murdered. To try and restore order both the Kentucky and West Virginia militias had to be called up.

The U.S. Supreme Court became involved in 1888 due to the murder of Alifair McCoy. Alifair was shot running from a burning building set aflame by eight Hatfield men. The men were all found guilty. One was executed by hanging and seven received terms of life in prison. The hanging took place in Pikeville, Kentucky.

Finally, in 1891 the Hatfields and McCoys agreed to stop fighting.

An actual peace treaty was signed in June 2003 in Pikeville by members of both families.

Since I was born and raised in Kentucky, I have heard about this feud all my life. I don't think I am related to any of these people but the names are common in Kentucky. The descendants of the two families even appeared on the t.v. game show Family Feud several years ago and they had a live pig on stage during the entire show.

A Quick Post for Another Award. It is raining Awards!

This is the time of the year for festivals, awards, and such. This award was given by Ugich at gappa. The award is for blogs whose content and/or design are brilliant as well as creative. Please check out this site. I am passing this award onto Kate at . . . . . . . . . SHAMBLES MANOR . . , Lom at A new year, a way of life, Yvonne at WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF POETRY:, Jeanne at I Like To Be Here When I Can , Ann at Ann Tucker Blog - The Blogging Granny, Ginny at CHICKOWASCO Chatter , Grammy at livinglifeafter65 . If interested in participating, save the award and place it in your sidebar, and pass it on to the brilliant bloggers whose blogs you read and enjoy. Thanks.

AN AWARD, A MEME, AND A CHALLENGE!!!

First of all I have received another, "I Love Your Blog Award" from Jeanne of I Like To Be Here When I Can. Please check out her blog. Thanks, Jeanne. I would like to nominate the following people: Clairz of The Zees Go West, Nancy at Life Is Good..., Ugich at gappa, Rachel at Sliding through life , Junie at Junie's Place, Amber Star at serenity days, Anne and Leigh at My Twin Daughters Blog, Twin Crossroads. Please check out these great blogs. If you were nominated and would like to participate, save the award and place it in your sidebar, and nominate the people whose blog you love.

Second, Kate of . . . . . . . . . SHAMBLES MANOR . . has nominated me to carry the torch for the meme to name five of my current addictions, so here goes:

1. Blogging - I love all my blogging friends and enjoy very much reading blogs.

2. Sweets - I love cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, chocolate. If it has sugar, I like it!

3. Tea - I drink tea all the time. It is my favorite drink.

4. Reality Shows - I love just about every one of them.

5. Consignment Shops, Flea Markets and Antique Malls. I can spend hours browsing through them all.

Now, I nominate 2 people to carry the torch for this meme. Jeanne of I Like To Be Here When I Can and Amber Star of serenity days. If you two decide to carry the torch, please nominate two people for this. Thanks.

Next, is a challenge from Clara of Clara's Corner asking, "Who Will Take The Challenge?" If you decide you want to take the challenge, you have to list 100 things about yourself. If not interested in this challenge or reading my list, just skip this post. I will tell you one thing. This is not easy. I had to make a list and add to it as things popped into my head and it was a challenge but turned out to be fun. So my list is below.

1. I have 3 children, twin girls and a boy, Anne Parker and Leigh Harper, and Charles Robert.

2. I have one grandchild, a boy 16 months old, Thomas Wyatt

3. I have a wonderful daughter-in-law, Sarah

4. I love all my family very much.

5. I am 5' 3" tall

6. I am a people person

7. I love God

8. I love to cook.

9 I love to read, non-fiction and biographies. Not much on fiction.

10.I graduated high school, real estate school, and some college.

11. I like to live simply but comfortably.

12. I color my hair but hate doing it.

13. I am very organized.

14. I like to fish

15. I love flowers

16. I like to work outside in the yard

17. I like to play gin rummy

18. I like lots of different kinds of music, but not rap

19. Tea is my favorite drink

20. Scent of a Woman is my favorite movie.

21. I do my own nails.

22. I am an early riser

23. I love retirement

24. I talk to my girls on the phone every day and sometimes more than once.

25. I am afraid of strong wind and storms. Too many big trees in my yard.

26. I am afraid of spiders, even the tiny ones. They sneak up on you.

27. I love reality t.v. shows, Big Brother, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, America's Got Talent, Idol. Like them all.

28. I love my computer, a lot of my friends are in it.

29. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday

30. Fall is my favorite season

31. I used to deer, rabbit, and squirrel hunt but I am no Sarah Palin!

32. I love pottery

33. I can't work as hard as I once did.

34. I can't play an instrument

35. I love watching the sun come up

36. I love beaches

37. I love to walk

38. I don't like cold weather or snow

39. I like to hang clothes out to dry

40 I love shoes

41. I love handbags, new ones, used ones, cheap ones, expensives ones. Love them all.

42. I used to live on a farm and loved it. Raised a big garden and canned vegetables, worked in tobacco, and had chickens, horses, a cat and two dogs, and cattle.

43. I am a good speller (most of the time)

44. I owned and ran a country store for seven and a half years.

45. I retired from state government

46. I love a fireplace and woodstove

47. I have sold real estate

48. I don't take any kind of medicine.

49. I wear glasses

50. I used to be a runner and ran 5k races. Won a trophy in my 40s. Ran my last race 4 years ago.

51. I like comfortable clothes, jeans, and sweats.

52. I hate high-heeled shoes

53. I broke every bone in my left foot and spent 13 days in the hospital in 1993.

54. I have 10 screws and a plate in my left foot from the fall I took in #53.

55. I have weird dreams sometimes.

56. I get one lottery ticket on Wednesday and one on Saturday

57. New Orleans is one of my favorite places.

58. I did some freelance writing and was published in several magazines back in the 80s.

59. I am the middle child with an older and younger sister, no brothers.

60. I love my state of Kentucky

61. My favorite song is Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.

62. My favorite food is shrimp

63. I have a pilates that I work out on.

64. I am allergic to ragweed

65. I like helping other people

66. I like to take pictures and carry my camera with me most of the time.

67. My son is an very good artist, has acted in several movies, and works for a t.v. station.

68 My girls own a farm and horses, barrel race, are great horsewomen, and one works in the cattle industry and the other works for a magazine.

69. My daughter in law is a director at the Ronald McDonald House

70. I love my life

71. I am healthy as far as I know

72. I am mostly easy going but if pushed will come out fighting.

73. I used to smoke but quit several years ago

74. I may have a glass of wine or a beer once in a great while

75. I am left handed

76 I have a soft heart

77. I cry when I watch a sad movie

78 I have a sense of humor and love to make people laugh

79 My favorite color is blue but I like purple flowers

80. I used to love to dance

81. I admire people who can sing and play an instrument

82. I like poetry

83. I like to be around happy people that enjoy life

84. I absolutely love those little dollar hot fudge sundaes at McDonalds.

85. I made enough money on ebay one winter just selling stuff Bob and I wanted to get rid of to fly to Florida and spend 8 days on the beach.

86. I have a cell phone that only works half the time from my house. I don't like cell phones!

87. I admire people that are able to do things with their hands like crochet, knit, etc. I don't have the patience.

88. I am a Libra.

89. I take a one a day vitamin and calcium every day.

90. I have been single longer than I have ever been married. (That is a long story for another time)

91. I have green eyes

92. I have a wonderful man in my life and I love and appreciate him very much.

93. Bob and I have been seeing each other for 4 years.

94. My hair is fine and thin (Hence all the bad hair days on my blog)

95. I love clocks

96. I need to replace my carpet in my house

97. I am always getting rid of stuff and calling myself downsizing.

98. I am a very lucky person.

99. I would not change anything about my life.

100. I am glad I did this but glad it is finished!

Clara, This was a hard thing to do! I challenge anyone with the stamina to try this!

CINNAMON AND HONEY, A CURE FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING!

Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.

Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat.

In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon of honey and half teaspoon of cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears Stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three time s a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible .

BAD BREATH: First thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so that breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restore hearing.

Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

I don't know how much of this is true but I do love honey and cinnamon. Someone sent me this and I thought it was interesting how many uses they list. I do eat it several times a week or use honey as a natural sweetener. My sister takes cinnamon pills and they have lowered her cholesterol. I am told that honey made in your area where you live is especially good for allergies. Do you have any home remedies or cures for what ails you???

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

I have been tagged by Kate at . . . . . . . . . SHAMBLES MANOR . . . I am supposed to answer the following questions and then tag three other people, so here goes:

1) Where was I - 10 years ago?

I was working for the State of Kentucky, Department for Human Resources in the local field office as a Casemanager. My job was to try and place welfare recipients into a job and help them to become self sufficient and get off the welfare programs. I worked with local agencies such as employment services, ged programs, churches, housing facilities, transportation agencies, etc. to assist in reaching these goals. We reduced the welfare roles significantly in our area in a matter of a few years. I, then, transferred to the State Ombudsmans Office where we addressed and applied welfare policy to difficult case situations and tried to help clients with issues.

2) What's on my 'to do' list for today ?

I plan to pick up sticks off my yard and drag limbs to the side of the road for the county to grind up. We had 70 mile an hour winds from remnants of Ike and my power has been off, phone out, and cable and internet down overnight. The weatherman promised rain but not a drop.
Some roads are blocked but nothing like Ike in Texas and Louisiana.

3) What if I were a Billionaire ?

I would give my children a million each, pay off all their bills, pay off all my bills and build a dream home on about five acres of land, hire a gardener, travel, give some to charity, and try to help out people that really need it.

4) Places I have lived ?

I have always lived in Kentucky in Frankfort, Danville, and Gravel Switch.

5) Bad Habits ?

My girls say I don't listen well and I sometimes talk over people.

6) Snacks I like ?

I love chocolate and ice cream and cookies.

There's only 3 folk being tagged and they are: Margie of Margie's Musings, Doris at
livinglifeafter65, and Ernestine at My Journey To Mindfulness. Please check out these blogs. If you were tagged and would like to participate, please copy the questions, give your answers, and tag three more people you would like to know more about or find interesting. Kate, I did my part!! The questions are listed below if you want to copy and paste them into your post and not have to type them out.

1) Where was I - 10 years ago?
2) What's on my 'to do' list for today ?
3) What if I were a Billionaire ?
4) Places I have lived ?
5) Bad Habits ?
6) Snacks I like ?

MY MOTHER'S CROCK

My mother had this crock for as long as I can remember. She kept it in the old, white, kitchen cupboard with a flour sifter on one side and a bread drawer on the other. The crock was used to mix up the dough for her biscuits. It holds eight quarts. Momma was the champion when it came to making those big, fat, buttermilk biscuits and she would make a lot of them at one time. We thought her cold biscuits with blackberry jam and fresh butter was a treat and would eat them for a snack like kids today eat chips. I can remember neighborhood children knocking on our door and asking my mother if she had any cold biscuits they could have and momma would always give them a biscuit with jam or jelly.

I use the crock to mix up cakes from scratch and to mix the dough for my sourdough bread.

When my children were small and we lived on the farm, I used to make my bread all the time. Several months ago, I started making it again. My starter is made with instant mashed potato flakes and I feed it every five days and then make the bread. If interested you can find my recipe for the starter and the bread on my recipe blog Recipes From A Southern Country Cook. There is nothing like hot sourdough bread straight from the oven with butter. It is also wonderful toasted for sandwiches.

I have very much enjoyed making bread for my family once again and also give it away as gifts to friends.

I always think of momma when I get the crock down off the top of my refrigerator every five days.

I have several things that belonged to her but for some reason "the crock" just seems like a part of her that remains close to my heart.

Hopefully, one day my girls will continue the tradition of bread making in one form or another and the crock will be passed to another generation. My son already has a smaller one just like mine that belonged to momma.

I think we all have things that have been passed to us from friends or relatives that mean a great deal to us or bring back memories.

I would love to hear about something that is special to you.

CHRISTOPHER HOUSTON "KIT" CARSON, AMERICAN FRONTIERSMAN, TRAPPER, SCOUT, SOLDIER, AND LEGEND OF THE WEST

I guess you all know by now that I can't go very long without writing about someone or something in history. You probably have learned more about Kentucky from reading my blog than you ever dreamed you would know or maybe more than you ever wanted to know! I think my children wonder where I come up with all this stuff but I just find it interesting.

I, also, find it very enjoyable to read about your states or countries and places I may never get a chance to visit.

Kit Carson was born on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1809 near Richmond, Kentucky in Madison County. He was raised in Howard County, Missouri the ninth of fourteen children.



Kit's father was killed by a falling tree when Kit was just nine years old. The young boy had to drop out of school to help take care of his siblings and the family farm.


Mathew Kinkead, a friend of Kit's father, was a woodsman and explorer and taught Kit the skills of being a trapper. Kit attended an annual mountain man rendezvous in Wyoming when he was twenty five. There was an Arapaho Indian tribe camped nearby and Kit met an Indian woman by the name of Waa-Nibe. (Singing Grass). He and Singing Grass had two children. She died giving birth to the second child. Kit then married a Cheyenne woman, Making-Out-Road in 1841 but she left him and returned to her tribe shortly after their marriage.

In 1842, he met and married the daughter of a prominent Taos, New Mexico family and was baptized in the Catholic Church. Josefa, his new wife, was fifteen and Kit was thirty four. They raised eight children together.

Josefa Carson

Kit went to work as a guide for John C. Fremont. He helped guide Freemont to Oregon and California and through much of the Central Rocky Mountains. Kit had lived and traveled among the Indians for years and was known as a man of his word.

When the Mexican War was over, he took up ranching and was appointed a federal Indian Agent for Northern New Mexico until 1861 when he resigned to help organize the New Mexico Volunteer Infantry. They waged economic war against the Navajo destroying their crops, orchards and livestock. For years the Navajo had preyed on the Utes, Pueblos, Hopis and Zunis, raiding their camps. These tribes joined Carson and the Navajo could not defend themselves. In 1864, the Navajo surrendered to Carson and eight thousand Navajo men, women and children walked 300 miles from Arizona to Fort Sumner, New Mexico where they remained until 1868.

Carson moved to Colorado following the Civil War to continue ranching. He died in 1868 at the age of sixty from old wounds and his remains are buried near his home in Taos.

Kit Carson was a man of great modesty and never boasted of his achievements. He rendered great service to the government in New Mexico, Colorado and the Indian territory and was made brigadier general for his meritorious conduct.

Josefa Carson died shortly before Kit as a result of complications of childbirth. She would have been forty one years of age.

Note: We talk about our childhoods, our memories, and the way things were for us years ago. I often think about what life was like for people of this generation, especially women.

I LOVE YOUR BLOG AWARD

Thanks to Kate at . . . . . . . . . SHAMBLES MANOR . . for this award. Please check out her site.

I would like to give this award to The View from Over the Hill, Texas To Oregon, WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF POETRY:, livinglifeafter65 , and Never Enough Time . These are some of my favorite blogs. Please check them out. If you received an award and would like to pass it on to five people, click on and save the award from my site, place it in your sidebar, do a post like this one and pass it on to your favorite blogs. Thanks again Kate for thinking of me.