<P> The Hatfield -- McCoy feud , or the McCoy - Hatfield feud or the Hatfield -- McCoy war as some papers at the time called it , involved two rural families of the West Virginia -- Kentucky area along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River in the years 1863 -- 1891 . The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by William Anderson `` Devil Anse '' Hatfield while the McCoys of Kentucky were under the leadership of Randolph `` Ole Ran'l '' McCoy . Those involved in the feud were descended from Ephraim Hatfield ( born c. 1765 ) and William McCoy ( born c. 1750 ) . The feud has entered the American folklore lexicon as a metonym for any bitterly feuding rival parties . More than a century later , the feud has become synonymous with the perils of family honor , justice , and revenge . </P>
where did the hatfields and mccoys fight take place
along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River