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NC man donates Hatfield-McCoy feud letters

Rev. Charles Reed displays letters written by his great-grandfather Alex Messer in the early 1900's while he was in a Kentucky prison for killing a member of the McCoy family.

RANLO, N.C. — A North Carolina minister has donated letters from his great-grandfather who was convicted of killing a McCoy during the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

The Gaston Gazette
reported that Charles Reed of Ranlo is donating six or seven letters his great-grandfather wrote in a Kentucky prison between 1902 to 1906.

His grandfather had connections to the Hatfield clan and died in prison after being convicted of killing a McCoy.

   The warring families became famous for violent clashes along the West Virginia-Kentucky border before the turn of the 20th century.

   Reed has donated the letters to the West Virginia Historical Society.

The Gazette reported that Reed's interest was piqued after he heard his great-grandfather's name mentioned during a Hatfield-McCoy miniseries that aired on the History Chanel in June.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.




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