The Tug Fork River split the Kentucky county of Logan and the West Virginia county of Pike. In Logan County Devil Anse Hatfield raised his family to live, work, play, and fight hard. In Pike County, West Virginia Ole Ran’l McCoy led his family much the same way.
The Civil War brought about border rivalries and soldiers for the Union and Confederacy. After the war, tensions ran high between these two groups who competed for property, livestock…and…eventually…love.
When tensions were at their height, Roseanna McCoy fell head over heels for a strikingly good looking ladies man named Johnse Hatfield. They came together, according to stories, during the election events of 1880. In those parts, election day gave good reason to come together, eat, sing, and drink. A series of events would lead to Roseanna’s heartbreaking loss of her beau Johnse. No…it was not to a brave death, but to a cowardly act of womanizing. After one particular rendezvous, where Johnse was taken prisoner and Roseanna rescued him, he never returned to her side. Roseanna would end up pregnant, but would miscarry the child. Johnse Hatfield would marry Roseann’s 16 year old cousin in 1881.
It was the 1882 election that saw this simmering fued burst into flames. Three of Roseanna McCoy’s brothers stabbed Ellison Hatfield to death — seemingly unprovoked. From that day until the recognized ending of this war in 1891, there were thirteen deaths of revenge and repayment.
What an awful story of two families who could have done so much together. Instead, out of spite, seeming offense, and anger, these border neighbors killed, hurt, and mamed one another. People can do an awful lot of damage to one another when they take revenge into their own hands. Yet, what do God’s people do when we are wronged and attacked by the world?
Early in the travels of God’s people from Eqypt the Ammonite and Moabites not only refused to help, but they also hired a professional prophet to issue a curse against the Israelites. Of course, according to Numbers 22-24, not only did Balaam not bring a curse, but he actually blessed God’s people. Yet, what were God’s people to do about this awful wrong against them by the Ammonites and Moabites? The best answer is to allow God to handle it.
In Nehemiah 13:1-3, as the Israelites have completed their wall and are beginning to re-inhabit the city of Jerusalem and build their city, an interesting dilemma arises. It says, “ On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. (italics added for emphasis)”
In other words, God is still dealing with the wrong perpetrated against His people from hundreds of years earlier. Do we really think that God is not able to rectify a wrong done to His people? So often, worldly people do hurtful things to us, and we take great offense. We seek to repay or re-explain. Too often, we even try to even the score. In the midst of it all God is taking care of things. He is able to rectify wrongs and make straight the things others have done to us.
What would have happened if the Hatfields and McCoys could have allowed the perceived wrongs to be handled by God instead of by their own impulsive anger? Maybe history would be different and lives would not have been lost. What happens if you allow God to take care of your perceived wrong brought against you? Maybe true justice and the glory of God will be lifted up. Either way, God’s people MUST know that our job is not to seek revenge or rectify a perceived slight. That is the job of a perfectly just God.
