Dils Cemetery Traditional Geocache

The historic Dils Cemetery is the final resting place of famed Hatfield-McCoy Feud chieftain Randolph McCoy, wife Sara and daughter Roseanna, son Sam and daughter-in-law Martha.

Randall McCoy

Randolph McCoy (October 30, 1825-March 28, 1914) was the McCoy family patriarch during the Hatfield-McCoy feud. McCoy, who was often called Randell or ‘‘Old Ranel,’’ was born in Logan County, one of 13 children of Daniel and Margaret McCoy, neighbors of the Hatfields. In 1849, McCoy married his cousin, Sarah "Sally" McCoy, whose father gave the young couple a 300 acre farm on Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek in Pike County, Kentucky. There, they raised 13 children. The first known violence between the McCoy and Hatfield families occurred in 1865 when Randall's younger brother Asa Harmon McCoy returned home after being wounded in the Civil War. Asa Harmon, a Union soldier, was killed by Jim Vance, a Confederate homeguard member and an uncle to Devil Anse Hatfield. Nearly 10 years later, McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of penning up one of his pigs, and things quickly went from bad to worse.

In 1882, an election day fight at the Rev. Anderson Hatfield Cabin near Blackberry, claimed the life of Devil Anse Hatfield's brother, Ellison. In return, the Hatfields killed 3 of McCoy's sons thought to be involved in the fight, although the youngest son, only 15 years of age, was innocent.

Randall McCoy nearly died in 1888 when a group of Hatfields attacked his home. They killed his son Calvin, his crippled daughter Alifair, and beat his wife Sarah unconscious. In all, five of his children were killed in the feud.

In addition to the McCoy family, graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I may be found in the Dils cemetery.

More than 500 graves rest on the two-acre site, located at the mouth of Chloe Creek on a hill overlooking Pikeville, the county seat of Pike County.

Named for Colonel John Dils, Jr., who bought the property which includes the Dils Cemetery in 1871. In addition to members of his own family and other white people, Dils allowed his free slaves and their descendants to be buried there.

Dils was the founder of the Union’s 39th KY Mounted Infantry, many of whom are buried in this cemetery. Dils was the wealthiest man in Pikeville at the time of the feud and as such was the power behind the men and brought the feud to its conclusion. He was guardian to both Perry A Cline and Frank Phillips early in their lives.

Also buried here is Basil Hatfield, who's father was Foreman of the Jury during the pig trial between Floyd Hatfield and Randolph McCoy.

Previous caches at this location - GC59B2 "BillyGoat Graveyard Cache" which was generously archived by WalkingJake for inclusion of the cemetery the Hatfield McCoy geotrail.