The McCoys suffered another devastating blow on the night of January 1, 1888, when Hatfields, led by Devil Anse's uncle Jim Vance, set fire to the McCoys' cabin in Pike County. Calvin and Alifair, Randolph McCoy's grown children, were killed in the attack, and their mother, Sarah, was severely beaten. This tragic event escalated the feud, putting the Hatfields on the defensive for the rest of the conflict, as they were hunted in their own West Virginia territory.

Soon after, Vance was killed by a group of Kentuckians led by McCoy supporter Frank Phillips (shown here). On January 19, the two sides fought a fierce battle at Grapevine Creek, near present-day Matewan. Eventually, four Hatfield sons and others were indicted for the cabin raid. Their cousin, Ellison Mounts, was hanged in Pikeville on February 18, 1890, marking the end of the Hatfield-McCoy feud.