The French–Eversole feud was a long-running dispute between two American families which occurred primarily from 1887 to 1894 in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, mainly in the town of Hazard in Perry County. The two instigators of the feud were Joseph C. Eversole and Benjamin Fulton French, who were both merchants and lawyers and at one time were friendly. The conflict was a media sensation and was covered by many US papers at the time. The first report was in the Louisville Courier-Journal on June 30, 1886, on Page 1.June 30, 1886 Louisville Courier-Journal, Page 1 A listing of the various media reports is included at the end of this article. Ultimately, those media reports became the basis for various books written about the French–Eversole War. Based on a report by General Sam Hill to Kentucky Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner, the feud killed more than 20 men. Other historians exaggerated the numbers killed to as many as 74 deaths.
Before the feud Jacob Eversole was one of the first settlers in the Hazard area, moving from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.Eversole Family in America 1727-1937 Originally spelled 'Ebersohl', six brothers migrated from Europe to Pennsylvania: Abraham, Johannes, Peter, Yost, Carl, and Jacob.Eversole families in America 1717-1937, page 7 One of Yost Ebersohl's sons, Jacob, moved from Pennsylvania to Eastern Kentucky 1790–1800. When Perry County was created on November 2, 1820,Wikipedia page: Perry County, Kentucky founded Nov 2, 1820 by 'General' Elijah H. Combs, he named the small group of streets Hazard, which became the county seat. Both the county and the town are named after General Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. The small town had only one road, scattered buildings, and a few boards to walk on over the muddy streets. It became the trading center of the county with a population of around 100 at the time of the feud.
Jacob Eversole's son 'Woolery' G. Eversole married the daughter of Jesse Cornett, another founding family of Perry County. Woolery and Lucy Cornett Eversole had several children, one of which was Major John C. Eversole, who led portions of the 14th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment and was assassinated during the American Civil War. His own son, Joseph C. Eversole, married a woman from another prominent Perry County family, Susan Combs. Joseph was the leader of the Eversole clan during the French–Eversole feud.
Eversole and his counterpart, Benjamin Fulton French, were very similar men.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 187 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 They were both lawyers, merchants, and relatively well off for their time and place.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 188 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 French, however, was not a Kentuckian. He hailed from Tennessee but married a Kentuckian, Susan Lewis, and thereby was related by marriage to influential families in Breathitt, Leslie, and other counties. Both Eversole and French had competing mercantile stores in Hazard.
Cause of the feud There are two supposed origins for the feud. One is romanticized and probably not true, though it has become the most popular version of the story. The other is a definite and more reasonable cause for the start of the feud.
Cause 1 ('On Account of a Woman') The popular story for the cause of the feud is a disagreement over a woman. As the story goes, a clerk that worked in French's mercantile store was madly in love. One day the clerk saw the woman with Benjamin Fulton French and he became jealous. He went to Joseph Eversole and told him that he had heard French say he sought to take his life. When Eversole questioned the clerk about the allegations he sat silent. Eversole warned him that he was taking his silence as fact that the allegations were true. Initially, Eversole did not believe the clerk. He asked him to sign a sworn affidavit attesting to the plan to murder him.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 192 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 This is allegedly what caused Eversole to believe that he needed protection and to begin to gather an armed clan. French followed suit closely after and a war became unavoidable. It is believed that this fabrication was the clerk's form of revenge on Fulton French.
Cause 2 ('Coal rights') The more likely story is that Eversole and French, two prominent businessmen in the town, came at odds with each other over a business-related disagreement. After the Civil War, companies began buying huge amounts of land in the Appalachians in order to obtain rights to coal deposits underneath the mountains. French worked for one of these companies, which was buying coal rights from illiterate farmers, while Eversole was a local merchant and had loyalty to many of the area's long-time residents (most of whom he was related to). French was intent upon buying the land at the lowest possible price for the large companies he represented. Eversole saw this practice as cheating illiterate farmers. He began to travel the county and tell farmers that Fulton French was going to try and cheat them by offering unfair prices for 'coal rights'. French, as a non-native, had no such loyalty to the mountain people of Eastern Kentucky. Resentment between the two sides grew until they eventually raised their armies; French reportedly paid $2–$2.50 a day to his hired guns.
Assassinations Ambush was the favored tactic of this feud rather than standard warfare. It was safer for the concealed perpetrators and responsibility for the attacks was more difficult to determine. Many people lived, justifiably, in fear.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 194 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
The first death attributed to the feud was one of French's friends, Silas Gayheart. A dozen white men and a couple of African-Americans reportedly ambushed and killed Gayheart. The Eversoles denied the killing and many believed it had been the result of a different dispute that Gayheart had. French, however, blamed the Eversole clan.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 195 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
One night French left Hazard, possibly to gather more men to attack Eversole. Once Eversole discovered this, he withdrew his forces and left a few men in town. He waited for French to attack the town so he could make a surprise attack of his own. Neither was fooled by these tactical maneuvers and blood was spared. When French finally re-entered the town in June 1887, Eversole set out to meet him. The two sides had a shootout in town; only one of French's men was wounded. After a day of shooting at each other, French's forces withdrew.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 196 & 197 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
This type of cat-and-mouse scuffle was repeated throughout the summer of 1887. The cost of paying these men day in and day out began taking their tolls on the businessmen as they became nearly bankrupt (or at least were out of cash). Both sides owned most of the large land tracts in Perry County. Both sides eventually agreed to a meeting at Big Creek, where a peace was formulated. The written agreements were signed and witnessed.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 199 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 The agreement required that they return home, disband their armies, and surrender their guns. The grudge was still there, however, and soon after their funds were replenished, French accused Eversole of taking his guns back from Judge Josiah Combs, Eversole's father-in-law. Eversole claimed that French had not witnessed this, that he had not disbanded his army, and that the deal only called for a partial surrender of arms. The short-lived peace crumbled.
The next major incident occurred on September 15, 1887. Joe Eversole and Bill Gambriel, an itinerant preacher and a supporter of French, began arguing in the street in Hazard.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 201 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 This quickly devolved into a fist fight. Some of Eversole's men shot at Gambriel and wounded him. While attempting to escape, another man, reportedly an officer, shot him. As Gambriel turned away from his attacker, Joe Eversole pulled his pistol out and shot Gambriel in the head, instantly killing him.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 202 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 Another man, not Eversole, was tried for the murder. The first trial resulted in a hung jury and the second in an acquittal. Joe Eversole himself was not tried because witnesses said that Gambriel had attacked Joe first.
There was a relative calm throughout the winter until Sunday, April 15, 1888. Joe Eversole, his brother-in-law Nick Combs, and Judge Josiah Combs were on their way to Hyden for the regular term of the circuit court, of which Joe and Josiah had been members for years. Judge Combs was riding slightly ahead of Joe and Nick with policeman Tom Hollifield, who was transporting a prisoner (Mary Jones) to Hyden, when Josiah heard gunfire.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 203 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917 Josiah turned and saw Joe and Nick fall to the ground. Joe died almost instantly. After investigating, it appeared the attackers had been camping for days and waiting to ambush them. French was accused and indicted but left town with a posse in fear of retaliation. No one was ever convicted of the murders, but seven years later, 'Bad Tom' Smith, a paid enforcer for French, confessed while standing on the gallows. He stated that he and Joseph Adkins had committed the murders under orders from French.
After Joe Eversole's death, John Campbell took over the war against French. Campbell surrounded the town with guards, had men patrol the streets, and took on scouting the countryside. He feared a French attack so he only let people into town who knew the password.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 209 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
While Campbell was still alive, Shade Combs had an idea that he could end the feud by killing French and a select few of his men. Campbell gave him men and he set out to do the deed. French got wind of the plot and set up an ambush of his own. Combs escaped only to succumb to a successful ambush soon after at his home.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 210 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
Elijah Morgan, son-in-law to Judge Josiah Combs, was a French supporter and was the next to be assassinated, on October 9, 1888. He was working on an agreement with Frank Grace when he was ambushed. He wanted peace and the Eversole clan told him to meet them in Hazard to discuss a deal. This was all a ploy to lure him in and he was murdered. It is widely believed this was retaliation for the death of Shade Combs since they occurred so close together.Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies, Page 211 by Chas G. Munzenberg, 1917
Judge Lilly, responsible for the law in Perry as well as other counties, had then had enough. He dispatched state troops to Hazard, which arrived in early November 1888. He wrote the Governor of Kentucky, Simon Bolivar Buckner, on November 13, 1888, telling him of the need for troops and that he would not conduct court in Perry nor in other counties without a state guard for fear of shootings. On November 14, 1888, Sam Hill, who was in charge of the state troops, wrote to Governor Buckner that only 35 people remained in town when they arrived. Many came back after the troops arrived and explained that the juries' ties to the clans or fear of the accused had caused lawlessness. The November 1888 term of court went by with ease since the troops were occupying the town.
Battle of Hazard