The Early–Hasley Feud (1865–1869) was a family
feud that took place immediately following the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, in
Bell County, Texas
Bell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Belton.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 370,647. Bell County is part of the Killeen– Temple, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...
. The two main antagonists were John Early and Samual Hasley.
Background
The Early and Hasley families seemingly had no problems prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. However, while most of the Hasley men were off at war fighting with the
Confederate forces, John Early served in the
Texas Home Guard, which had been formed to protect the home-front while younger men were away fighting. By most accounts, Early abused this power, often using his authority to take advantage of people. One of those he abused was an old man named Drew Hasley, the father of Samual.
Escalation
When Hasley's son, Samual, returned home after the end of the war, he became enraged after hearing of the abuse his father had suffered. To make matters worse, Early had begun to ally himself with the
Reconstruction forces, which were then occupying
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. When the younger Hasley made it known he was looking for Early, the latter went into hiding. When it was necessary for him to venture out, Early would constantly stay in the company of the soldiers he'd befriended.
The feud was relatively low in violence, with opposing parties mostly stealing from one another. The Early and Hasley factions were, however, involved in several shootouts, resulting in two deaths. The first victim of the feud was outlaw and Hasley supporter, Jim McRae, who was killed in mid-1869. The other victim was an Early supporter, Dr. Calvin Clark, who was pursued into
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and killed by Hasley later that same year. Following the killing of Dr. Clark, the feud fizzled out.
Hasley continued living in the area, and became involved in numerous outlaw acts in defiance of the occupying Reconstructionist forces. In the fall of 1889, while in Belton, town Deputy Marshal William "Cap" Light confronted Hasley over a disturbance Hasley was causing while drunk. Light ordered him to go home and sober up. Instead, Hasley mounted a horse, and rode it up on the sidewalk. Light attempted to arrest him, and Hasley pulled his pistol. Light shot Hasley, killing him.
See also
*
List of feuds in the United States
Feuds in the United States deals with the phenomena of historic blood feuding in the United States. These feuds have been numerous and some became quite vicious. Often, a conflict which may have started out as a rivalry between two individuals ...
References
External links
Texas History OnlineEarly–Hasley Feud
Old West Feuds
{{DEFAULTSORT:Early-Hasley feud
Feuds in Texas