The feudal wars of Kentucky have, in the past, found considerable
publicity through newspapers. Unfortunately, many newspaper reporters
dealing with this subject were either deprived of an opportunity
to make a thorough investigation of the facts, or permitted their
imagination to supply what they had failed to obtain. At any rate, the
result was distortion of the truth and exaggeration.
Exaggeration is not needed to make Kentucky's feudal wars of thrilling,
intensely gripping interest to every reader.
More than a score of years were spent in the collection of this
material, involving tedious and painstaking investigations. The
greatest difficulty was experienced in separating truth from falsehood.
Often the most vital facts could be obtained solely from the actors
in the bloody dramas. The feudists and their relatives proved, quite
naturally, partial or prejudiced, and at all times were reluctant to
admit any fact detrimental to their side, or favorable to their enemies.
I believe, however, that I have succeeded, with the aid of court
records, legislative investigations and official military reports, in
my task of producing a strictly authentic history of Kentucky's Famous
Feuds and their attending tragedies.
I trust that the publication of this volume will serve its designed
purposes:--to make crime odious; to illustrate the havoc that may be
wrought anywhere through the lax, inefficient or corrupt administration
of justice; to arouse the people, not of Kentucky only, but of the
country at large to the necessity of dealing sternly with crime and
faithless officers.