America's oldest family feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys takes petty new twist

America's oldest family feud has taken a petty new turn as the Hatfields and the McCoys continue their 150-year war with one another.

The families started clashing in the 19th century and now what began as a violent war about marriage and betrayal in the foothills of the Appalachians has resulted in a reality TV show full of bar shout-downs and claims of harassment and stalking. The Fox Nation series is heading into its second season and McCoy descendant Courtney McCoy DeProspero and her husband, Derek, appeared on Fox & Friends on Tuesday to promote the second season of The Real Hatfields & McCoys: Forever Feuding.

Courtney and Derek insisted that while the rivalry has shifted from guns and arson to a war of words and business competition the rivalry is still "real." Courtney said: 'We can't seem to get away from them."

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The history between the families was previously the subject of a miniseries starring Kevin Costner and dates back to the Civil War. The Tug River Valley used to divide the two families with Hatfields living towards the West Virginia side while the McCoys settled further west in Kentucky.

The men from both families were Confederacy soldiers, aside from Asa Harmon McCoy who fought alongside the Union troops. Asa was reportedly gunned down by The Logan Wildcats, a Confederate militia led by family patriarch William Anderson 'Devil Anse' Hatfield on January 7, 1865, as he returned from war.

No one was ever prosecuted for the murder and the feud did not begin until years later when Hatfield was accused of stealing a hog from Randall McCoy. He went on to become Devil Anse's arch-nemesis.

The feud then sparked decades of revenge killings with historians saying the casualties on both sides ranged from as low as a dozen to as high as 60. One horrifying incident saw the Hatfields burn down a McCoy cabin to try and drive them out into the open.

Randall McCoy's wife Sarah was bludgeoned and had her skull crushed, while two of their children were shot dead trying to escape the blaze. While the violence is in the past the two families still have an undeniable rivalry.

Courtney said: "You are going to see our issues with the Hatfields, what they've been putting us through, how they tried to impede us from our growth, hinder us from moving around. They don't even want us in the region."

One scene in the new season sees the Hatfields disrupt a Veteran's Day event at McCoy Station, Courtney's bar in Logan, West Virginia. She is seen telling them: "I'm sorry, this is a place of business. I have asked you to chill out. I think you gotta go."

Amber Hatfield Bishop - Devil Anse's third great-granddaughter - is then shown with her mouth open in shock. The second season is expected to run for 10 22 minute episodes.