Tag Archives: Nancy Hatfield

Johnson Hatfield Property in Logan County, WV (1884-1892)

18 Thursday Feb 2021

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The following land information is derived from Land Book 1880-1886 and Land Book 1887-1892, as well as deed books, at the Logan County Clerk’s Office in Logan, WV:

Johnson Hatfield

No property listed in land books for 1865-1881.

On January 28, 1882, Anderson and Vicy Hatfield deeded 200 acres at Lick Fork of Grapevine Creek to Johnson Hatfield (all of Logan County) for $250. Began at a large rock near the creek bank just above the garden field at the mouth of Lick Fork, thence running out to the center of the point above Lick Fork…to the head of Lick Fork and down the top of the ridge between Grapevine and Thacker Creek… Anderson and Vicy Hatfield signed the deed. Justice Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on January 28, 1882.

No property listed in land books for 1883.

1884-1885: Magnolia District

Johnson Hatfield, Jr.

200 acres Lick Branch, Grape Vine $1.25 per acre no building $250 total

Johnson Hatfield, Sr.

200 acres Lick Branch, Grape Vine $1.25 per acre no building $250 total

[Note: Two entries exist in the land book for a Johnson Hatfield (Sr. and Jr.) in 1884-1885; this is likely the same person and the same property.]

1886: Magnolia District

No entry for him.

1887: Magnolia District

Nancy Hatfield

300 acres Grapevine, Sandy River $1.25 per acre no building $375 total

[Note: This property was transferred from Johnson Hatfield. Presumably, “Nancy Hatfield” is Johnse’s wife, the former Nancy McCoy.]

1888: Magnolia District

No entry for Johnson or Nancy Hatfield.

[Note: In 1888, Johnson Hatfield, Jr. transferred 500 acres on Grapevine, Sandy River (two tracts) worth $1.25 and total value of $625 to J.D. Sergeant of Philadelphia, PA.]

1889: Magnolia District

No property listed.

1890: Magnolia District

Nancy Hatfield

147 acres H.R. Fk Mates Creek $1 per acre no building $147 total

[Note: This may be Johnse’s wife, Nancy.]

1891: Magnolia District

No property listed.

[In 1891, “Jo Hatfield & wife” transferred 258 acres on Left Hand Fork Ben Creek worth $1 per acre and with total value of $258 to H.R. Phillips, trustee. This may or may not be Johnse Hatfield.]

Smith and Patterson Hatfield Property in Logan County, WV (1878-1894)

15 Monday Feb 2021

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The following land information is derived from Land Book 1873-1874, Land Book 1880-1886, and Land Book 1893-1899 at the Logan County Clerk’s Office in Logan, WV:

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

No property listed in 1865-1877.

1878: Magnolia District

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

100 acres Mates Creek $4 per acre $25 building $400 total

[Note: This tract was transferred from Ephraim Hatfield in 1878.]

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Marks Branch, Mates Creek $0.20 per acre no building $5 total

1879: Magnolia District

No records for this year.

1880-1881: Magnolia District

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

100 acres Mates Creek $4 per acre $25 building $400 total

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Marks Branch, Mates Creek $0.20 per acre no building $5 total

[Note: In the 1880 census, widowed Nancy Hatfield lived with her son, Patterson.]

1882: Magnolia District

The Hatfield page is missing.

1883: Magnolia District

The page is mostly blank but does list:

Smith Hatfield 25 acres M__ Br of Mates Creek $2.50 per acre [rest is blank]

1884-1885: Magnolia District

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

100 acres Mates Creek $3 per acre $35 building $300 total

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Marks Br. of Mates Creek $2.50 per acre no building $62.50 total

1886: Magnolia District

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

100 acres Mates Creek $3 per acre no building $230 total

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Mack Branch, Mates Creek $2.50 per acre [blank]

1887-1888: Magnolia District

Smith and Patterson Hatfield

100 acres Mates Creek $3 per acre $35 building $300 total

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Marks Branch, Mates Creek $2.50 per acre no building $62.50 total

1889: Magnolia District

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Mark Branch, Mate Creek $2.50 per acre no building $65 total

Pat Hatfield

50 acres Mates Creek $3 per acre $35 building $150 total

1890: Magnolia District

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Mate Creek $2.50 per acre no building $65 total

50 acres Mate Creek $3 per acre $35 building $150 total

Patterson Hatfield

50 acres Mate Creek $3 per acre $30 building $150 total

1891-1892: Magnolia District

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Mate Creek $2.50 per acre no building $62.50 total

50 acres Mate Creek $3 per acre $35 building $150 total

Patterson Hatfield

50 acres Mate Creek $3 per acre $30 building $150 total

1893-1894: Magnolia District

Smith Hatfield

25 acres Mate Creek $2.50 per acre no building $62.50 total

50 acres Mate Creek $3 per acre $40 building $150 total

Patterson Hatfield

50 acres Mate Creek $2.50 per acre $40 building $125 total

Anderson Hatfield Property in Logan County (1869-1893)

12 Friday Feb 2021

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The following land information is derived from Land Book 1866-1872, Land Book 1873-1874, Land Book 1880-1886, Land Book 1887-1892, and Land Book 1893-1899, as well as various deed books, at the Logan County Clerk’s Office in Logan, WV:

Anderson Hatfield

[Property listed in name of Levecy Hatfield in 1869, Levica Hatfield in 1870-1871, Levisa Hatfield in 1872, 1874, and 1876, Levitna Hatfield in 1873, Lavisa Hatfield in 1875, Levica Hatfield in 1889, Lovicy Hatfield in 1890-1891, Lovica Hatfield in 1892, and Levicy Hatfield in 1893.]

No property listed in land books for 1865-1867.

On October 19, 1867, George* and Nancy Hatfield of Pike County, KY, deeded 100 acres on Mate Creek to Levicy Hatfield of Logan County, WV, for five hundred dollars. The property began in the upper end of Mash Field and extended to the mouth of Meadow Branch. Witnessed by JP William Tiller on October 19, 1867.

No property listed in the land book for 1868.

1869: Magnolia Township

100 acres Mates Creek $4.20 per acre no building $420 total

55 acres Mates Creek $2.10 per acre $75 building $136.50 total

[Note: Based on the land book, both tracts were acquired in 1869 from George Hatfield of Kentucky. Also, the 55-acre total value figure did not include the value of the building. Note the actual date of purchase for one of the tracts was 1867, as per the deed.]

1870: Magnolia Township

100 acres Mates Creek $4.20 per acre no building $420 total

55 acres Mates Creek $2.10 per acre no building $136.50 total

1871-1872: Magnolia Township

100 acres Mates Creek $4.20 per acre no building $420 total

55 acres Mates Creek $2.10 per acre no building $115.50 total

[Note discrepancy in the valuation for the 55-acre tract.]

1873: Magnolia District

100 acres Mates Creek $5.25 per acre no building $441 total

55 acres Mates Creek $4.20 per acre no building $420 total

1874: Magnolia District

100 acres Mates Creek $4.20 per acre no building $420 total

55 acres Mates Creek $2.10 per acre $115.50 total

On December 29, 1874, Anderson and Lovicy Hatfield sold 200 acres to Polly Hatfield (all of Logan County) for $780 on Mates Creek. Began at the foot of the north hill at the upper end of the old Mash Field, a conditional corner between Ephraim Hatfield and Anderson Hatfield to the mouth of Meadow Branch to include all the land that George Hatfield had deeded to Lovicy Hatfield. Anderson and Lovicy signed the deed using an “x.” Justice of the peace Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on December 29, 1874.

[Note the original 100 acres from the 1867 deed has now become 200 acres.]

1875: Magnolia District

100 acres Mates Creek $4 per acre $50 building $400 total

55 acres Mates Creek $0.25 per acre no building $13.75 total

1876: Magnolia District

100 acres Mates Creek $4 per acre no building $400 total

55 acres Mates Creek $0.25 per acre no building $13.75

[Note: In 1876, according to the land book, Anderson Hatfield transferred 200 acres on Mates Creek worth $0.25 per acre and with a total worth of fifty dollars to Polly Hatfield; the deed is dated 1874 (see above); the 1878 land record corrected the acreage to 55 acres by order of P.A. Counts]

1877: Magnolia District

No records available for this year.

On July 2, 1877, Anderson and Lovicy Hatfield deeded 150 acres at Double Camp and Road forks of Mates Creek for $75 to Floyd Hatfield (all of Logan County). Began at the back line of the John Green survey below Double Camp, then up the main ridge to the top of the point above Road Fork, thence to John Green survey line. Anderson and Lovicy signed the deed using an “x.” Justice of the Peace Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on July 2, 1877.

On December 24, 1877, Anderson and Levisa Hatfield deeded 1500 acres on Grapevine Creek to James Vance, Jr. (all of Logan County) for $1400. Began near the mouth of Wolf Pen Fork, thence to the top of the mountain between Grapevine and the river, thence with mountain to dividing ridge between Grapevine and Beech Creek, thence to head of Thacker Creek, thence down ridge between Thacker and Mates Creek… References the ridge between the Wolf Pen and Mill Seat Fork. Anderson and Levicy signed the deed using an “x.” Justice Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on December 24, 1877.

1878: Magnolia District

Anse Hatfield owned no property in 1878.

[In 1878, as per the land book, Anderson Hatfield transferred 150 acres on Double Camp and Road Fork of Mate to Floyd Hatfield worth twenty cents per acre and with a total worth of $20. Records showed this as “transferred from Anderson Hatfield.” Note: The deed (above) shows the transfer as 1877.]

1879: Magnolia District

No records exist for this year.

1880-1881: Magnolia District

As per land book, Anse Hatfield owned no land.

On December 9, 1880, Anderson Hatfield, Lovicy Hatfield, Elias Hatfield, and Henry Mitchell deeded 200 acres on Wolf Pen Fork of Grapevine Creek to Robert Cox (all of Logan County) for $200. Anderson Hatfield, Lovicy Hatfield, Elias Hatfield, and Henry Mitchell signed the deed. Justice of the peace Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on December 10, 1880.

1882: Magnolia District

The Hatfield page is missing from the land book.

On January 28, 1882, Anderson and Vicy Hatfield deeded 200 acres at Lick Fork of Grapevine Creek to Johnson Hatfield (all of Logan County) for $250. Began at a large rock near the creek bank just above the garden field at the mouth of Lick Fork, thence running out to the center of the point above Lick Fork…to the head of Lick Fork and down the top of the ridge between Grapevine and Thacker Creek… Anderson and Vicy Hatfield signed the deed. Justice Valentine Hatfield witnessed the deed on January 28, 1882.

1883: Magnolia District

Records for this district are blank.

1884: Magnolia District

37 acres Tug River $1 per acre no building $37 total

2900 acres Grape Vine, Tug River $1.25 per acre $50 building $3625 total

[Note: In 1884, Anse transferred 100 acres to Daniel Christian on Grape Vine and Sandy River worth $1.25 per acre with no building and valued at $125. In 1884, Anse transferred 150 acres on Beech Creek and Sandy River to Jacob Francesco worth $1 per acre with no buildings and total value at $150. This latter tract states “by A. Hatfield by P. Mayhorn” and adds that “books don’t show A. Hatfield is owner.” Anse is not named in the 1884 deed to Jacob Francesco.]

1885: Magnolia District

37 acres Tug River $1 per acre no building $37 total

2750 acres Grapevine Creek and Tug River $1.25 per acre $50 building $3437.50 total

[In 1885, he transferred 50 acres on Sandy River to Moses Christian worth $1.25 per acre with a total worth of $62.50. In 1885, he transferred 100 acres on Grapevine Creek to Samuel Mayhorn worth $1.25 per acre with a total worth of $125.]

1886: Magnolia District

No property listed for him in 1886.

[In 1886, he transferred 500 acres on Pigeon Creek to James Ferrell worth $1.12 per acre with a total worth of $500. This note referenced him as “A. Hatfield Sr.” In 1886, he transferred 25 acres on Tug River to E.S. Murphy worth $1 per acre and a total worth of $25. In 1886, he transferred 340 acres on Beech Creek to Harrison Steel valued at $2.25 per acre and with a total worth of $765. This latter note stated: “2 years back tax and with interest; transferred from Ans Hatfield.”]

1887: Magnolia District

37 acres Tug River $1 per acre no building $37 total

2360 acres Grape Vine $1.25 per acre $50 building $2950 total

[Note: For both entries, the record reads: “one yr bk tax & interest.” In 1887, he transferred 69 acres on Sandy River worth $1 per acre and total worth of $69 to James Mounts. In 1887, he transferred with others 100 acres on Sandy River worth $1 per acre and total value of $100 to Charles R. Mounts. In 1887, he transferred 200 acres on Beech Creek to Harrison Steel worth $1 per acre and total value of $200.]

1888: Logan District

[On April 10, 1888, Lewis S. Steel sold 200 acres on Island Creek to Vicie Hatfield for $900. Deed Book L, p. 53.]

[On May 1, 1888, Anse and Levicy Hatfield agreed to a quit claim deed for mineral rights to 600 acres in the head of Island Creek to Stuart Wood for $1, and fifty cents per acre once surveyed and the title perfected. Deed Book K, p. 158-159.]

[On May 10, 1888, L.D. and A.E. Steel sold 250 acres on Island Creek to Levicy Hatfield for $500. Deed Book L, p. 52.]

1888: Magnolia District

No property listed for him, but a note in 1893 lists back taxes owed for:

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9297.75 total

[Note: In 1888, he transferred 300 acres on Grapevine, Sandy River worth $1.25 per acre and total value of $375 to J.D. Sergeant of Philadelphia, PA. In 1888, he transferred along with others 1385 acres on Sandy River worth $1.25 per acre and total worth of $1632 to J.D. Sergeant.]

1889: Logan District

Levica Hatfield

250 acres Island Creek $1 per acre no building $250 total

200 acres Island Creek $1.40 per acre no building $280 total

1889: Magnolia District

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9297.75 total

[On April 9, 1889, Anse and Levisy Hatfield deed to James E. Price, trustee, for $825 the mineral rights of 821 acres on Island Creek. Deed Book 47, p. 67-70.]

[On September 6, 1889, Anse Hatfield deeded all of the timber on his Island Creek property to the Little Kanawha Lumber Company for $352. References Anse having the right to put in a grist mill at the splash dam. Deed Book O, p. 410-411.]

1890-1891: Logan District

Lovicy Hatfield

250 acres Island Creek $1 per acre no building $250 total

200 acres Island Creek $1.40 per acre no building $280 total

[On November 21, 1891, Anse and Levicy Hatfield deeded to Stuart Wood and J.A. Nighbert for one dollar a right of way for splashing timber at the 821 acres. References Conley Bottom, the mouth of Dempsey Branch, and Conley’s Creek. Deed Book M, p. 189.]

1890-1891: Magnolia District

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9297.75 total

1892: Logan District

Lovica Hatfield

250 acres Island Creek $2 per acre no building $500 total

200 acres Island Creek $5 per acre $500 building $1000 total

[On June 18, 1892, Anse and Levicy deeded to G.R. Buskirk for $2 his timber on 400 acres. Deed Book Q, p. 370.]

1892: Magnolia District

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9297.75 total

1893-1894: Logan District

Levicy Hatfield

250 acres Island Creek $2 per acre no building $500 total

200 acres Island creek $5 per acre $500 building $1000 total

1893: Magnolia District

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9297.75 total

[Note: In 1893, the tract at Grapevine Creek was noted: “entered with 5 yrs back taxes and interest.”]

1894: Magnolia District

Anderson Hatfield

2656 1/2 acres Grapevine Creek $3.50 per acre no building $9298 total

*George Hatfield (1804-1883), son of Ephraim and Anna (Musick) Hatfield; father of “Preacher Anse” Hatfield.

NOTE: Many discrepancies exist between the land books and deeds for Anderson Hatfield.

Nancy E. Hatfield Memories, Part 2 (1974)

02 Saturday Jan 2021

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Howard B. Lee, former Attorney General of West Virginia, provided this account of Nancy Hatfield (widow of Cap) in the early 1970s:

Our next stop was at the home of Nancy Elizabeth, the same home where I visited with her and Cap during my campaign. For nearly three hours I asked questions and listened to that remarkable woman recount many of her experiences as the wife of America’s most celebrated feudist.

Nancy Elizabeth’s home also held a number of guns, pistols, and other relics of the feud days. But the most interesting item was Cap’s bullet-proof, steel breastplate, designed to cover the entire front half of his body from his beck to his lower abdomen.

“Mrs. Hatfield,” I said, “judging from the three bullet marks on it, this breastplate was a great protection to Cap; but what was to prevent an enemy from shooting him in the back?” Her eyes flashed as she replied: “Mr. Lee, Cap Hatfield never turned his back on an enemy or a friend.”

“I have read two stories, Mrs. Hatfield, each purporting to give the true cause of the feud: One book stated that it was the result of a dispute between a McCoy and a Hatfield over the ownership of a hog. Another book said that it grew out of the seduction of a McCoy girl by Johnson Hatfield, oldest son of Devil Anse. Is either one of these stories true?”

“No, neither story is true,” she replied. “The McCoys lived on the Kentucky side of Tug River, and the Hatfields lived on the West Virginia side. Hogs don’t swim rivers. I never heard the girl story until I read it in a book, written long after the feud was over. Both stories are pure fiction.”

“The truth is,” she continued, “in the fall of 1882, in an election-day fight between Ellison Hatfield, a younger brother of Devil Anse, and three McCoy brothers, Ellison was shot and knifed. He died two days later. In retaliation, Devil Anse and his clan captured and shot the three McCoy brothers. It was these four senseless killings that started the feud.”

In answer to my inquiry, Nancy Elizabeth said: “Yes, there had been ‘bad blood’ between the two families since the Civil War. In that struggle the Hatfields were ‘rebels’,–loyal to their State, Virginia. Devil Anse organized and was the captain of a company of Confederate sympathizers called the ‘Logan Wildcats’. They were recruited for local defense; but they left the county long enough to take part in the battle of Scary, fought along the banks of the Kanawha River, a few miles below Charleston.

“The McCoys, and their mountain neighbors, were pro-Union; and to protect their region against invasion by ‘Virginia rebels’, they organized a military company called ‘Home Guards’. There were occasional border clashes between the two forces, with casualties on both sides. The war ended only seventeen years before the feud began, and the bitterness still existed in the minds of the older generation, and they passed it on to their children. It was the old sectional and political hatreds that sparked the fight between Ellison Hatfield and the McCoy brothers.”

Nancy Elizabeth declined to estimate the number killed on either side of the feud.

“It was a horrible nightmare to me,” she said. “Sometimes, for months, Cap never spent a night in our house. He and Devil Anse, with others, slept in the nearby woods to guard our homes against surprise attacks. At times, too, we women and our children slept in hidden shelters in the forests.

“But these assaults were not one-sided affairs. The Hatfields crossed the Tug and killed McCoys. It was a savage war of extermination, regardless of age or sex. Finally, to get our children to a safer locality, we Hatfields left Tug River, crossed the mountains, and settled here on Island Creek, a tributary of the Guyandotte River.

“No, there was no formal truce ending hostilities. After a decade or more of fighting and killing, both sides grew tired and quit. The McCoys stayed in Kentucky and the Hatfields kept to West Virginia. The feud was really over a long time before either side realized it.

“Yes, Kentucky offered a large reward for the capture of Devil Anse and Cap. The governor of West Virginia refused to extradite them because, said he, ‘their trials in Kentucky would be nothing more than legalized lynchings’. It was then that Kentucky’s governor offered the reward for their capture–‘dead or alive’. Three attempts were made by reward seekers to capture them.

“Dan Cunningham, a Charleston detective, with two Cincinnati detectives, made the first attempt. They came through Kentucky, and crossed Tug River in the night; but the Hatfields soon captured them. A justice of the peace sentenced them to 90 days in Logan County jail for disturbing hte peace. When released, they were told to follow the Guyandotte River to Huntington, a distance of 60 miles, and ‘not to come back’.

“Next, a man named Phillips led two raids from Kentucky into Hatfield territory. In the first, he captured ‘Cottontop’ Mounts, a relative and supporter of the Hatfields, and took him to Pikeville, Kentucky, where he was hanged. But the second foray met with disaster at the ‘Battle of the Grapevine’. Phillips, and some of his followers escaped into Kentucky, but some where buried where they fell.

“This was the last attempt of the reward seekers. However, Kentucky never withdrew the reward offer, and that is why Devil Anse and Cap were always alarmed and on the alert.”

Source: West Virginia Women (Richwood, WV: Jim Comstock, 1974), p. 151-152

Nancy E. Hatfield Memories, Part 1 (1974)

28 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by in Cemeteries, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, Logan, Women's History

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Howard B. Lee, former Attorney General of West Virginia, provided this account of Nancy Hatfield (widow of Cap) in the early 1970s:

HATFIELD WOMEN.

Over the years, much has been written about the male members of the Hatfield clan who took part in that early orgy of blood-letting–the Hatfield-McCoy feud. But nothing has been said concerning the indomitable wives of that stalwart breed of men.

My purpose is to pay a richly deserved tribute to one of those pioneer women–the late Nancy Elizabeth, wife of William Anderson Hatfield, common known “Cap,” second son of Devil Anse, and the most deadly killer of the feud.

More than 30 years have passed since I last talked with her; but I still regard Nancy Elizabeth Hatfield as the most remarkable and unforgettable woman of the mountains.

In the spring of 1924, I was a candidate in the primary election for the Republican nomination for attorney general, and I wanted the Hatfield influence. Devil Anse had died in 1921, and his mantle of leadership of the clan had fallen to his oldest living son, Cap–a power in Logan County politics.

I had met Cap, casually, in 1912, but I had not seen him since that meeting. But his sister, Mrs. Betty Caldwell, and her husband, lived in my county of Mercer, and were among my political supporters. To pave the way for my later meeting with Cap, I had Mrs. Caldwell write and ask him to support me.

Later, when campaigning in the City of Logan, I engaged a taxi to take me the few miles up Island Creek to Cap’s home. The car stopped suddenly and the driver pointed to a comfortable-looking farm house on the other side of the creek and said:

“That’s Cap’s home, and that’s Cap out there by the barn.”

I told him to return for me in two hours.

Cap saw me get out of the car, and, as I crossed the creek on an old-fashioned footlog. I saw him fold his arms across his chest and slip his right hand under his coat. Later, I noticed a large pistol holstered under his left arm. Even in that late day, Cap took no chances with strangers. When I got within speaking distance, I told him my name, and that I had come to solicit his support in my campaign for attorney general. He gave me a hearty handclasp, and said:

“My sister, Mrs. Caldwell, wrote us about you. But, let’s go to the house, my wife is the politician in our family.”

Cap was reluctant to commit himself “so early.” But Nancy Elizabeth thought otherwise. Finally, Cap agreed to support me; and, with that point settled, we visited until my taxi returned.

Meanwhile, with Cap’s approval, Nancy Elizabeth gave me the accompanying, heretofore unpublished photograph of the Devil Anse Clan. In 1963 I rephotographed it and sent a print to Willis Hatfield (number 22 in picture), only survivor of Devil Anse, who made the identification. Nancy Elizabeth is number 16, and the baby in her lap is her son, Robert Elliott, born April 29, 1897. Therefore, the photograph must have been made late in 1897, or early in 1898.

A few months after Cap’s death (August 22, 1930), the West Virginia newspaper publishers and editors held their annual convention in Logan. I was invited to address the group at a morning session. That same day, Sheriff Joe Hatfield and his brother, Tennis, younger brothers of Cap, gave an ox-roast dinner for the visiting newsmen and their guests. The picnic was held on a narrow strip of bottom land, on Island Creek, a half-mile below the old home of Devil Anse.

I ate lunch with Nancy Elizabeth and her sister-in-law, Betty Caldwell. After lunch, at the suggestion of Mrs. Caldwell, we three drove up the creek to the old home of her father–Devil Anse. It was a large, two-story, frame structure (since destroyed by fire, then occupied by Tennis Hatfield, youngest son of Devil Anse).

The most interesting feature in the old home was Devil Anse’s gun-room. Hanging along its walls were a dozen, or more, high-powered rifles, and a number of large caliber pistols, ranging from teh earliest to the latest models. “The older guns,” said Nancy Elizabeth, “were used in the feud.”

As we returned, we stopped at the family cemetery that clings uncertainly to the steep mountainside, overlooking the picnic grounds. There, among the mountains he loved and ruled, old Devil Anse found peace. A life-size statue of the old man, carved in Italy (from a photograph) of the finest Carrara marble, stands in majestic solitude above his grave. On its four-foot high granite base are carved the names of his wife and their thirteen children.

Source: West Virginia Women (Richwood, WV: Jim Comstock, 1974), p. 149-151

Dils and Smith v. Jeremiah Hatfield (1865)

14 Friday Jun 2019

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IMG_7566

Promissory note by Jeremiah Hatfield to Dils and Smith for $195.12 dated May 29, 1861.

IMG_7567

Promissory note by Jeremiah Hatfield to Dils and Smith for $195.12 dated May 29, 1861.

IMG_7560

Petition of Dils and Smith v. Jeremiah Hatfield, filed 8 November 1865.

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Petition of Dils and Smith v. Jeremiah Hatfield, filed 8 November 1865.

IMG_7563

Summons for Electious Hatfield, 8 November 1865. Returned by Sheriff William P. Johnson on November 12, 1865.

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Summons for Jeremiah Hatfield, 8 November 1865.

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Summons for Electious Hatfield, 8 November 1865.

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Summons for Jeremiah Hatfield, 8 November 1865. Returned by Sheriff William P. Johnson on November 12, 1865.

NOTE: The Jeremiah Hatfield named in this case is likely the son of Ephraim and Anna (Musick) Hatfield. Elexius “Leck” Hatfield (1834-1914), a nephew to Jeremiah, was the son of George and Nancy (Whitt) Hatfield. He was also a brother to “Preacher Anse” Hatfield.

Anderson Hatfield Statue (1922)

16 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by in Cemeteries, Culture of Honor, Hatfield-McCoy Feud

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From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this bit of history about the statue of Anderson Hatfield at the Hatfield Cemetery on Island Creek:

Anse Hatfield Statue LB 04.14.1922 1.JPG

Hatfield Statue is Shipped from Italy

A statue of “Devil Anse” Hatifeld, which has been recently completed by a world famous sculptor in Carrara, Italy from a model drawn by F.C. McColm, of Huntington, has been shipped to that city where it will be placed on display, before erection at the grave of Captain Hatfield, near his home on Main Island Creek, Logan county.

The statue shows the late “Devil Anse,” standing erect, typifying the stalwart, West Virginia mountaineer, in a characteristic pose, with slouch hat, loose long coat and baggy trousers.

The pedestal, which is being made by the McColm Granite Company, is thirteen feet high. There is no epitaph, merely the words, “Captain Anderson Hatfield, 1839-1891,” and “Levicy Chafin, his wife, 1842–.” The statue is being erected by his family. There is a space at the side of the monument for the thirteen children, who are: Johnson, William A., Robert L., Nancy, Elliott R., Mary, Elizabeth, Elias, Troy, Joseph D., Rose, Willis E., and Tennis S.

Source: Logan (WV) Banner, 17 March 1922. Note: The Banner printed an incorrect date for Anse Hatfield’s death year.

Anse Hatfield Statue LB 04.14.1922 5

Photo by R.E. Trevey.

***

Memorial Unveiled To “Devil Anse” Hatfield

Magnificent Statue Unveiled at the Family Burying Ground Last Sunday Before Friends.

ERECTED TO MEMORY OF STATE’S MOST NOTED MAN

Carved from Italian Granite by a Noted Sculptor in Carrara Arriving Here Last Week

The magnificent statue of Anderson Hatfield, better known throughout this section of the nation as “Devil Anse” Hatfield, was unveiled Sunday afternoon at the family burying ground near his old home on Upper Main Island Creek.

Preparations had been made for a large crowd and a free dinner had been prepared, but due to the condition of the roads and to the fact that showers fell in the afternoon hundreds of his friends were kept away. About 500 people braved the threatening clouds to attend and gazed upon a handsome marble figure standing 13 feet in height, typifying the deceased mountaineer in his daily walks of life.

The majestic statue is erected to the memory of one of the most noted characters that ever lived in West Virginia. It is erected to the memory of a life that was crowded with thrilling events, but in this body, that witnessed and participated in many historical events, there ran a strain of human kindness never exceeded.

In keeping with the well known hospitality of the Hatfields, his relatives had prepared a bountiful repast for all that visited their home Sunday and the food was all that could be desired. His children and grandchildren were there in large numbers and many of the friends of the family.

The statue stands in the family burying ground and the full life size figure stands majestically overlooking the hills and valleys were “Devil Anse” in his lifetime was wont to roam as lord and master of all he surveyed.

The statue is of Italian granite and was carved by a noted sculptor in Carrara and is set upon a granite pedestal. The shaft contains the name of the noted old leader, together with the dates of his birth and death, the name and date of birth of his wife. Space is left on other portions of the statue for the names of his thirteen children.

Source: Logan (WV) Banner, 14 April 1922.

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Anse and Levisa (Chafin) Hatfield graves at the Hatfield Cemetery in Sarah Ann, Logan County, WV. 12 May 2018.

Nancy Hatfield, Widow of Cap, Identifies the Cause of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud (1937)

31 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Hatfield-McCoy Feud

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From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this story by Howard Alley titled “The Hatfield-McCoy Feud” and dated May 10, 1937:

The Hatfield-McCoy Feud…

“Aunt Nancy” Hatfield, Widow of “Cap” Hatfield, Relates That Historic Feud Actually Started Over An Election Argument When “Uncle” Ellison Was Killed Following Argument With a McCoy

Much has been said and many volumes have been written about the historic Hatfield-McCoy feud which took place in Logan and Mingo counties in the latter part of the last century. Lecturers have said the feud started over a razor-backed hog, and novelists have written that it began when a McCoy married a Hatfield lass and deserted her after he learned that she was to bear him a child. Both theories have their foundation in tradition, but neither Hatfield nor McCoy close to the feud has been quoted as saying either was right. Yesterday the mystery was cleared up. Because it seemed so utterly preposterous that two solid, level-headed mountain families with the solidity of the English for a background could wage a ten-year killing spree over a razor-backed sow when the woods were full of the animals, and because it was equally as improbable that the feud started over unhappy marital relationships when it is an established fact that mountaineers let their offspring take care of their own home life, we decided yesterday afternoon to find out what event was the spark which actually set off the powder magazine of mountain passion which rocked the hills of this section for nearly a decade.

And in the warm sunshine of a late spring Sunday afternoon we sat on the porch of the late William A. (Cap) Hatfield’s rambling frame home on the upper stretches of Main Island Creek and talked to “Cap’s” wife, the last survivor of those who were closest to the Hatfield clan in the feud.

“Aunt Nancy”, who has survived seventy winters and admits that she is “young and has the ‘hang’ of it,” but “don’t think I can do it again”, gazed reminiscently out over the newly-turned acres of her husband’s creek bottom estate, and her eyes grew misty as she told us of the closing years of the last century when Hatfield and McCoy alike expected death at every bend of the creek.

“That feud didn’t start over no ‘hog lawsuit’ and it didn’t start over a Hatfield-McCoy marriage,” Mrs. Hatfield said in a tone that showed plainly her disgust for those writers who had written of the feud and by twisting the facts had capitalized on it. “I’ve got a red-backed book two inches thick here that one of my sons brought to me and said: “Read this, Ma, and you’ll find out why we fought the McCoys.’ I read it–two pages of it–and it’s layin’ in there now with dust on its backs. Not a word o’ truth in it.”

She grew repentant.

“But they have to make their livin’, I guess. You want to know how it started? I’ll tell you. The Hatfields was always a political family, and it was their politics which got ’em into this fight. If they hadn’t gone to that election in Pike county in August of 1882, ‘Uncle’ Ellison would never have been killed and Ellison’s brother, ‘Devil’ Anse would never have been drawn into it. But I’m gettin’ ahead of my story. The way it was, ‘Uncle’ Ellison Hatfield was an officer in Logan county in 1882 and was sent out to arrest Sam and Paris McCoy who was supposed to have killed Bill Staten, ‘Uncle’ Ellison’s brother-in-law. These boys warn’t sons of Randall McCoy, ringleader of the McCoys. They were just cousins. He got the two boys and brought them to Logan county jail in Logan and afterwards testified agin’ them in a trial. The McCoys were ‘sent up’ for the killin’. Then in August ‘Uncle’ Ellison went to Pike county to ‘work’ at the polls, and it was so ordered that he was working for a man that the McCoys were agin’. Well, the only thing that could happen did happen. One of Randall McCoy’s sons, just a little twenty-one-year-old shaver, started a argument with ‘Uncle’ Ellison, and Ellison, who was always too high tempered for his own good, slapped him down. The little feller bounced up, and Ellison slapped him down agin’. But this time he jumped on top of him, and ’bout the time he drawed back his fist, aimin’ to end the fight, a shot rung out and ‘Uncle’ Ellison toppled over. He weren’t dead though. He told his friends to call ‘Devil’ Anse, who come a runnin’, and the McCoys ‘cleared out.’ ‘Devil’ Anse took his brother home and he lived from that Saturday until the next Wednesday. Just before he died, he said to Anse: ‘Anse, I want you to give the McCoys the ‘law’.’ And that’s what ‘Devil’ Anse did. He gave ’em the ‘law’ as he knowed it–and that was just about the only law in them days–and lived to see the justice handed out. And, well, you know as much about what happened after ‘Uncle’ Ellison died as I do. I don’t want to add any more tales to the list.”

We took the hint, and willingly began to talk about the celebration of “Aunt Nancy’s” birthday last September when she fell off her back porch and was told by one of her sons that “she shouldn’t have been trying to turn handsprings at her age.”

“I wasn’t hurt bad enough to keep me from cuttin’ my birthday cake. And I gave Bob the smallest piece because he was so smart about me fallin’.”

Nancy Hatfield v. The Little Kanawha Lumber Company (1892)

07 Saturday Jul 2018

Posted by in Hatfield-McCoy Feud, Timber, Women's History

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Historians have well-documented Anderson Hatfield’s timber activity. In 1892, Nancy Hatfield, wife of Cap, sued the Little Kanawha Lumber Company. Here are transcriptions of a few court documents.

DOCUMENT 1

Nancy Hatfield

vs.

The Little Kanawha Lumber Company

Civil Action

Summons issued June 29, 1892 by G.W. Morgan, a Justice of Logan County, W.Va., and returnable at the residence of Cap Hatfield on Main Island Creek in Logan District of said County on the 14th day of July 1892. Residence of Cap Hatfield June 14, 1892. Summons returned duly executed by P.A. Farley, a constable of said county. Present the plaintiff in person and by Counsel Jno. A. Sheppard. No person appearing for the defendant. G.W. Morgan the Justice issuing the summons being absent and sick and the plaintiff being ready for trial the undersigned Justice of said county having waited on hour after the time set for trial and the defendant still failing to appear. After hearing the evidence offered by the plaintiff doth find for the plaintiff and assess her damages at $50.00. Judgment is therefore rendered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant for the sum of $50.00 and her costs in this behalf expended.

Given under my hand this June 14, 1892.

Patterson Christian, Justice

DOCUMENT 2

The Little Kanawha Lumber Company

To Nancy Hatfield

To damage by splashing to bottom creek bank &c of land on Island Creek, $75.00

To fence gate &c splashed away & cost of replacing, $25.00

To timber out, $25.00

Total: $125.00

Cr. by cash on same, $10.00

DOCUMENT 3

APPEAL BOND

Know all men by these presents that we Little Kanawha Lumber Company and G.W. Taylor are held and firmly bound unto the state of West Virginia in the just and full sum of one hundred dollars for the true payment whereof well and truly to be made we bind ourselves heirs and personal representatives jointly severally and firmly by these presents sealed with our seals and dated this the 20th day of July 1892.

The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas on the 14th day of July 1892 a Judgment was rendered by Patterson Christian a justice of the peace against the Little Kanawha Lumber Company in favor off Nancy Hatfield in the sum of $50.00 with interest from date and cost in a cause pending before said Christian J.P. wherein said Nancy Hatfield was plaintiff and said Little Kanawha Lumber Company was defendant and said Little Kanawha Lumber Company desiring an appeal from the decision of said justice in rendering said judgment tenders this bond for that purpose. Now if the above bond Little Kanawha Lumber Company and G.W. Taylor do pay off and satisfy any judgment rendered against them by the Circuit Court of Logan County on said appeal then this obligation to be void otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

Little Kanawha Lumber Co.

G.W. Taylor

Approved this July 20, 1892

Patterson Christian, J.P.

NOTE: This case had nothing to do with the Hatfield-McCoy Feud.

Johnson Hatfield (1890-1900)

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Culture of Honor, Gilbert, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, Matewan, Pikeville

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From the Logan County Banner of Logan, WV, and the Huntington Advertiser of Huntington, WV, come the following items relating to Johnson Hatfield:

Johnson Hatfield Notice of Deposition LCB 02.20.1890.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 20 February 1890. Also appeared on 13 March 1890.

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Johnson Hatfield v. N&W RR LCB 07.30.1891.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 30 July 1891.

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We are glad to see that Johnson Hatfield, who has been confined to his room for the last ___ weeks, is able to be on the street again.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 2 March 1893.

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There was an unfortunate difficulty at Matewan on Sunday last in which Mr. Johnson Hatfield was severely wounded through the hand. His son had become involved with an officer which drew his father into the trouble.

Source: Southern West Virginian via the Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 1 January 1896.

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Johnson Hatfield, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Dollie, left on Monday last for a visit to friends and relatives in Mingo county.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 23 January 1897.

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Johnson Hatfield and daughter, Miss Dollie, have returned from a visit to friends on Sandy.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 6 February 1897.

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Johnson Hatfield, the genial proprietor of the Oakland Hotel, is visiting friends at Pikeville, Kentucky.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 28 August 1897.

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Johnson Hatfield has returned from a visit to Pikeville, Ky.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 9 October 1897.

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Johnson Hatfield is at Williamson this week.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 23 October 1897.

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The many friends of Mrs. Johnson Hatfield will regret to learn of her serious illness. She has a very bad attack of rheumatism.

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 13 November 1897.

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Johnson Hatfield and wife, of Mingo, passed through here [Chafinsville] last Sunday en route for Vanceville, where they will make their future home.

Source: Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 21 April 1898.

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HATFIELD KIDNAPPED.

TAKEN TO KENTUCKY ON A SERIOUS CHARGE–NOW IN JAIL.

Johnson Hatfield was arrested yesterday and taken to Pikesville, Kentucky, and lodged in jail on a charge of being an accomplice in the murder of Alifair McCoy on New Years night about nine years ago. This murder was committed during the feud of the Hatfields and McCoys.

Source: Huntington (WV) Advertiser, 20 July 1898.

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Johns Hatfield Captured LCB 07.21.1898

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 21 July 1898.

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Johnson Hatfield Interview LCB 8.11.1898.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 11 August 1898.

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Johnson Hatfield LCB 10.20.1898.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 20 October 1898.

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Johnson Hatfield LCB 1.19.1899.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 19 January 1899.

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Johnson Hatfield Gets Life HuA 01.21.1899.JPG

Huntington (WV) Advertiser, 21 January 1899.

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Johnson Hatfield LCB 4.12.00.JPG

Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 12 April 1900.

NOTE: Not all of these stories may pertain to the Johnson “Johnse” Hatfield of Hatfield-McCoy Feud fame. For instance, items relating to the Oakland Hotel and a daughter named Dollie relate to a Johnson Hatfield (born 1837), son of George and Nancy (Whitt) Hatfield.