Biography
Hatfield was born in Logan, Virginia (now Logan, West Virginia), the son of Ephraim Hatfield, whose ancestors came from Yorkshire, and Nancy Vance. He ran a logging operation, which accrued much wealth for his extended family.
There are a number of stories about the origin of his nickname, "Devil Anse": that it was given to him by his mother or by Randolph McCoy, or earned from his bravery during battle in the American Civil War, or as contrast to his good-tempered cousin, Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield.
A Southern sympathizer, Hatfield formed a Confederate guerrilla fighting unit during the Civil War that he named "The Logan Wildcats." In 1865, he was suspected of having been involved in the murder of his rival Asa Harmon McCoy, who had fought for the Union Army and was waylaid by The Wildcats on his return home. Hatfield had been home ill at the time of the killing, which was likely committed at the instigation of his uncle, Jim Vance. This may have sparked the beginning of the notorious feud between the two families that claimed many lives on both sides.
Hatfield was baptized on September 23, 1911 in Island Creek and converted to Christianity. He went on to found a Church of Christ congregation in West Virginia.
Read more about this topic: Devil Anse Hatfield
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