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| Levisa Hatfield, wife of Devil Anse |
Even those far removed from the tri-state area are familiar with one of the most famous feuds in history: The Hatfields vs. McCoys. With such a long and violent history, there has to be more than a few ghost stories associated with these two warring families, and one such story in particular involves the final resting place of much of the Hatfield clan.
Located in the Sarah Ann area of Logan County, the Hatfield family cemetery sits high up on a hill. Overlooking generations of Hatfields stands an imposing statue of William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, the family patriarch. The statue faces Island Creek and is oriented with his back "forever turned upon the Tug Fork Country and the McCoys".
"Devil Anse" was born on September 9, 1839. The reason for his colorful nickname is unknown, but plenty of theories have been put forth, including it being a testament to his bravery during his service to the Confederate Army during the Civil War. As part of his allegiance to the cause, Devil Anse helped found a group of Home Guards, known as the Logan Wildcats, to protect the Tug Fork area. This group was responsible for the murder of a member of the McCoy family, home on medical leave from the Union. Although relations between the two families were already rocky, this act of violence further fueled the feud.
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| Hatfield Family Cemetery ca 1925 Source: WV History on View |
After the war, Devil Anse bought up some land in the area, and became prominent in the timber business...as well as in the illegal moonshining business. Meanwhile, the feud between the families raged on, resulting in his being complicit in several additional murders of McCoys. On September 23, 1911 he publicly tried to turn his image around and was baptized by the famous mountain preacher, William Garrett in nearby Island Creek.
On January 6, 1921, Devil Anse succumbed to pneumonia in his Sarah Ann home. But, even the grave couldn't keep ol' Devil Anse down.
It is said that on dark and foggy nights, the spirit of Devil Anse steps down off his tombstone pedestal and rallies his men, mainly his nine sons, and makes his way down the hillside. Drivers going past the cemetery have seen a group of men congregating by the small bridge near the cemetery sign. Here, the spirits await William Garrett to also arise from his grave, where he baptizes them in the small creek. Upon their posthumous baptism, washing away their sins, the spirits disappear, only to repeat the process over and over through time.
Sources and Further Reading:
Find-a-Grave: Hatfield Family Cemetery
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