Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-01-18
"DEviL ANSE" PASSES
Sons of Famous Feud Fighter Become
Friends at His Funeral. i.'


Friends at His Funeral. s..
Captain Anderson {Devil Anse)
Hatfield, one time Confederate army
officer and for many years thereafter
one Of the most famous and pictures
que feudists in the mountains OF West
Virginia, who died Friday was buried
Monday beside his two sons, Tory and
Elias, in the family plot, three hun
dred feet beneath. the mountain range
which sheds its waters into the Zig
Sandy on the! !"one side and: the
Guayndotte on the other, says a. Lon
don, w. Va dispatch. The! serviees
were attended by eleven survivors,
children. most Of them, forty grand
children, several great-grand- children
and about IS. direct descendants. =.
The funeral throughout was char
acterized by "a series of dramatic oc-
currences which those present con-
sidered fittingly. consistent with the
burial of Devil Anse." Before the
march to the cemetery began. the
long estranged brothers, were clasp
ed over the coffin. These were Cap"
Hatfield. the fathers namesake, and
feud lieutenant and DR.. E. r. Hatfield,
of Charleston. The reconciliation
was attended by a general demon
stration of sorrow among those at the
funeral. $50; -...'' '....,
AS the procession moved, the res
toration of lgood will between the
brothers formed the chief subject of
discussion, and at the grave. before
the body was. lowered. Cap" Hatfield
addressed Uncle Dyke" Garrett, an
old preacher and friend Of the fam
lily and told him that he had made
his peace with God and was ready to
be baptized" whenever the minister
would say the word. -..r - ID
n will baptizc you, boy" respond
ed the i clergyman: 'in the very
hole where l baptized your pappy."
To this Cap" Hatfield dramatically
raised his hands above his head in
the attitude of sotemnly vowing and
declaring that he was done with fight
ing, that in his heart there no longer
ranked malice and that ii any man
sought his lifeblood, he would not re-
sist. -. .,.-.. .
There was no funeral sermon by
Uncle Dyke" but the Rev. Green
McNelly, companion preacher, and
who. by the older man, was familiary
referred to az my son-in-t gospel"
spoke briefly. not on the life Of Devil
Anse," but on "the lesson Of death"
There was mournful music at the
house. however, before the Journey
to the place Of burial was begun.
Gathered on the porch Of the Hat
field home, and about the body lying
in a golden oak coffin, an :assemblagei
of men and women consumed the
time with the singing of the old time
camp meeting hymns. "Sim" Thonp-
son, famed throughout this mountain
region as a leader in psalm singing,
directed the music. So numerous
did the mourners become at this un-
usual meeting they were directed to
the rear door;!'of the house wherei'it
formed in line and proceeded through
the hall and passed the spot where
the dead feudist lay
The day was raw and ugly. rain
and snow falling alternately. In sthis
relentless downpour, the crowd stood
uncomplainingly. but it was found
necessary frequently to hold an UNI
brella over the casket to save the
corpse from being drenched.
Anderson Hatfield was born on
Mate creek, Logan county, 81 years
ago last September, according to
members OF the family. Mate creek
is now in Mingo county. He served
in the Confederate army as men,
Der and later as captain Of the COM
pany A. Forty-flfth Virginia infan.
try. After the war he was the leader
of the Hatfield clan in the world
famous Hatfield Mccoy feud which
continued over Is years and in which
thirty-five men and one woman died.
For years after the former feud
leader had taken up his residence on
the. Matewan crest and settled in
peaceful existence the Kentucky au-
thorities sought him. There was a
price on his head, but one governor
Of West Virginia after another re-
fused to honor acquisitions for. him
and finally the effort was abandoned.