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Herald Editor "Devil Anse's" cousin. E. S. Hatfield, ed, son of Humphrey, son of Andrew
Beckley Post-Herald
Beckley, West Virginia •
Mon, Oct 22, 1973 p4
CLIPPED BY
wetzupdoc • 03 December 2024
•Yesterday And Today
Herald Editor Was 'Devil Anse's' Cousin By SHIRLEY DONNELLY
It was unknown to me that one of the editor predecessors of Emile Hodel on the Beckley Post-Herald was a Hatfield until the day this column was typed. It was 66 years ago way back in 1907 - that E. S. Hatfield was editor of a Beckley publication which was one of two predecessors into the Beckley Post-Herald. It was The Raleigh Herald that enjoyed the services of E.S. Hatfield as editor.
ACCORDING to my research notes, E. S. Hatfield's father was Humphrey Hatfield, a Civil War veteran, who had the misfortune to be captured and held by the Union authorities as a prisoner-of-war at Point Lookout, Va.
When the POW was finally released he headed for Wyorning County in 1865, but 15 years of age.
The father of E. S. Hatfield, the Beckley editor, was the son of Andrew Hatfield.
ANDREW AND Ephraim ("Big Eph"') Hatfield were brothers. What was more, Ephraim ("Big Eph") was the father of William Anderson ("Devil Anse") Hatfield (Sept. 9, 1838 - Jan. 6, 1921).
Andrew Hatfield, grandfather of the Beckley editor, was born in Mingo County, which up to 1895 was a part of Logan County.
The Beckley editor was a blood relative of "Devil Anse," or first cousin once removed of the feudist whose fame is furthered by the Hatfield-McCoy drama enacted every summer at Cliffside Amphit Theatre here near Beckley.
EMPHRIAM Hatfield was nicknamed "Big Eph" because of his leviathan stature.
He married Nancy Vance. She was the daughter of the ill-fated Elder Abner Vance who lived near Abingdon, Va. Elder Vance was a minister in the Primitive Baptist Church, often derisively called the "Hard shell" Baptist Church and some times spoken of as the Old Regular Baptist Church.
THE HOME of the old preacher was in Clinch Valley near Abingdon. In his family was a grown daughter who was the apple of his eye.
Living in the area where the Vances resided was a Dr. Horton who made love to the preacher's pride and joy. Horton talked the girl into running away with him under the promise of marrying her.
Instead of keeping his promise to marry the girl, Dr. Horton debauched her and brought her back to her home. When the couple reached the Vance home the Vances were sitting at the dinner table. In vulgar language, the seducer called the father's attention to the use to which his daughter had been put.
Then he turned to ride away.
DRIVEN TO livid rage against the man, Elder Vance reached for his trusted mountain rifle which hung in a rack over the door. Horton lost no time in getting away but stopped to let his mount drink in the ford of the Clinch River.
While Horton was thus stopped, Vance took aim on him and pulled the trigger. Horton was hit in the back of the head and killed instantly.
A little later, Dan Horton, the dead doctor's brother, found his brother and pulled his body upon the bank. To this day that spot is called Horton's Ford.
REALIZING that he had killed the man, Vance became a fugitive from justice. He was gone for several years.
Finally, concluding that feeling against him had died out, Vance returned home. He surrendered to the law authorities who jailed him on a murder charge. He was given a hasty trial and sentenced to hang.
Apparently since Vance had shot his victim in the back of the head, the jury decided he should be hanged for the shooting. He was.
WHILE awaiting his date with the hangman, Vance wrote a long ballad, a plaintive composition. It was about the 1800 that Elder Vance met his fate.
One of his granddaughters married Ephraim Hatfield and was the mother of "Devil Anse" Hatfield.
Jim Vance, another of the grandchildren of Elder Vance, was one of the participants in the Hatfield-McCoy feud. He was killed by Frank Phillips, a deputy sheriff, Jan. 19, 1889..
United States
West Virginia
Beckley
Beckley Post-Herald
1973
Oct
22
Page 4
Herald Editor "Devil Anse's" cousin. E. S. Hatfield, ed, son of Humphrey, son of Andrew
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