Ephraim Hatfield
Ephraim Hatfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1811 |
| Died | 1881 (aged 69–70) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
Branch |  Confederate States Army |
Service years | 1861–1865 |
| Unit | 45th Virginia Infantry Battalion |
Conflicts | American Civil War |
Ephraim Hatfield (1811-1881) was a farmer, landowner,[1] and confederate soldier.[2] Tax records show that before the American Civil War he was an important landowner. During the American Civil War he fought on the side of the Confederates. When he died in 1881 his grave became one of the first graves in Hatfield Cemetery. On his death, he left land to his children, but disinherited his son Devil Anse Hatfield.
Life
[edit]Ephraim Hatfield was born in 1811 to Valentine Hatfield and Martha Weddington.[3][4][5] He was named after his grandfather.[6] At the age of 16 he married Nancy Vance when she was 15,[5] and the couple moved to Mate Creek. They had 18 children, with only 10 of them surviving to adulthood.[5]
During this time, Hatfleld reportedly acted as the local justice of peace and resolved conflicts between neighbors, but was reported to be a quiet man.[7]
In 1846, tax records show that he owned 215 acres of land on Mates Creek.[8] 1850, he owned 2 more tracts of land, one on Double Camp Fork and the other on Strait Fork.[8]
Hatfield was reportedly over 7 feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds.[5] His huge size gained him the nickname Big Eaf.[7] A newspaper published in 1895 tells a story of how he killed a bear in a fight:[9] Another newspaper published in 1950 tells a similar story of how he killed a panther with a hunting knife.[10] This tale gained him the nickname Old Panther Killer.[11]
During the American Civil War Hatfield enlisted in the 45th Virginia Infantry Battalion when he was 51 years old.[2]
Hatfield died in 1881 and was buried in Newton cemetery on Mates Creek.[12] Today the cemetery is known as Hatfield Cemetery, and his grave is the earliest grave there.[13]
Children
[edit]Ephraim had the following children:[3][14]
- Valentine born in 1834
- Elizabeth born in 1836
- Martha born in 1838
- Anderson (Devil Anse) born in 1839[15]
- Ellison born 1842
- Elias born in 1848
- Emma born in 1849
- Smith born in 1854
- Patterson born in 1854
- Biddie
References
[edit]- ^ Jenny, Presnell (2000). "Hatfield, William Anderson (09 September 1839–06 January 1921)". American National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.2001771.
- ^ a b Robertson & Davis 2009, p. 59.
- ^ a b Waller 2012, p. xiv-xv.
- ^ Hatfield 1974, p. 185.
- ^ a b c d Rice 1982, p. 3.
- ^ Alther 2013, p. 15.
- ^ a b Waller 2012, p. 35.
- ^ a b Waller 2012, p. 266.
- ^ "Ephraim and the Bear". Columbus Daily Times. November 23, 1895. p. 3.
- ^ Admin (2010-04-11). "Hatfield Pioneers". Logan County, WV History. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Alther 2013, p. 16.
- ^ Waller 2012, p. 267.
- ^ Michael J. Pauley (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Hatfield Cemeteries in Southwestern West Virginia" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
- ^ Hatfield 1974, p. 188.
- ^ Jenny, Presnell (2000). "Hatfield, William Anderson (09 September 1839–06 January 1921)". American National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.2001771.
Bibliography
[edit]Hatfield, George Elliott (1974). The Hatfields. Big Sandy Valley Historical Society.
Robertson, James I; Davis, William C (2009). Virginia at War, 1863. Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. ISBN 9780813125107.
Rice, Otis K. (December 31, 1982). The Hatfields and the McCoys. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813114590.
Waller, Altina L. (2012). Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860–1900. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9781469609713.
King, Dean (May 14, 2013). The Feud:The Hatfields and McCoys: The True Story. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316224789.
Alther, Lisa (February 5, 2013). Blood Feud:The Hatfields and the McCoys: The Epic Story of Murder and Vengeance. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0762779185.