The Other Feud: William Anderson Devil Anse Hatfield in the Civil War

A little known fact about the Hatfield and McCoy Feud is that nearly all of the men involved were also Civil War veterans. The Hatfield patriarch, William Anderson Devil Anse Hatfield, served in the Confederate army 1861-1865. He fought in numerous skirmishes along the border territories of western Virginia and Kentucky. Unfortunately, most popular accounts of Devil Anse’s Confederate service are based on legends rather than facts. Many also overlooked important details linking his Civil War service to the famous feud. Using official military records, newspaper accounts, and other historic sources, the author debunks several myths and sheds more insight into one of the most mysterious characters in American folk history.

Dr. Hatfield dispels many of the longstanding myths and misrepresentations about the legendary feudist’s wartime exploits and provides a well-researched glimpse of wartime conditions in the mountainous region. - James M. Prichard, historian