The Cap Hatfield Gravesite includes the graves of William Anderson "Cap" Hatfield II, his wife Nancy E. Smith Hatfield, and other family members. The plot and monument are enclosed by a metal fence in a small cemetery devoted to the Hatfield family near Stirratt, West Virginia. Cap Hatfield was instrumental in the revival of the Hatfield–McCoy feud.
Cap Hatfield Gravesite | |
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| Location | Overlooking 81 Knights Landing Road, Stirrat, West Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 37°43′06″N 81°59′43″W / 37.71833°N 81.99528°W |
| Area | less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1930 |
| NRHP reference No. | 100010289[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 2024 |
Biography
editCap Hatfield (1864-August 22, 1930) was the son of [[Devil Anse Hatfield|William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield (1832-1921), leader of the Hatfield family during the Hatfield–McCoy feud. Cap was named for his father, gaining his nickname "Cap" from his father's post as a captain of the Logan Wildcats, a local militia group. The Hatfields and McCoys lives close to each other in the Tug Fork valley, coming into frequent conflict over property disputes. These arguments escalated into violence by 1880, following a trial over a hog whose ownership was disputed between the Hatfields and McCoys, and following a pattern of revenge going back to the American Civil War. In 1880 two McCoys killed Bill Staton, a relative of both families, who had testified concerning the hog. In 1882, Tolbert McCoy claimed that Elias Hatfield owed him money, and the two fought, with Elias Hatfield losing to the bigger Tolbert. Ellison Hatfield then offered to fight Tolbert as a closer match, but Tolbert attacked Ellison with a knife, and two of Tolbert's brothers joined the fight. Ellison, using a rock, was holding his own, but was shot by Pharmer McCoy, and then stabbed by Randolph McCoy, Jr. The McCoys were arrested, but were intercepted on the way to the Pikeville, Kentucky jail by Hatfields. When Ellison died from his wounds, Devil Anse and others including Cap killed the McCoys.[2]
Despite warrants, none of the Hatfields were arrested. Instead in 1886, Cap Hatfield, who was an acting constable, and Tom Wallace, whipped Mary McCoy Daniels and Nancy McCoy Hatfield, the wife of Cap's older brother. Cap believed the women had warned the McCoys of an ambush by Anse that killed John and Henderson Scott instead of Randall and Calvin McCoy, the intended targets. Nancy's brother Jeff McCoy went with Josiah Hurley to Cap's house looking for Wallace, who had been described as the main attacker. Cap Hatfield was not there, but Wallace was, and he was taken away by McCoy and Hurley. Wallace managed to escape back to the Hatfield place, where he barricaded himself, with McCoy and Hurley shooting into the house, which also occupied by Cap's wife Nancy Smith Hatfield.[2]
Cap had himself appointed special constable and arrested McCoy and Hurley, but Hurley escaped and McCoy was killed by Cap while attempting to escape. By this time the feud had been publicized, and the Hatfields were indicted in Kentucky.[2]
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Weekly Lists 2024". National Park Service. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Lasure, Julia (July 24, 2023). "National Register of Historic Palces Registration Form - Cap Hatfield Gravsite" (PDF). West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. National Park Service. Retrieved 29 November 2024.