I made a risky decision the other day, when I posted a couple of pictures of Kentucky McCoys, but neglected to post a single one of the West Virginia Hatfields.

You can’t be too careful where generational feuds are concerned, so to be on the safe side, I’d like to share a few pictures of the Hatfields. In an odd kind of way, they remind me of the Barrymore family in that they really knew how to take a picture.  The Hatfields had their own sense of presence!

You’ll notice the patriarch of the family is front and center. Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield was born in 1839, and he was reputed to be so tough, he could take on the devil himself, hence the nickname Devil Anse–which was bestowed upon him by his mother.

The Hatfield patriarch “Devil Anse”

The photogenic Hatfield family in 1897. Devil Anse is seated, second from the left in the middle row, holding his shotgun.

There was a theme to the Hatfield family photographs

Devil Anse with the Hatfield family    

Devil Anse gravesite