The Logan Wildcats of Logan County
Confederate veterans, the “Logan Wildcats” 1900 Reunion at Camp Straton, Chapmanville, WV. Second from the left is Ed Garrett. Sitting is Alex Burton and behind him is Uncle Dyke Garrett, On Uncle Dyke’s left is Henry Clay Ragland. Photo credit: Harlan Justice 430 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, West Virginia. Courtesy of Michele Ryan Kahle.
The Logan County Wildcats were a company of the 36th Virginia Infantry comprised of about 300 men from Logan County, WV. A group of Confederate irregulars formed by Anderson ‘‘Devil Anse’’ Hatfield also called themselves the “Logan Wildcats”. Led by Devil Anse, they picked off dozens of Unions soldiers including Pvt. Harmon McCoy. Credit: www.wvencyclopedia.org.
Devil Anse had three brothers: Smith, Ellison and Elias. It’s been reported that two of his brothers were also part of his Logan Wildcats guerrilla band. The youngest brother, Smith was born in 1853 and too young to be part of the Logan Wildcats. Ellison Hatfield was in the Battle of Gettysburg. When Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, one of the young officers who surrendered his command was Lieutenant Ellison Hatfield. Therefore, this leaves only Elias as maybe being part of the Logan Wildcats guerrilla band.
The Logan Wild Cats’ Battle Flag. Courtesy of Connie Woods. Holding the flag on the left is Henry Clay Ragland who in 1888 started publishing the Logan Banner. Holding the flag on the right, is Astynax McDonald. “The flag was made by the wives and sweethearts of men from Peach Creek.” — Dodie (Smith) Browning.
Logan Banner clipping courtesy of Vera Downs Sengstock.
Below is a list of the Logan Wildcats gleaned from the Logan Banner articles of Oct. 2, 1903 and Feb. 26, 1904. A big thanks to Brandon Ray Kirk for searching through the Logan County Banner microfilm at the WV State Archives in Charleston to find these two articles.
Logan Banner List of the Logan Wildcats
| John W. Adams Jim Allen Wallace Averill Hugh Avis Enoch Baker Floyd Barker Eli Blankenship Jno. Blankenship Jno. Blevins James Washington “Black Jim” Blevins Jim Blevins George Booth Anthony Breeven Mitchell Browning John Bruster Alexander “Zan” Bryant Hiram Burgess Alex Burton F. Buskirk Hugh Butcner Lewis Cary William Cary Chris Chafin Bill Chambers Calhoun Chapman Daniel R. Clark Anderson Clendenon Garland “Bock” Conley Tom Conley George W. Crump Ed Dalton Andy Dempsey Mark Dempsey Lorenzo Deskins Floyd I. Dingess Jim Dingess Jerry Doss Martin A. Doss Perry A. Doss William Duty Bill Ellis Simpkin Ellis Shade Estep Hensley Evans Bill Farley Jesse Farley Thomas B. Farley William Anderson Farley, Jr. Windham Farmer Fulton Ferrell Richard Ferrell Bush Floyd Rufus Frye Ed Garrett W. Dyke Garrett George Godby B. S. Hager Ryland Hager Allen Hale David Hale Anderson ‘‘Devil Anse’’ Hatfield Elias Hatfield Jim Henderson Charles Johnson Dow Kelly Henry Lake Guy Lawson |
John Lawson Ed Lilly John Liter John T. Litten Joseph Bradley Lowe Bill Lucas John B. Mangus Thos. Maynard James McCoy Thomas McCoy A. S. McDonald Astynax McDonald Boliver McDonald Hamilton McDonald Scott McDonald Albert McNeely Benfort McNeely Kelly McNeely Riley McNeely John W. Neece William Nelson Jno. Messer Mat Pauley Dow Perry John Peters Joe Phipps Dick Poindexter Overton Price Hiram Pridemore Henry Clay Ragland John Riffe Lewis Sartain George Scaggs Allen J. Shepherd Jacob Shadrach ? Simpkins Dan Smoot Ben Spencer Beverly Spencer Charles Stafford F. S. Stafford J. W. Stafford Lorenzo Stallings Charles Staton Dow Steel L. B. Stollings R. J. Stollings Madison D. Stone Benj. Straton John Suter Andy Thompson John Thompson George W. Toney Marvel Vance Roll Vance Henderson Wallen Martin Wallen John Walls John Wessen Harmon White Jno. White Rube White Holly Whitman James Hubbard Williams Jeremiah Yates |
If you have any information about the Logan Wildcats, please leave a comment, but please note that this the list of names is from the Logan Banner articles of Oct. 2, 1903 and Feb. 26, 1904. Therefore, the above list will stay as shown.
Civil War Veterans
Related links:
- The West Virginia Encyclopedia – Logan Wildcats
- The Civil War in Logan County – an article by Dwight Williamson
- Rev. W. D. “Uncle Dyke” Garrett
*The content on this page is for educational purposes and is used in accordance with the Fair Use Law (Per Title 17—United States Code—Section 107). This is a not-for-profit website and absolutely no commercial gain is derived from its operation and publication by the owner.
David Hale was my 2X grandfather. He was a Logan Wildcat and was a Union POW at the notorious Point Lookout prison in MD.
Garland Bock Conley and Tom Conley were brother to my Husbands 4th Great Grandfather James Washington Conley most of the brothers were Civil War Confederates its nice to find more information.
While reading through the info posted by the administrator, I noticed that Anse Hatfield is credited with “picking off” Harmon McCoy during the war. There’s no evidence that this is true. After the turn of the century, it was reported as fact in some books abt the feud written by descendants of Devil Anse. Asa Harmon McCoy survived a gunshot wound he received, sometime in 1862, after he was shot by a bushwhacker in Pike County. He was recovering at home when he was captured Dec. 5th 1862 by the VA State Line, along with abt 10 other men from the Peter Creek community of Pike Co. They were marched to Wytheville, VA then transported on foot & sometimes on cattle cars to Richmond & placed in a Confederate prison. He was released 4 months later & taken to a Union hospital in Annapolis, MD where he was treated for the festering wound he had received almost a year before. Described by doctors as a ball entering through the sternum and exiting between ribs 5 & 7 and “oozing the same color fluid that he was also coughing up”. After several months he was discharged , & while travelling through Catlettsburg, he enlisted in the 45th KY Infantry. While serving with the 45th he was injured during a skirmish in Breathitt Co in 1864 & spent time in a Lexington, KY regimental hospital. His injury is described as “a fib tib fracture of the right leg”.
December 24th 1864 my 2X great-grandfather was mustered out of the 45th KY Infantry when the regiment was dissolved.
He returned to Peter Creek & was shot & killed Jan 7th 1865 by Anse’s Logan Wildcats. No one admitted to the murder, but according to family lore Jim Vance was the culprit.
Unlike book writers from days gone by, we now have the ability to see records that were once only assessible at the National Archives.
Whomever shot Asa was definitely not James Vance. James was never associated with the 45th or Logan Wildcats. He was off with another military unit and served until the war was over.
My 2x great grandmothers grandpa devil anse was in the logan Wildcats
My great great grandfather, Richard J. Ferrell, served in Co. B of the 36th VA Infantry. It was Co. B that was designated as the “Logan Wildcats.” Co. D was called the “Boone Rangers.” Neither of these were the same as the irregular group connected with Anse Hatfield, also called the “Logan Wildcats.” Richard J. Ferrell’s cousin Richard M Ferrell was a lieutenant in Co. D. I’m most likely related to the Blankenships, Ferrells, Staffords and Thompsons listed here.
to J. Glenn Ferrell: Your post interests me: I have cause to believe that my 3rd great uncle was in Co.B of the 36th VA. His name: Jesse Weber Bean (1817-1905). His grave marker reads “6th VA” but he was from Logan and elsewhere in McDowell Co. Do reply to me if you are of a mind. I’d like more of your perspective. mikvan52 at vermontel dot net.
I’m doing more work on assembling members of various Companies of the 36th Virginia. As the war continued the (official) companies of the 36th combined. This makes it difficult to assign may of the men in the photos to specific outfits. Add to this, many individauls signed up for multiple tours of duty and were also furloughed from to time. IOW: they went home during the war. If you want to see my work, go to two projects on geni.com:
https://www.geni.com/projects/36th-Virginia-Volunteer-Infantry-Regiment-CSA/4497901
&
https://www.geni.com/projects/36th-Virginia-Company-D/4497929
A good number of the men are now in the process of being assembled there.
Furthermore: Considering all the deaths and imprisonments, by the end of the War Essentially Co’s B,C,D, & H of the 36th VA all eventually became one company. B,C, & H were raised in Logan County though not all men were residents.
Consequently, by the time of the reunions, it is plausible that men from any of the four Companies may have called themselves Logan Wildcats. Then again, there would be others as well who never mustered in the 36th (!)
My 2x great grandfather, John M. Romans was a member of the Logan County Wildcats. Here is a link to his military records on Fold3: https://www.fold3.com/image/12248441?terms=John%20Romans.
Guy Lawson and Thomas B. Farley are my ancestors. Farley ancestors were in Jamestown VA very early. The Lawson’s were related to the Farley’s. Also the Dingess’s probably go back to Peter Dingess served in the Revolutionary War.
I would like to share a family Photo of George W Toney. I see his name of the roll . How can I do that?
To share a photo, please email it to the admin at loganwv.us@gmail.com. Thanks.
Also wouldn’t James Dalton be added into the list of names? And I believe there might have been some McClouds as well.
Joel Louis Angle (1826 – 1875) married Mary Ann Wills in 1854. The marriage license reads, “occupation carpenter and miller.” He enlisted in the Confederate Army as a Private on October 14, 1864 and was a member of the 2nd Company B (“The Logan Company Wildcats”) of the 36th Virginia Infantry. He was released from service, in order to operate a mill for food supplies much needed by both civilians and the army. Joel drowned in 1875, when he had a heart attack and fell into the millrace of his mill. The mill itself was still inoperation as late as 1960. Joel and Mary Ann had eight children. Mary Ann’s sister, Sarah Frances Wills, married Joel’s brother, Nathaniel.
Also doing family research, looks like Rube White is my great grandfather!
Ranger95 is an excellent resource. It has the Union and Confederate Companies. Just click on the soldier. The Confederate is more complete. Down at the bottom (CSA) is the Virginia State Line. Before they were requited into the Major eventual Units. It also has the Major Battles listed and briefs on the Battles.
This is the first time I heard of the Logan Wildcats. I did some research on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com looking for my great grandfather Moses Tiller he was born in 1839 and he was in the Civil War. I have an old picture in an oval frame that looks like one of the guys in the wildcats. Are you trying to match faces with the names on your list? Please let me know how we can match up this picture I have with one of the guys in the picture? My name is Freda Stafford.
I added his photo (above). Yes, I see the resemblance also. Hopefully, we will get a listing of the names that attended this reunion soon.
Joseph Vance, son of Abner Vance Jr., is listed as a prisoner of war in Camp Chase, OH. On the document it shows he was a part of the 36th unit, Logan. His number is 2413. This is 3rd great grandfather. The link to the document is:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1124/M598_24-0212?pid=128812&backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/108997215/person/250083781039/gallery&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZyZ940&usePUBJs=true
I have been to camp
Chase in Columbus, Ohio. It sits off Sullivant Ave still. I have some Coopers buried in there. I also drill a couple blocks away from cemetery. I can look
When I go up there tomorrow. My GGF is Ephraim Hatfield.
Just a quick comment about one of the photo captions: The Logan County Banner, as it was originally named, began in 1889, not 1888.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Perry&GSfn=John+&GSmn=Hinchman&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=52&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=35103938&df=all&. My great great grandfather. Family legend says he was involved with hanging a Hatfield boy. Afterwards, he moved his family in the middle of the night from Logan WV to Kanawha County WV. Running from Devil Anse.
Do you have a name for the Hatfield boy? Could he have gone by a different surname?
Mounts was the last name. Nick named Cotton Top. First name was Ellison after his father Ellison Hatfield.
My grandfather, Francis Garnett Hatfield, was from Bedford, Indiana. I imagine we are related by marriage, based on the name. His great, or great-great uncle Anse and a number of other Hatfields, are buried in the Bedford cemetery.
My Great Great Grandfather Issac Brown was shot in the back by these bushwackers. He was a Union soldier.
Grover: Where did Isaac Brown live? Near my residence are two hollows named for an Isaac Brown: one is Isaac Branch, the other is Browns Branch. The latter is now known as Abbotts Branch.
My late wife . Norma Hager Burgess. was a grandaughter of Ryland Hager. Thanks for posting the list of the Logan Wildcats.burgesswv@
My grandmother Lillian White Hale’s mother was a Hager. I feel sure she was related to Ryland Hager. Allen Hale and David Hale were mentioned here. Allen Hale was my grandfather and David was his brother.
Norma Hale Robinette – Allen Hale is my 3rd Great Grandfather! I wonder if he is in that 1900 reunion pic somewhere. All the best, Katherine (Hale) McNicholas
My Great Grandfather was Astynex McDonald. He helped form The Wildcats. His enlisted name was Stien. His brother Bud (Boliver) is also in the picture as is Bryan McDonald. I do believe that Scott, the youngest brother, enlisted in the Kentucky Infantry.
“Logan Wildcats” was the unofficial name of company D of the 36th VA Infantry. Anderson Hatfield isn’t on the roster of the 36th VA Infantry (Official Records of the Civil War, fold3.com). The only Hatfield on the roster is Humphrey Hatfield, of Logan Co. Papers are available showing Devil Anse’s enlistment in 1863 in Co B 45th VA Battalion, along with Elias & Ellison Hatfield. According to family stories, he did form a band of Confederate irregulars after his desertion from the 45th & called it the “Logan Wildcats”. When Asa Harmon McCoy was killed by Anse’s band, he was no longer a soldier in the Union Army. He mustered out of service on 24 Dec 1864 in Catlettsburg, KY (fold3.com) & was killed 14 days later on 7 Jan 1865 (Pension records of Union Soldiers fold3).
Also, Ellison Hatfield was a 2nd lieutenant in the 45th VA Battalion, & this battalion didn’t take part in the Battle of Gettysburg. The 45th NC & the 45th GA did take part. Records show that Ellison Hatfield deserted 19 Dec 1864 & was officially dropped from the rolls 3 Mar 1865. He took the Oath of Allegience & was granted amnesty 4 May 1865. (Official Records of the Civil War, fold3.com).
William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield did not serve in the 36th Va. Infantry, rather he was in the 45th Battalion, Virginia Infantry along with 16 other Hatfields (Source: 45th Battalion Virginia Infantry. Smith and Count’s Battalions of Partisan Rangers, Virginia Regimental Histories). The belief that he was in the 36th probably stems from the guerilla unit he formed which, like Company D. Va. Inf, was called the Logan County Wildcats.
My great great grandfather John Maidon Romans was a private in Company B of the 36th Va Infantry Logan Wildcats. I have done a lot of research on my Confederate ancestors and have documented his enlistment and service from his compiled military service record from the National Archives. He is from Marion, Virginia which is in Smyth County. I have not been able to figure out why he joined the Logan Wildcats. His younger brother James HH Romans enlisted in the 4th Virginia Infantry–the ‘Smyth Blues.’ I would have thought he would have enlisted in the same unit. James died at first Manassas, serving under Stonewall Jackson. John Maidon survived the war, became a Methodist minister late in life and is buried at Greenwood Methodist Church Cemetery in Marion, Virginia. He died in 1927. I would love to know if my grandfather attended the reunion pictured in your article and if so, if he is in the photo.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=toney&GSiman=1&GScid=79969&GRid=64837429&
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=toney&GSiman=1&GScid=79969&GRid=92895590&
I have an ancestor whom I believe was a member of the Logan Wildcats.
I reference the above links to the Find-a-grave Web page.
I’ve added George W. Toney to the list. Thank you. — Admin
Yes, Alexander “Zan” Bryant was mentioned in the names, please add him to your list, there was a Logan Banner article about him and he fought along with Devil Anse Hatfield.
His name was added. Thank you! — Admin
I was surprised to find this picture and information when I was searching for a contact for the present day Wildcats! I became a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy about a year ago through my g.g. grandfather Thomas Benton Farley who is named on the list of members! His brother, William Anderson Farley, Jr. joined the cause at the same time but his name is not on the roster. Is this a list of the actual members or of the men in the picture? I assume it is of the members.
Not all of the members are listed. Listed are the known members of the Logan Wildcats taken from the two newspaper articles. I will add William Anderson Farley, Jr. to the roster. Thank you! — Admin
Thank you so much! I live in Mercer County, WV and am in the process of having an Iron Cross (C.S.A.) placed on both graves. It is a long way for our local unit of the Sons of the Confederacy to travel to do some sort of ceremony. Do you know anyone local who is also in that organization who may be willing to do a proper ceremony? Please advise and thanks again! Tammie Zeigler
dear dianna, saw another post regarding Steele Furniture. That was my mothers uncle grover. My mothers maiden name was steele. My grandmother was Carrie Hatfield Steele. She was married to Grovers brother Thomas E. steele. Someone had mentioned a JB steele, he eventually ended up in the Orlando Fl area. My folks n I visted him in 1969. He has since passed.
Regards,
randy Senior
Randy, contact me at childers.diana@rocketmail.com. My Grandfathers sister was married to Grover. Thank’s, Diana
My family was Ralph Steele and some of his brothers were in this group
Thank you so much for posting that photo. I am researching Ale Vinson who was in the 34th Virginia Calvary Vincent A. Witcher’s Battalion Co. B. I have also found him listed in Swann’s Battalion Virginia State Line. Also I found him listed in the Book 10th Kentucky CSA Diamond’s, Well’s Yankee Chaser’s in the Raid at Peach Orchard. I have found more info researching the Cival War so I would recommend it to anyone who is searching. Check all of the companies to find Roster listings. Also in Library of Virginia Civil War Rosters. He had residence at Peach Creek and Eugene, Lenore. He was married to Saraham Blair.