Black Patch Tobacco Wars facts for kids
The Black Patch Tobacco Wars were a time of trouble and fighting in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee around 1904 to 1909. This area, known as the "Black Patch," was famous for growing a special kind of dark tobacco. It got its name because farmers used smoke and fire to dry it after harvesting. This tobacco was mainly used for snuff, chewing tobacco, and pipe tobacco.
The main groups involved were the American Tobacco Company (ATC) and the Dark Tobacco District Planters' Protective Association (PPA). The ATC was a huge company, almost a monopoly, owned by James Buchanan Duke. The PPA was formed by farmers on September 24, 1904. They were upset because the ATC was paying very low prices for their tobacco. The farmers wanted to work together to control their own product and get fair prices.
At first, the PPA wanted farmers to "pool" their tobacco and refuse to sell it until the ATC paid more. When this peaceful plan didn't work, many farmers turned to violence. They formed secret groups called the Silent Brigade or Night Riders. These groups destroyed crops, farm equipment, animals, and tobacco warehouses. They even took over whole towns, like Princeton, Hopkinsville, and Russellville, Kentucky, to burn tobacco warehouses.
Contents
The Main Groups Involved
The American Tobacco Company
James Buchanan Duke from North Carolina was a very driven businessman. He quickly learned that he could make more money by buying and selling tobacco than by growing it. In 1879, his company, W. Duke Sons and Company, started making cigarettes. A few years later, a machine was invented that could roll cigarettes very fast. Duke quickly got two of these machines, which allowed his company to make 400 cigarettes every minute!
By 1890, Duke was so powerful that he convinced his biggest rivals to join him, forming the American Tobacco Company (ATC). By 1900, the ATC controlled most of the tobacco sales in America and had spread into other countries. Duke used this power to lower the price he paid for tobacco. He stopped competitive bidding, which meant farmers couldn't get good prices. This made it very hard for many farmers to make a living, and some even lost their farms. They found it cost more to grow their tobacco than they earned from selling it.
The Planters' Protective Association
In 1904, Felix Ewing, a rich tobacco farmer, came up with an idea for growers in the Black Patch to get fair prices again. He owned a large farm called Glenraven Plantation, which was like a small town with its own church and stores. Farmers working for him were leaving because tobacco prices were so low.
In the summer of 1904, Ewing shared his idea, and on September 24, 1904, about 5,000 people met in Guthrie, Kentucky. He suggested that every farmer join a group to hold back their tobacco until buyers paid their asking price.
The group decided to form the "Dark Tobacco District Planters' Protective Association of Kentucky and Tennessee," or PPA. They wrote rules, and one rule said that every member should try to get other farmers to join. This rule later led to years of trouble and violence.
The PPA quickly became popular with farmers and business owners. If someone didn't want to join, people would often stop buying from their businesses until they agreed. Many judges, lawyers, and police officers also joined. However, some farmers refused to join. The ATC then offered these non-members much higher prices for their tobacco, which made more farmers refuse to join. PPA members called these hold-outs "hillbillies."
The PPA accidentally caused new problems, dividing friends who had worked together. This got worse when PPA members started using violence to force others to join. By 1905, things had not improved for the growers, and many members became frustrated. What started as a peaceful idea turned violent.
The Silent Brigade and Night Riders
Felix Ewing became sick and was less involved. More extreme members took charge, wanting to use harsher methods. Dr. David Amoss, a farmer and country doctor from Cobb, Kentucky, became a leader among the frustrated members who wanted stronger action.
Possum Hunters
In October 1905, some PPA members formed a group called the "Possum Hunters." They decided to visit tobacco buyers and non-members in large groups. At first, they used "peaceful" ways to convince people to join the PPA. This idea spread quickly, and more Possum Hunter groups appeared. They would give serious talks to non-PPA members about joining. But over time, their actions became more violent.
The Night Riders Emerge
Dr. Amoss had military training, and he used this to train his groups like soldiers. They rode at night, wearing masks and robes, in organized lines. They even wrapped cloths around their horses' hooves so they would be quiet. They carried torches and lanterns. Because they were so quiet, they called themselves the Silent Brigade. By mid-1906, there were about 10,000 members.
They started hurting non-compliant farmers, officials, and company workers. They burned barns and destroyed tobacco fields by scraping, salting, or choking young plants. Dr. Amoss ordered his men to burn or destroy property and harm anyone who wouldn't cooperate in their fight against the ATC.
Raid on Princeton, Kentucky
On December 1, 1906, small groups of Night Riders quietly entered Princeton, Kentucky. At a certain time, some took over the police station, while others seized the telegraph and telephone offices and the fire station. They also cut off the city's water supply. About 200 masked men rode into Princeton at night, firing guns and waking everyone. If anyone looked out or tried to leave their homes, the riders would shout, "Stay in your houses!" and "Keep the lights off!" then shoot to break windows.
The riders quickly moved to the J.G. Orr Tobacco Factory. They put dynamite under piles of tobacco and poured kerosene on the building. They threw a flaming torch inside, and the warehouse quickly caught fire. The raiders then went to another warehouse, Steger & Dollar, and set it on fire too. After three long whistle blasts, the men gathered and slowly rode out of town, singing "The fires shine bright on my old Kentucky home." Both warehouses were completely destroyed, along with 75 tons of tobacco that didn't belong to PPA members.
Raid on Hopkinsville
News of the Princeton raid spread fast. People in nearby Hopkinsville worried their town might be next. The police, many armed citizens, and the state militia got ready to protect the town.
On January 4, 1907, the mayor of Hopkinsville received a phone call warning that the Riders were coming. He put the defense plan into action, but it was a trick to test the city's readiness.
Night Riders often visited Hopkinsville to plan their raid. For months, they gathered, ready to strike. One night, as they neared the city, they heard the militia was waiting and turned back. Finally, in the early hours of December 7, 1907, the Silent Brigade attacked Hopkinsville.
They left their horses outside town. About 250 masked men marched into the city and split up, carrying out their orders like soldiers. Some guarded the roads into the city and other downtown streets. Others took control of the police and fire departments, the train station, and the phone and telegraph offices, cutting off communication. Some rode through the streets, shooting out windows if a light came on. They held several people captive on Main Street. Many businesses were damaged, including the newspaper office. A tobacco buyer, Lindsey Mitchell, was pulled from his home and beaten. The Night Riders took complete control of the city.
The largest group first burned the Latham warehouse, then the Tandy and Fairleigh warehouse. The fires grew out of control, setting several homes and even the PPA's own warehouse on fire. A railroad worker was shot as he tried to save train cars from the fire, but he survived. Dr. Amoss was accidentally hurt in the head by his own men and was taken away for treatment.
Like in Princeton, when the raid ended, the men gathered and sang "My Old Kentucky Home" as they rode out.
During the raid, Major Bassett, the militia commander, slipped out of his house and gathered eleven men to chase the Night Riders. Because the Night Riders didn't have a rear guard, some of the posse members were able to mix with them. A few miles outside town, the Night Riders split up. The posse stayed with a smaller group and opened fire, killing one man and injuring another.
After the Hopkinsville raid, the governor ordered the Kentucky Militia to active duty. Major Bassett was put in charge of all military operations in the area. The militia stayed on duty from December 1907 to November 1908. No raids happened where soldiers were stationed.
Raids on Russellville
In the early hours of January 3, 1908, while soldiers were guarding Hopkinsville, the Night Riders attacked Russellville, Kentucky. They used similar methods, taking over the town and blowing up two factories. Violence continued in the county, with an increase in attacks on some residents as tensions grew.
On August 1, 1908, about one hundred masked men, believed to be Night Riders, entered the jail in Russellville. They demanded four African-American prisoners. The jailer, who was scared, let them go. These four men were local sharecroppers. The Night Riders are believed to have taken the four men from the jail, and they were later found dead.
Raids in Crittenden County
On February 4, 1908, Crittenden County was raided for the first time. Night Riders took over the small village of Dycusburg, Kentucky, burning a tobacco warehouse and a distillery. During the raid, they took W. B. Groves from his home and treated him harshly because he refused to join the Association. They also seized Henry Bennett and, after tying him to a tree, used harsh methods to force him to cooperate.
Early the next Sunday, February 10, the Riders attacked the county again. They raided the farm of A. H. Cardin, a former candidate for state governor. They burned his large warehouse, which held tobacco he had bought, as well as a barn with his own tobacco. On their way to Cardin's farm, the Night Riders passed through the small community of Fredonia. They took over the town and held the people under guard while the raid happened on Cardin's farm.
Raid on Birmingham, KY
On April 9, 1908, Night Riders from Lyon County crossed the Tennessee River and rode into the African-American part of Birmingham, Kentucky. The Night Riders fired shots into homes as a warning to African-American residents, intending to scare them away from working for certain tobacco growers. Sadly, some people were injured, and two people died, including an elderly man and his young grandson. Some residents were also taken from their homes and treated very harshly.
The Lyon County Night Riders tried to scare the Marshall County Judge and the Court. They even rode through the town. But their plan backfired. The authorities pursued the men even harder, trying to bring justice for the deaths. A popular doctor, Dr. Emilius Champion, was believed to be the leader of the Lyon County Night Riders. He later served a year in prison based on strong evidence and eyewitness accounts. Two of the African-American victims, L. A. Baker and school teacher Nat Frizzell, were each awarded $25,000 in damages, to be paid by 72 defendants. In both cases, the juries made their decisions in only five minutes.
The Wars Come to an End
In April 1908, a group from the Kentucky State Guard, led by Lieutenant Newton Jasper Wilburn, started raiding the Night Riders' leaders. Wilburn arrested several men and protected important informers. He even got help from former Night Riders, which led to the arrest of fifteen local farmers. These arrests broke the power of the Night Riders and effectively ended the Black Patch War. Lieutenant Wilburn was promoted to captain. Even though most arrested men were not found guilty in trials, Captain Wilburn's actions helped bring law and order back to the region.
Aftermath
By the summer of 1910, the Night Rider troubles had mostly stopped. Tobacco growers were now getting higher prices for their crops. A challenge to the ATC reached the US Supreme Court. In 1911, the court ruled that the ATC was a monopoly and had broken the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The ATC was ordered to break up into smaller companies.
The governor made Major Bassett a Lieutenant Colonel in the Kentucky Militia. Bassett was called on many times to protect witnesses during the trials of the Night Riders. Many Night Riders avoided being found guilty in criminal courts, but some were sued in civil courts.
John C. Latham did not rebuild his warehouse. Instead, he gave the land to the city of Hopkinsville to be used as a park. It was named Peace Park.
Dr. Amoss faced trial and was found not guilty in March 1911. He then left the state and moved to New York City, where he practiced medicine until he passed away in 1915.
Poetry
THE OLD KNOTTY OAK
On the old Knotty Oak in North Christian
Way out on the Kirkmansville Road,
There has lately been posted a notice,
To all farmers, the bad and the good.
Its just a "guilt" edged invitation
Placed there by a Night Rider brave (?)
"Better join the 'Sociation,
If you plant beds and barns you would save."
It was stylishly dressed up in canvas,
And written by type-writer's hand,
It was worded in terms so expressive,
That any one might understand.
The farmers were warned to come over,
that they were in danger outside,
All tobacco must be in the union,
And the signature this "Men who ride."
Now, Old Knotty has long been a landmark,
Not noted for beauty 'tis true,
But a study and silent old fellow
And of secrets he's heard quite a few.
Wiley words of the smooth politician,
Merry laughter of children at play.
Whispered wooing of lovers by moonlight,
All of these he has heard in his day,
The patient ox, the tired horses in summer
How they long for his shade by the road.
To them he's the feed ground, the noon hour,
and rest from the weary road.
Old has held all the sale bills;
He's proud of the nails in his side.
But his head hangs in humiliation
At the threat of the bad "Men who ride."
However he's keeping the secret,
but of course he would know just at sight
The face of the man who disgraced him,
by posting a threat in the night
The people who live near Old Knotty,
and quietly working their farms,
but they've nothing to lose by marauders,
No plant beds, tobacco or barns.
They are not opposed to the Union,
Its findings they would not revoke.
But they'd like a 'polite invitation,
Instead of a threat to the Oak.
They've read long ago, in an old book,
That in Union alone man may stand;
That a house with its members divided,
Is like the one build on the sand.
then, here's to the D.T. 'Sociation,
May its principles ever abide,
Here's to order and law in Old Christian
But contempt for the men who ride."
This poem was published many years ago in The Kentucky New Era.
