West Virginia coal wars facts for kids
Coal miners displaying a bomb that was dropped during the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921
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| Date | 1912–1921 |
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| Location | West Virginia, United States |
| Also known as | Mine wars |
| Participants | Coal company security/detectives, West Virginia state and military forces, U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Service forces against striking miners |
| Outcome | Law enforcement-military victory; Bill Blizzard acquitted of treason; other miners jailed for murder charges and other offenses; mining union membership decreased by 50% from 1921 to 1924 |
The West Virginia coal wars (1912–1921), also known as the mine wars, were a series of big fights. They happened between coal companies and their workers, the miners. Miners wanted better pay and safer working conditions.
These events took place in West Virginia, USA. They show a time when workers fought hard for their rights. It was a difficult period with many clashes.
Contents
The West Virginia Coal Wars
The West Virginia coal wars were a major conflict. They involved miners, coal companies, and even the government. Miners wanted to join a union. A union is a group that helps workers get fair treatment. The main union was the United Mine Workers (UMW).
The Fight for Rights Begins
The first big strike started in 1912. It happened in areas called Cabin Creek and Paint Creek. Miners wanted several things:
- Better pay for their hard work.
- Safer conditions in the mines.
- The freedom to buy food and supplies anywhere. Companies often forced miners to buy from expensive company stores.
- They wanted their union, the UMW, to be officially recognized.
A famous helper for the miners was Mary Harris Jones, known as "Mother Jones." She was very important in helping miners organize.
The coal companies did not agree to the miners' demands. Instead, they hired special guards. These guards were from the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. They had powerful rifles. Their job was to protect the mines and stop the strike.
When the guards arrived, many miners were forced out of their homes. These homes were rented from the coal companies. The miners and their families moved into special camps. The union helped support these camps. About 35,000 people lived in these union camps.
A month after the strike began, things got tense. The Baldwin-Felts agents started causing trouble. People who supported the miners began giving them weapons. Miners got machine guns, rifles, and lots of bullets.
On September 1, 1912, about 6,000 union miners gathered. They planned to confront the mine guards. The companies then brought in even more armed guards. The Governor of West Virginia stepped in. He declared "martial law" on September 2, 1912. This meant the military took control. They seized many weapons from both sides.
The Matewan Shootout
Years later, in 1920, another big event happened. It was a shootout in Matewan, West Virginia. This fight was between Baldwin-Felts agents and local miners. This event helped start the Battle of Blair Mountain. This battle was one of the largest uprisings in the United States since the American Civil War.
In April 1920, many miners in Matewan joined the UMW. The Burnwell Coal and Coke Company reacted quickly. They fired all union miners. They also told them to leave their company homes.
On April 27, 1920, a Baldwin-Felts agent named Albert C. Felts was arrested. He was accused of illegally forcing miners out of their homes. The local sheriff tried to keep the peace. He said only county officials would handle evictions. Miners agreed to cooperate if this was the case.
More and more miners joined the union. By May 17, 1920, the UMW set up a tent camp. This camp was for miners who had been evicted.
On May 19, 1920, thirteen Baldwin-Felts agents came back to Matewan. They were there to evict more miners. The town's Police Chief, Sid Hatfield, and Mayor Cabel Testerman challenged them. They said the agents had no authority. But the agents continued with the evictions. A crowd of miners and their families watched. Miners from nearby areas heard about the trouble. They armed themselves and headed to Matewan.
As the agents left for the train station, Chief Hatfield and Mayor Testerman stopped them again. Both Hatfield and Albert Felts claimed they had warrants for each other's arrest.
What happened next is debated. Some say the agents tried to arrest Hatfield. They shot Mayor Testerman when he tried to help Hatfield. Others say Hatfield started the shooting. In the end, ten people died. This included Mayor Testerman, two miners, and seven Baldwin-Felts agents. Among the dead agents were Albert and Lee Felts.
After the Matewan Shootout
After the Matewan shootout, more miners in Mingo County joined the union. By July 1920, almost all miners there were on strike. Miners and mine guards continued to fight. They clashed over closed mines and access to train tracks. The West Virginia government declared martial law again. They sent federal troops to stop the strike. But the union threatened a huge strike across the state. So, the government backed down.
The head of the Baldwin-Felts Agency, Thomas Felts, wanted justice. He hired lawyers to accuse Sid Hatfield and fifteen others of murder. They were accused of killing Albert Felts. But a jury in Mingo County found all sixteen men innocent.
Soon after, a new law was passed in West Virginia. It allowed trials to use juries from different counties. New murder charges were brought against Hatfield and others. This time, it was for the deaths of the other six Baldwin-Felts agents.
Sid Hatfield and his deputy, Ed Chambers, also faced other charges. They were accused of destroying a mining camp. On August 1, 1921, Hatfield, Chambers, and their wives went to court. They were unarmed. When they reached the courthouse, Baldwin-Felts agents shot and killed Hatfield and Chambers.
Miners in West Virginia were furious. In the weeks after these killings, miners organized. They armed themselves across the state.
The Battle of Blair Mountain
Starting on August 20, 1921, miners gathered at Lens Creek. This was about ten miles south of Charleston, West Virginia. Estimates vary, but on August 24, between 5,000 and 20,000 miners began marching. They marched from Lens Creek into Logan County, West Virginia. Many miners were armed. Some got more weapons from towns along their path.
Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin gathered his own force. He had about 2,000 county police, state police, state militia, and Baldwin-Felts agents. Their goal was to stop the miners. They set up in the mountains around Logan County. On August 25, the miners arrived. Fighting began between the two groups.
Sheriff Chafin had fewer men. But his forces had machine guns. They also rented airplanes. From these planes, they dropped simple bombs on the miners.
On August 30, 1921, President Warren G. Harding stepped in. He warned that he would declare martial law. He said the armed miners must leave by September 1. The President even prepared to send in the U.S. Army.
The union leaders ignored the President's order. On September 2, 2,500 federal troops arrived. They brought machine guns and military airplanes. These planes had bombs and gas from World War I. Facing such a strong force, the miners had to give up.
The battle ended in a defeat for the pro-union miners. However, they gained some support from the public later on. About 550 miners and union supporters were found guilty of various charges. These included going against the government. Union membership in West Virginia dropped by about half between 1921 and 1924.
Legacy
The Matewan shootout is remembered each year. A re-enactment takes place in Matewan, West Virginia.
The story of the Matewan shootout was made into a movie. It was called Matewan and came out in 1987.
A documentary called The Mine Wars was also made. It aired on PBS in 2016. It used old photos and interviews to tell the story. It was part of the American Experience series.
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is in Matewan. It shows items and tells about the events. The museum building still has bullet holes from the Battle of Matewan.
