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The Mine Wars were a series of violent events in southern West Virginia from 1912 to 1921. They included major conflicts like the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike, the Battle of Matewan, and the Battle of Blair Mountain. Coal miners, fighting for better working conditions and the right to join unions, were led by people like labor organizer Mother Jones and local union leaders. They clashed with mine owners, detectives from the Baldwin-Felts Agency, and powerful local officials like Sheriff Don Chafin.
By 1912, miners in southern West Virginia were hoping the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) labor union would improve their lives. Earlier efforts to form unions during strikes in 1897 and 1902 had little success, but the union did manage to g...
In April 1912, miners in Paint Creek and Cabin Creek, Kanawha County, went on strike to have their union recognized. This simple request would have ended the coal companies’ total control over workers' lives. The strike lasted a year and a half an...
The Bull Moose Special was an armored train used by coal companies during the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike of 1912–13. It had machine guns and was used to protect trains carrying nonunion workers. On February 7, 1913, after strikers attacked a s...
Two labor newspapers were shut down, and their editors were jailed. Governor Henry D. Hatfield worked with both union and coal company leaders to end the strike by forcing a settlement on the miners.
Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was a powerful labor leader who helped coal miners and other workers fight for better conditions. Born in Ireland around 1837, she moved to the U.S., faced personal tragedy, and later became a voice for working people ac...
The Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike helped bring new leaders to power in the miners’ union, District 17. Many miners were unhappy with how the strike had ended, especially on Cabin Creek. In 1916, they elected workers from the mines as leaders, inc...
In January 1920, the United Mine Workers of America tried to unionize miners in southern West Virginia, especially in the Tug Fork area. Coal companies fought back by firing union miners, kicking them out of company housing, and hiring nonunion wo...
In January 1920, the United Mine Workers tried to organize coal miners in southern West Virginia. About 3,000 miners joined, but many were fired and kicked out of company-owned homes. On May 19, 1920, 13 Baldwin-Felts detectives came to Matewan to...
The Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency was a private police force hired by coal companies in southern West Virginia to stop miners from joining unions. The agents, often called “thugs” by miners, spied on workers, kicked union supporters out of coal c...
Sidney "Sid" Hatfield (1893-1921) was the police chief of Matewan, known as a hero to union coal miners. Born near Matewan, he worked in coal mines until becoming police chief in 1919. In 1920, he supported the United Mine Workers’ campaign to org...
On August 1, 1921, Baldwin-Felts detectives shot and killed Sid Hatfield and his friend Ed Chambers as they were walking with their wives to the McDowell County Courthouse in Welch. Miners saw this as murder, and in response, thousands rebelled du...
On August 7, 1921, about 5,000 miners met in Charleston to make demands to the governor. Led by union leader Frank Keeney, they gathered at Lens Creek, about 10 miles east of Charleston that night to prepare for a march. Their goal was to end mart...
Union District 17 vice-president Bill Blizzard served as field commander for the armed march. World War I veterans among the miners helped organize the marchers along military lines. They used sentries, patrols, codes, and passwords, and had their...
On August 24, the march began. President Warren Harding sent Brig. Gen. Henry Bandholtz to evaluate the situation and issued an ultimatum telling the miners to end the march. The miners continued.
On August 25, 1921, miners reached Blair Mountain in Logan County, where they were met by Sheriff Don Chafin and his armed anti-union forces. Chafin’s men had set up defenses with machine guns and explosives. When the miners heard that five union ...
By September 1, 1921, the miners had captured half of the 25-mile mountain ridge and were ready to descend upon Logan.
Governor Morgan sent state police, militia, and coal company workers to stop the miners from entering Logan County. The two sides fought at Blair Mountain, and several people died, though the exact number is unknown.
Governor Morgan asked for help to stop the fighting, and President Harding sent 2,500 federal troops and airplanes led by General Billy Mitchell. The troops quickly ended the conflict, and the miners went home.
After the Battle of Blair Mountain, hundreds of miners and leaders were charged with crimes like murder and treason. Most got light punishments, but march leader Bill Blizzard faced serious charges before they were dropped. The battle didn’t bring...