Gun Thugs, Rednecks, and Radicals: A Documentary History of the West Virginia Mine Wars

by David Alan Corbin (Editor)

Strikes and union battles occurred throughout American industry during the early part of the twentieth century, but none of these stories compare to the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1912 and 1921. These two workers’ rebellions quickly drew national attention to an area known principally for its “black gold,” the coal that was vital for U.S. factories, power plants, and warships of that age. In 1912, miners struck against the harsh conditions in the work camps of Paint and Cabin Creeks and coal operators responded with force. The ensuing battles caused the West Virginia governor to declare martial law, prompting Samuel Gompers to dub the state “Russianized West Virginia [where] the people can be naught but serfs.” There was little improvement in working conditions by 1921, when another army—thousands of union miners—went up against similar numbers of state police, local deputies, and paid company guards. The weeklong Battle of Blair Mountain ended only after President Warren Harding sent 2,000 U.S. troops and a small unit of bombers to pacify the region Gun Thugs, Rednecks, and Radicals tells the story of these union battles as seen by the leaders, rank-and-file participants, and the journalists who came to West Virginia to cover them for papers including The Nation and the New York Times . Union leaders like Gompers, Frank Keeney, Fred Mooney, Bill Blizzard, and Mother Jones discuss the lives and struggles of the miners for their union. The book also contains articles, speeches, and personal testimony heard by two U.S. Senate committees sent to investigate West Virginia’s labor problems. In this testimony, miners and their family members describe life and work in the coal camps, telling why they participated in these violent episodes in West Virginia history. Special attention is given to the role of Huntington’s own radical newspaper, The Socialist and Labor Star , a forgotten monument in the history of American heresy and radicalism.

Genres: History, Labor, Nonfiction, American History

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The WV mine wars are my specialist subject, so this wasn't new information. It is always interesting to see the period documents and reporting though. Some of the interviews with a senate committee were also hilarious. One senator from NJ, Martine, was so appalled by the whole situation, which was reassuring.

There was an amusing zinger from a coal baron to Senator Martine though, when Martine was condemning him for the appalling sanitation in company towns:
"West Virginia does not need to go to the mosquito-ridden swamps of New Jersey to learn sanitation." (said in 1913)

My quibble is just that this is such a small selection. I would prefer to see separate books with documents corresponding to specific periods and events. I also think Corbin fell behind a bit on dating everything. I think every article and interview should list the the year it was published, but most do not. You can figure it out generally, but that's really a basic requirement for this kind of book.

The mine wars are an incredibly interesting part of labour history, but often overlooked. If you're interested in the subject I'd recommend Corbin's book [Life, Work, and Rebellion in the Coal Fields]. It's well written and covers the the entire relevant period.

[Nate BeDell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important and very compelling read about the men and women who fought for our rights a little over a century ago, and the forces that fought against them.

Should be required reading for anyone living in Virginia, West Virginia, and beyond.

[Left_coast_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This documentary history has newspaper excerpts, testimony, maps and photos describing the protracted struggle surrounding the coal mines of West Virginia in the early 1900s.

There were several counties in West Virginia in which coal mine operators were resolutely opposed to unionization of the miners. They employed men from "detective agencies" to act as security guards and to spy on the union organizers. Eventually these detectives were deputized by county sheriffs and became actual police officers, but paid by the coal mine owners. They used their authority to arrest anyone suspected of union activity.

To make matters worse, all the houses, churches, stores, even cemeteries were company property. Miners and their families could be evicted without cause or warning. The control exercised by the coal capitalists was absolute. The miners and their families refused to give in and lived in encampments with financial support from the United Mine Workers union. There were more than 30,000 people living in tents in the state's mining regions.

A massive, year-long strike in 1912 culminated in violence in which dozens of people lost their lives. The governor declared martial law in Mingo county and eventually a compromise was reached between the unions and mine operators.

In 1921 the neighboring county of Logan erupted in the largest labor uprising in US history: the Battle of Blair Mountain. A shootout in the town of Matewan left 10 dead.Then former miner and pro-union police chief Sid Hatfield was assassinated. 10,000 armed coal miners resolved to march into Logan county, take over the mines, and free imprisoned miners by any means necessary.

The National Guard and US Army intervened, putting an end to the uprising. Despite the numbers involved, the only deaths were from a military plane crash. In the short term, the miners lost. They were repelled and almost a thousand were arrested. But the events grabbed national attention and the general public was sympathetic to the miners' cause. In 1933 President Roosevelt signed the Industrial Recovery Act into law, guaranteeing the miners the right to unionize. The workers of Logan county immediately joined the UMW.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed that there was so little mention about Blair Mountain. It was really just a passing reference. He could have edited back on the history of 'The Star' newspaper in my opinion to dedicate a chapter on 'Blair Mountain'.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is essentially a collection of primary sources from the West (by God) Virginia Mine Wars. It's actually... really charming? I learned a lot and gained a new perspective on just how awful the Baldwin-Felts agents were, how the government responded, and what it was like on the ground. The primary source style means there are a lot of first-person accounts written in the voice of the people who lived there, so it's actually much more energetic than a lot of similar texts on labor history are written by historians.

If you're interested in the Mine Wars this is absolutely worth a read.

[Tamela Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compilation of PRIMARY sources on the West Virginia mine wars from the early 20th century. Newspaper articles, congressional records, trade union publications, it's all right here.


I read this as part of my research on a novel of historical fiction.

[Toby Mustill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of articles (plus commentary on said articles) about the West Virginia Mine Wars in the early 20th century. Quite a good telling of the story. A lot more political commentary than I expected but still good none the less

[Kay Caudill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as a history book, more a collection of relevant articles and historical documents lacking any analysis but that’s nice sometimes. I’d recommend if you’re interested in the topic but otherwise it will come across quite dry

[John Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carefully chosen selection of primary source material and contemporary reporting on the West Virginia Mine Wars.

[Buchanan Waller]

They don’t teach you in school how much violence there was to ensure basic rights and humane treatment of workers. This book is full of great primary sources on that.

[Jacob Edelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep dive that gripped and fascinated me.

[Daniel W · Rating 3 out of 5]

They can’t all be Heaters.