Today in Labor History August 25, 1921, the Battle of Blair Mountain began in Logan County, West Virginia. It was the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War, and the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. 10,000-15,000 coal miners battled 3,000 cops, private cops and vigilantes, who were backed by the coal bosses. Up to 100 miners died in the fighting, along with 10-30 Baldwin-Felts detectives and three national guards. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested. One million rounds were fired. And the government bombed striking coal miners by air, using homemade bombs and poison gas left over from World War I. This was the second time the government had used planes to bomb its own citizens within the U.S. (the first was against African American during the Tulsa pogrom, earlier that same year).

The Battle of Matewan had occurred just a year before. Baldwin-Felt private police tried to arrest Sheriff Sid Hatfield, who supported the miners, using a bogus arrest warrant. Unbeknownst to the detectives, armed miners had surrounded them. No one knows who shot first, but when the smoke had cleared, there were seven dead detectives, including Albert and Lee Felts, and four dead townspeople, including the mayor. On August 1, 1921, surviving members of Baldwin-Felts assassinated Hatfield in broad daylight, on the steps of Welch County courthouse, as his wife watched in horror. As news of his death spread, miners began arming themselves and threatened to march to the anti-union stronghold of Logan County to overthrow Sheriff Dan Chaffin, the coal company tyrant who murdered miners with impunity. Fearing a bloodbath, Mother Jones tried to dissuade them from marching. Many accused her of losing her nerve. The march led to all-out war, as the authorities sent in police, private cops, and deputized vigilantes to battle the miners.

You can read my full article on the battle and its historical roots here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/

#workingclass #LaborHistory#BlairMountain #mining #coal #westvirginia #matewan #police #vigilantes #racism #tulsa #motherjones

Today in Labor History August 25, 1921, the Battle of Blair Mountain began in Logan County, West Virginia. It was the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War, and the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. 10,000-15,000 coal miners battled 3,000 cops, private cops and vigilantes, who were backed by the coal bosses. Up to 100 miners died in the fighting, along with 10-30 Baldwin-Felts detectives and three national guards. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested. One million rounds were fired. And the government bombed striking coal miners by air, using homemade bombs and poison gas left over from World War I. This was the second time the government had used planes to bomb its own citizens within the U.S. (the first was against African American during the Tulsa pogrom, earlier that same year).

The Battle of Matewan had occurred just a year before. Baldwin-Felt private police tried to arrest Sheriff Sid Hatfield, who supported the miners, using a bogus arrest warrant. Unbeknownst to the detectives, armed miners had surrounded them. No one knows who shot first, but when the smoke had cleared, there were seven dead detectives, including Albert and Lee Felts, and four dead townspeople, including the mayor. On August 1, 1921, surviving members of Baldwin-Felts assassinated Hatfield in broad daylight, on the steps of Welch County courthouse, as his wife watched in horror. As news of his death spread, miners began arming themselves and threatened to march to the anti-union stronghold of Logan County to overthrow Sheriff Dan Chaffin, the coal company tyrant who murdered miners with impunity. Fearing a bloodbath, Mother Jones tried to dissuade them from marching. Many accused her of losing her nerve. The march led to all-out war, as the authorities sent in police, private cops, and deputized vigilantes to battle the miners.

You can read my full article on the battle and its historical roots here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/

#workingclass #LaborHistory#BlairMountain #mining #coal #westvirginia #matewan #police #vigilantes #racism #tulsa #motherjones

Today in Labor History August 21, 1920: Ongoing violence by coal operators and their paid goons in the southern coalfields of West Virginia led to a three-hour gun battle between striking miners and guards that left six dead. 500 Federal troops were sent in not only to quell the fighting, but to ensure that scabs were able to get to and from the mines. A General Strike was threatened if the troops did not cease their strikebreaking activities. This was just 3 months after the Matewan Massacre, in which the miners drove out the seemingly invincible Baldwin-Felts private police force, with the help of their ally, Sheriff Sid Hatfield. 1 year later, Sheriff Hatfield was gunned down on the steps of the courthouse by surviving members of the Baldwin-Felts Agency. News spread and miners began arming themselves, leading to the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War and the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. Over 100 people were killed in the 5-day battle, including 3 army soldiers and up to 20 Baldwin-Felts detectives. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested. 1 million rounds were fired. And the government dropped bombs from aircraft on the miners, only the second time in history that the government bombed its own citizens (the first being the pogrom against African American residents of Tulsa, during the so-called Tulsa Riots).

The Battle of Blair Mountain is depicted in Storming Heaven (Denise Giardina, 1987), Blair Mountain (Jonathan Lynn, 2006), and Carla Rising (Topper Sherwood, 2015). And the Matewan Massacre is brilliantly portrayed in John Sayles’s film, “Matewan.”

Read my history of the Battle of Blair Mountain here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #strike #union #westvirginia #matewan#BattleOfBlairMountain #uprising #civilwar#GeneralStrike #tulsa #massacre #racism #books #fiction #film #writer #author #novel @bookstadon

Today in Labor History August 21, 1920: Ongoing violence by coal operators and their paid goons in the southern coalfields of West Virginia led to a three-hour gun battle between striking miners and guards that left six dead. 500 Federal troops were sent in not only to quell the fighting, but to ensure that scabs were able to get to and from the mines. A General Strike was threatened if the troops did not cease their strikebreaking activities. This was just 3 months after the Matewan Massacre, in which the miners drove out the seemingly invincible Baldwin-Felts private police force, with the help of their ally, Sheriff Sid Hatfield. 1 year later, Sheriff Hatfield was gunned down on the steps of the courthouse by surviving members of the Baldwin-Felts Agency. News spread and miners began arming themselves, leading to the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War and the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. Over 100 people were killed in the 5-day battle, including 3 army soldiers and up to 20 Baldwin-Felts detectives. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested. 1 million rounds were fired. And the government dropped bombs from aircraft on the miners, only the second time in history that the government bombed its own citizens (the first being the pogrom against African American residents of Tulsa, during the so-called Tulsa Riots).

The Battle of Blair Mountain is depicted in Storming Heaven (Denise Giardina, 1987), Blair Mountain (Jonathan Lynn, 2006), and Carla Rising (Topper Sherwood, 2015). And the Matewan Massacre is brilliantly portrayed in John Sayles’s film, “Matewan.”

Read my history of the Battle of Blair Mountain here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #strike #union #westvirginia #matewan#BattleOfBlairMountain #uprising #civilwar#GeneralStrike #tulsa #massacre #racism #books #fiction #film #writer #author #novel @bookstadon

#law#DC#WashingtonDC#CivilRights#MilitaryState #authoritarianism #autocracy #tyranny#Gestapo #coup#TrumpCoup2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/19/trump-dc-national-guard-republican-states/

Personnel from #WestVirginia arrived Monday, with troops from #SouthCarolina, #Mississippi & advance teams from #Ohio & #Tennessee expected to arrive Tuesday, a defense official said.….

[The #NationalGuard troops are]…operating under the command of Joint Task Force DC, which will decide where in the city to send troops in coordination w/agencies asking for assistance.

#law#DC#WashingtonDC#Trump#MilitaryState #authoritarianism #autocracy #tyranny#Gestapo #coup#TrumpCoup2

#law#DC#WashingtonDC#CivilRights#MilitaryState #authoritarianism #autocracy #tyranny#Gestapo #coup#TrumpCoup2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/19/trump-dc-national-guard-republican-states/

The number of state #NationalGuard #troops detailed to Trump’s effort from the 6 states — #Louisiana, #Mississippi, #Tennessee, #WestVirginia, #SouthCarolina & #Ohio — amount to >1,100. Governors said they were responding to requests from the #Trump admin.

It is not clear why the admin requested additional support. About 800 troops have already been called up from the #WashingtonDC, Guard & have had a limited assigned role so far in Trump’s 10-day-old attempted takeover of #DC #law enforcement.

This memorial fund will be used to:

-Start up a scholarship fund in their name that will assist Appalachian youth activists who are continuing in the spirit of lills organizing legacy

-build 2 permanent memorials so that lills communities all have a close enough physical space to honor them at - one in eastern kentucky and one in west virginia

-create a documentary about their life and impact

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lill-prosperino-memorial-and-scholarship-fund

#Appalachia#Kentucky#WestVirginia

This memorial fund will be used to:

-Start up a scholarship fund in their name that will assist Appalachian youth activists who are continuing in the spirit of lills organizing legacy

-build 2 permanent memorials so that lills communities all have a close enough physical space to honor them at - one in eastern kentucky and one in west virginia

-create a documentary about their life and impact

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lill-prosperino-memorial-and-scholarship-fund

#Appalachia#Kentucky#WestVirginia