Battle of Blair Mountain – The Biggest Battle of the Mine Wars
The Battle of Blair Mountain in Logan County, WV was one of the largest civil uprisings in United States history and the largest armed rebellion since the American Civil War. For five days in late August and early September 1921, in Logan County, West Virginia, some 10,000 armed coal miners confronted 3,000 lawmen and strikebreakers, called the Logan Defenders led by Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin. Sheriff Chafin was paid by coal mine operators to stop the attempt by the miners to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. “Kill all the Red Necks you can.” — Sheriff Don Chafin to his men during the battle. The striking miners’ dislike of Chafin is epitomized by the song they sang on their march to Logan: “We’ll Hang Don Chafin from a Sour Apple Tree”. The battle ended after approximately one million rounds were fired after the United States Army intervened by presidential order. This was first the United States Army was used against a civil uprising.
You may also like:
- Mine Wars
- Battle of Blair Mountain – www.wvencyclopedia.org
- Don Chafin and the Battle of Blair Mountain
- West Virginia Mine Wars Museum
Photo Gallery
Logan Banner, Oct. 18, 1979, Logan Banner, Oct. 18, 1979, Blair Mountain Battle and other recollections - Dellus Pritchard. Clipping courtesy of Brandon Ray Kirk. Image 3458.
Logan Banner, Oct. 18, 1979, Logan Banner, Oct. 18, 1979, Blair Mountain Battle and other recollections - Dellus Pritchard. Clipping courtesy of Brandon Ray Kirk. Image 3458.
1921 Logan, WV union members marching onto the Island during the Battle of Blair Mountain. Courtesy of UMWA. Ref. Imaage 19210134.
1921 Logan, WV union members marching onto the Island during the Battle of Blair Mountain. Courtesy of UMWA. Ref. Imaage 19210134.
Sept. 3, 1921 troops detraining at Logan courtesy of Jack Browning. Ref. Image 861248.
Sept. 3, 1921 troops detraining at Logan courtesy of Jack Browning. Ref. Image 861248.
Photo of a machine gun nest at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo of a machine gun nest at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo showing the miners giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt. This is where the Blair Baptist Church sits now. Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo showing the miners giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt. This is where the Blair Baptist Church sits now. Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at a machine gun nest at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at a machine gun nest at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo taken at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt. Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo taken at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt. Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Miners at Blair giving up their guns at Blair after the Battle of Blair Mt.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Old Miner from the Battle of Blair Mountain ... came to fight.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Old Miner from the Battle of Blair Mountain ... came to fight.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Troops camped at Blair during the Battle of Blair Mountain.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Troops camped at Blair during the Battle of Blair Mountain.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Photo courtesy of Kenny King via Emmett Ray Adkins.
Outside the Aracoma Hotel during the Battle of Blair Mountain courtesy of Joe Adams.
Outside the Aracoma Hotel during the Battle of Blair Mountain courtesy of Joe Adams.
1921 Blattle of Blair Mountain Newspaper clipping
1921 Blattle of Blair Mountain Newspaper clipping
In August 1921 during the conflict of Blair Mountian, a military aircraft crashed into the home of K.F. Deskins in Logan County.
In August 1921 during the conflict of Blair Mountian, a military aircraft crashed into the home of K.F. Deskins in Logan County.
Downtown Logan during the Battle of Blair Mountain, from the collection Harriett Herald courtesy of her nephew, Dennis Herald.
Downtown Logan during the Battle of Blair Mountain, from the collection Harriett Herald courtesy of her nephew, Dennis Herald.
Army Supply Train in Logan, WV, September 1921. Photo courtesy of Brandon Ray Kirk.
Army Supply Train in Logan, WV, September 1921. Photo courtesy of Brandon Ray Kirk.
1920 postcard of Logan, WV Train Depot showing troops of 10th Infantry. Courtesy of J. B. Newberg.
1920 postcard of Logan, WV Train Depot showing troops of 10th Infantry. Courtesy of J. B. Newberg.
Matthew, familysearch.org shows a
draft card for Owen Reynolds in 1918.
He was born in 1894 in VA.
He worked for the Wilson Coal CO.
in Logan,WV. He had a wife & child.
Help save us from the narrow minded who believe that job creation is more important than history, I doubt Mr. Long would be so willing to destroy this important historical site if he had any family members participate in the battle. It was because of this battle and other events that finally turned the tide in the “Mine Guard” operating practices of the operators and finally started making things better for the miners of this generations and subsequent ones. God bless the Rednecks!!!
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” – Sir Winston Churchill
Everyone to get together and railly around the govner . To stop this madness. Got to save this wonderful place.
SAVE US FROM THE TREE HUGGERS WE NEED JOBS
Saving Blair Mountain is about saving a Historic Landmark and is not about mountain top removal in general. Nevertheless, a more environmental friendly method of mining would require many more employees than the mountain top removal method. The coal companies switched to the mountain top removal method because it required substantially fewer employees.