Blair Mountain
2014-08-26 15:19:52.749283+00 by Dan Lyke 0 comments
Yesterday marked the 93rd anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain, in which over ten thousand coal miners squared off against thousands of police officers and mercenaries, the largest domestic armed conflict outside of the Civil War in American history. From two years ago, Archeology Magazine writes about the issues around gaining access to the site to understand that history...
As the miners neared Chafin’s three-mile defensive line along Spruce Fork Ridge, open war broke out. Archaeologists estimate that a million rounds were fired over the battle’s five days. It is not known how many people were killed, but according to historians, estimates range from 20 to 100, which seems oddly low, considering the number of men involved and the intensity of the fighting. One early newspaper account stated that the miners were loading their dead into boxcars, but said little more about casualties. ...
Charleston Gazette: Fight to preserve Blair Mountain, labor history, continues.