The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-08-24
A Bloody Battle.

The trouble over the employment Of con-
victs at coal mines under the lease system in
Tennessee are coming thick and fast and
eliminated in a pitched battle at Oliver
Springs Mines Tuesday morning. when sew
eral men were killed and wounded. A
bloody fight seems inevitable also at Coal
Greek.
About COO free miners were observed by
head warden Farris approaching the stock
ade. They marched in a solid body, and
the leader was heard to exclaim. "close up
boys, and let's take EN-" The warden
yelled back, come and get US If you can.
Then the miners opened a hot fusilade
from two sides, and firing continued for
some time, the miners advancing all the
time. The guards, entrenched behind the
stockades, replied with a CALLING fire. aud
soon two or three of the miners were seen
fall and one guard was wounded The min
ers hoisted flag of truce and asked permis-
sion 10 carry of their wounded. This was
granted, aud three wounded men were re-
moved and the miners sullenly Withdrew TO
cover and prepared for a second attack.
The news of the skirmish was flashed all
over the state, the first official confirmation
being a dispatch from the adjutant general
to Colonel Gator Woolford, directing him to
order out the Third Regiment Of the Ten
nessee National Guard and report with all
available men at once at divers Springs.
The troubles reached crisis Thursday,
5000 miners making an attack in force
upon the camp of state troops at the Coal
Creek stockade The wires around Coal
Creek were cut early in the day, but it is
reported that three assaults were made upon
the fort, each of which was repulsed with
loss of life on both sides. In one Of these
attacks several of the miners leaders were
captured, and a bulletin says that during a
truce, in which oyertures were made for the
release Of three prisoners, Captain Ander-
son, the commander Of the troops, fell into
the hands Of the mob. The soldiers STUCK
to their posts.
Tennessees troops were victorious in their
campa;gn 40 ainst the main body of striking
miners Friday. They won at every point.
They had lost part Of the Fort Andeson
siOckade the previous day by putting l50
soldiers against 800 charging miners. Twelve
miners were killed in that battle.
Near Clinton on Thursday night, General
Carnes' forces were attacked from ambush.
-Four miners certainly were killed there, and
four soldiers.
After the Coal Creek rioters had surrender
ed to General Carnes, Friday morning. strik-
ers attacked his forces between Coal Greek
and Camp Anderson. Three miners are re-
ported killed, and so were John Waltkail
and Bosh Giyens, soldiers.
Camp Anderson was subsequently captur-
ed and the strikers surrendered Captain An
derson.
Hostilities broke out afresh in Tennesset
/ Saturday \ thousand striking miners
hiding in the mountains whittier they had
fed when General C4rnes captured Fort
Anderson, near Coal Creek, attacked Cap
tain Roche's troops as they were coming
down the mountain. II is known that two
miners were killed in the skirmish. Non,
of Roche's men were injured.
Fridays battle, before the capture of For
Anderson, turn out to have been more dead
ly than was at iirst reported. Fourteen mer
were certainly killed 10 of them miners)
and many wounded.