Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-08-19
THE BATTLE AT COAL CREEK.


Reported Killed and Wounded.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Aug. 19.-Captain
Keller Anderson, who for nearly year
has held the convicts at Coal Creek, is in
the hands of the miners at last. The
latest reports which are reliable say that
the battle at Camp Anderson was COM
menced as early as 10 o'clock yesterday
morning. For several hours the firing
was not general. About 2 o'clock the
miners to the number of a thousand,
made an organized assault on the fort,
and were repulsed. The second assault
was easily repulsed
The third attempt resulted in a regular
pitched battle and the Calling guns got
in their work, but to what extent is not
known. Several of the assailants were
wounded, and many of them were proba-
bly, killed.
The fort occupies the crest of a hill
commanding range of Coal Creek valley
for five miles east and west. To the
north is a spur of the valley in which the
stockade of the Knoxville Iron Company
is located.
The distance from Fort Anderson across
the valley to the top of Walden Ridge is
about l 400 yards.
On the top of the ridge the miners had
planted two field pieces furnished them by
sympathizers in Kentucky. On the north
sides of the ridge and creek skirting Fort
Anderson the hill is dense growth of
hemlock and laurel.
The assailants of the fort had all the
| advantages of hiding, and if one of their
number should be wounded he could be
hastily removed to place of safety with
| out any one being the wiser. No one is
| allowed to approach within half mile of
| the fort unless he is in sympathy with the
miners.
Between the first and second assault on
| the fort three miners were captured. They
sent up a flag of truce to Capt Anderson
| to ask for release. He was expecting such
a message and met the men on equal
grounds.
| He was seized by several of them and
rushed down the hill, and finally taken
to one of the hotels in the village, where
| he is guarded by Robert Lindsay,'a depu-
| ty United States Marshal, and n number
| of friends. They are holding him as a
hostage and will not agree to give him up
| until the troops and convicts are with
| drawn from the valley.
In the meantime, Burl Lindsay, a des-
| perate character, and a brother of the
| deputy marshal, is trying to organize a
| mob to lynch Anderson. The hotel is
| surrounded by some 300 well armed
| men.
This is one story. The miners have an
other to the effect that Capt. Anderson
was drunk and came outside. of the forti-
fications, and the boys picked him up
| without trouble. He has SO far made no
| statement.
His force of 100 men bravely held
the fort. The men have been on short
rations for three days. Every avenue of
| supply has been cut off
Early yesterday six hundred miners at
| Jellico captured train
The engineer refused to pull it out, but
the close proximity to his head of Il
dangerous looking Winchester made him
quickly obey all commands made upon
him.
| They ran at the rate of fifty miles an
hour through the tunnels and over bridges
to Coal Creek, arriving about l o'clock.
All but IL few alighteti at Coal Creek,
the few keeping possession of the train
and going on to Clinton after the miners
| there.
The miners at Coal Creek at once wired
their ultimatum to the Governor, which
was that unless he ordered the withdrawal
| of the soldiers and convicts, they would
| attack the fort before daylight.
An answer was received from Governor
Buchanan in n brief space of time, evadIng
the question and advising in pacific tone
saying: "Be orderly, be quiet"
| 1nlS lncenSetl Inc ullllefS dlC
they at once wired him an exact copy OF
their previous despatch and awaited an
answer.
The plan of the miners was tC
| attack under cover of darkness.
The final answer to the miners Telegram
was received from the Governor at Nash
! | Vile He wired that he would remove
the soldiers and convicts in n few days.
! 1t would be hard to tell correctly just
! what effect the receipt of this message
} had upon the miners.
The cool headed Ones the men who lay
| all plans and who so successfully carry
them out, took the answer as final. They
! | were appraised of the scheme for the alb
cogration of the lease system which a
The shortest must take 90 days, and recog
| 1ized that troops and convicts could no
we'll be removed with dignity" befor
| shat time.
They began counseling the men whom
| they could to return to their homes a
| everything was now settled.
On the other hand the hot-headed
warm blooded ones wanted to make tn
! attack anyway, as they thought Buch
t | anan was merely figuring for time OF
which to get the troops at Coal Creek. l
D | seems they carried their point.