The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-05
MINGO COUNTY HAS
LONG BEEN AT WAR
{ Mountains Of West Virginia Have
Have Been Backgrounds Since
Early Days

WILLIAMSON. w. Va, Jan. A.
Since the early days when first set
tiers from Virginia fought their way
70 the western country against bands
OF hostile mdtans. Mingo county,
West Virginia and Pike county, Ken
lucky just across It's border, have
been almost continuous battle
grounds.
Nringo county's latest struggle is
between the coal operators and the
miners. but after a series of out
breaks which attracted country wide
attention. federal troops are main
tanning order.
After the early settlers had dis
posed Of the Indians. the moonshin-
erE took the field and for years fought
and sometimes yanquished the hated
revenue agents, protected as they Of
ten were, against attack in the high
hills and deep valleys that. cover this
section. Then came the famous Hat
fieid-McCoy feud Of the SOS and SOS.
which resulted In tho practical WHIP
Ing out OF the Mccoy family. and
which caused two state governors 10
take a hand in its suppression. For
some years after the feud the noon
sinners again took the field and al
~
the land, the maxim OF ticker" has
never been given up entirely I'm these
hills.
still another chapter OF blood was
written in Mingo when efforts were
made this year 10 organize the coal
miners. An unhappy climax came
about In Matewan, w. Va, on May
49, 1920. when In a fight in the
streets 10 men were killed, seven Of
whom were guards of a private de-
tective agency, sent into the district
10 eject union miners from company
, homes.
Since the Matewan fight Mingo has
been the scene of other disorders and
railroad mining properties have been
destroyed by explosives Intermittent
warfare between operators guards
and miners and their sympathizers
followed in such proportions that re-
Gently Governor Cornwell, of West
Virginia called on the federal troops
When a provisional battalion was
sent TO Mingo, martial law was de-
clared here and several other towns
and villages.
In the meantime, miners elected
from company houses organized tent
colonies, and hundreds of families are
living in canvas homes in Mingo.
This situation raised a question OF
sanitation.
In the clashes In Mingo the names
Hatfield and Mccoy have figured
prominently. In the Matewan fight
Chief OF Police Hatfield took part and
later waa indicted for murder His
trial 10 pending. In the week fol-
lowing a Mccoy on a lonely noun
tain road was badly wounded by an
unidentified assailant.
These fights have caused old set
tiers 20 bark back TO the day when
the Hatfield clan. following the killing
OF one OF their brethren, under the
ieadership of 'Devil Anse" Hatfield
sworo what was known as the BLACK
OATH The story Is told that 20
members OF the clan. kneeling around
a camp FIRE I'm the hills OF Mingo
county, pledged themselves 20 the alb
soluto destruction Of the Mccoy fam
ly. AS a result, men, women and
children of the enemy clan found no
mercy. and the feud became known
Tar and wide as one OF the bloodiest
In the history OF the mountains.
Strange 10 say. three OF the de-
aective guards who were killed In
tho Matewan fight this year were de-
scendants of state guards and Off
Gers who were sent into Mingo in the
early eos TO put down the feud.
With the federal troops in the Sec
ton, the county. for the frst time In
many years, Is in fair way TO obtain
peace and calm.