When Miners March is a volume not to be missed by labor historians, scholars of Appalachian Studies, and persons interested in West Virginia history. A primary source written in easily accessible style, William C. Blizzard’s work provides a dramatic account of West Virginia miners’ struggle to build the UMW.
James J. Lorence, Professor Emeritus,
Department of History
University of Wisconsin
Marathon County
This is a very accessible and salt-of-the-earth review of what West Virginia miners confronted on their march toward winning dignity and respect in their profession. A real treasure for anyone looking to understand the struggles of labor in the mining industry.
Mark A. Martinez, Professor and Chair
Department of Political Science
California State University
Bakersfield
I urge every person who believes in justice for working families to read Bill’s work. He understood that the fight for a better life for the working class did not end at Blair Mountain.
Cecil Roberts, President
United Mine Workers of America
William C. Blizzard’s When Miners March should be studied at every college and university level. There are lessons to be learned.
Ross Ballard II, Professor
Department of Education
Johns Hopkins University
This engaging book, by the son of a leader of one of the fiercest moments of coal miner struggles in the United States, is a valuable contribution to the preservation of a history that should be honored and never lost. Read it and weep, and cheer.
Harry Cleaver, Professor
Department of Economics
University of Texas at Austin
Each morning when I arise early to write, the Postscript to When Miners March posted above my desk, serves as my mission statement:
“Some readers, some scholars, may protest this writer’s method of departing from academic ‘objectivity', and rooting enthusiastically for the coal miners.
“That is too bad, but we have no apologies. We want our writing to be read, not grow musty in the library of any elite coterie. This is a people’s history, and if it brawls a little, and brags a little, and is angry more than a little, well, the people in this book were that way, and so are their descendants.”
Ron Moore,
DC Special Interests Examiner
Current events – notably the struggle for unions to remain relevant and empowered, and coal’s role in the climate change crisis – make the writings both relevant and remarkable.
Kari Lydersen, In These Times
Full texts of reviews as well as information on ordering books, audio dramas, music sound tracks, or scheduling the When Miners March Traveling Museum can be found at our web site, whenminersmarch.com.
Photo taken in the mid-1950's By William C. Blizzard
Coal operators used this cannon against Union miners in what became known as the Battle of Blackberry City. In the early 1950's, Bill Blizzard and lifelong friend, Charley Payne, “talked away” the cannon from a coal operator without firing a shot. After the capture for the Union, it was placed in Bill’s yard until he died in ‘58. It then went to Charley and several generations of his family. They have made it available for display in the When Miners March Traveling Museum.
“That thing was once the coal operators’ substitute for collective bargaining.”
Bill Blizzard and Charley Payne
Charleston Daily Mail, 2/10/1954
WHEN MINERS MARCH
William C. Blizzard
Copyright: © Appalachian Community Services 2010
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 978-1-60486-300-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009912466
PM Press
PO Box 23912
Oakland, CA 94623
Cover Design,
Front Photo Art,
and Book Layout
by Tom Rhule
Charleston, WV
CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Chapter One: Turner Finds Coal
Chapter Two: King of the State
Chapter Three: Bloody Bull Moose
Chapter Four: World War Wedge
Chapter Five: Sid Hatfield Indicted
Chapter Six: Coal Operators Defy U.S.
Chapter Seven: Liberty Will Yet Arise
Chapter Eight: Call for Federal Troops
Chapter Nine: Mother Makes Mistake
Chapter Ten: Deputies Shoot Reporters
Chapter Eleven: A Witness Squeals
Chapter Twelve: W. Va. Operators Stall
Chapter Thirteen: An Era Ends
Postscript
Appendix 1 Original Document Images
Appendix 2 A Biographic Sketch of Bill Blizzard
Appendix 3 Relevant Literature Review
Foreword
“It is strange to me that no one has written this book before.”
Thus begins Thunder in the Mountains, Lon Savage’s now classic 1984 treatment of the West Virginia mine wars of 1920-21. Twenty years later, Robert Shogan begins his 2004 work, The Battle of Blair Mountain as follows: “When I first became interested in the Battle of Blair Mountain in the early 1960's, I thought it remarkable that so little had been written about this unprecedented episode in our development as a nation.” Incredibly, the book you now hold was written more than thirty years before Savage’s book and predates Shogan’s work by more than half a century. William C. Blizzard penned this definitive history of coal miners in West Virginia in the 1940's and early ‘50's.
The 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain in which thousands of miners formed an army to unionize the southern West Virginia coal fields is a story oft told. Introducing his work, The West Virginia Mine Wars, David Alan Corbin cites Mother Jones, Frank Keeney, Fred Mooney, and Sid Hatfield as heroes of the miners’ struggle – and rightfully so. Yet looking at the crisis on Blair Mountain, we find Mother opposing the march; Kenney and Mooney necessarily absent due to trumped up murder charges; and Sid Hatfield, murdered before the march, also missing the big event. Bill Blizzard was the chief official protagonist in the drama played out around Blair Mountain. He led the Red Neck Army as they marched toward Logan County in 1921, hoping to bring the U.S. Constitution and the UMWA to the scab mines of Logan and Mingo counties. His eventual service to the Union spanned more than 40 years – from the early battles on Cabin and Paint Creeks (1912-13) until his retirement from the Union as President of District 17 in 1955. In that year he asked John L. Lewis for permission to retire from “the greatest Union in the world.” Bill Blizzard was the lead defendant in the trials following the miners’ march on Blair Mountain. Coal operators sought to hang some 200 miners and literally pronounce a death sentence on both the UMWA and the labor movement across our nation. Bill Blizzard was to be the first to swing, but he did not comply.
This work was originally offered in serial form titled, Struggle and Lose…Struggle and Win! in the newspaper, Labor’s Daily, of late ‘52 and early ‘53. The political climate of the time ensured scant attention would be paid to articles in any such publication. Further, as an employee of Labor’s Daily, William C. Blizzard was not given a byline. Later scholars simply did not know that their books had already been written. The earlier text is published here in book form for the first time. The only changes from the original are essentially cosmetic and made by William C. Blizzard following publication of the first edition and his successful eye surgery. More than half a century in existence, this work is not only a history of coal miners in West Virginia; it is an important piece of American history. For Bill Blizzard’
s son to have written this book is of tremendous import to scholars, but we must not let a fancy pedigree shade the life of William C. Blizzard himself. While long ago a UMWA member, William C. Blizzard spent his life primarily as a writer and photographer. Learning his trade at Columbia University, the author was a skilled craftsman. This meticulously researched work is a smooth read; never is there a doubt as to where Blizzard’s sympathies lie. Perhaps here the genes do come into play. Opinion, supported by the facts of the situation and humor to lighten many grim realities, are spices that add zest to the entrée served herein.
The text focuses on the miners and their Union. Yet this story must be told in context. Despite national political winds whispering silence, the author offers a thorough economic analysis shedding light of day on systemic inequities. The personal troubles of the miners are linked to broader public issues. While their paths did not cross at Columbia, the author writes in the tradition of C. Wright Mills and goes boldly where the facts lead.
William C. Blizzard’s life has mirrored his work. Those who read this amazing book are not merely introduced to the thoughts of a safe and secure academic; the author lost more than a few jobs for his stubborn adherence to principle. A popular writer whose verbiage has been repeatedly entered into the Congressional Record by Senator Robert C. Byrd, William C. Blizzard was last heard from by the people of our state when he was fired by the Charleston Gazette for not crossing a picket line. William C. Blizzard did not cross picket lines….
Photos included are largely from the collection of the author and provide a glimpse into the many twists and turns of the intertwined lives of the elder Bill Blizzard and his beloved Union.
Subsequent to the publication of the first edition, the full import of Bill Blizzard to the miners’ Union and broader labor movement has become more evident. For that reason and to counter the many falsehoods offered by others regarding his role, we have chosen to include numerous photos of Bill as well as the entire Blizzard family of Union supporters. Bill Blizzard was the archetypical grass roots leader. As such, he is generally written out of history by those who view power as based on organizational authority. Additional text offering a biographical sketch of Bill Blizzard will hopefully assist in making this American hero more real to coming generations.
For this edition, an informal and perhaps irreverent review of the existing literature is included to enable readers to expand a bit. Supplemental materials include abbreviations ACS (Appalachian Community Services) and WCB (William C. Blizzard).
Academic texts often claim impartiality but such is a fantasy. The very questions one asks – or leaves unasked – contain and reveal an author’s bias. In keeping with the spirit of William C. Blizzard’s original work, added materials are offered here with an open and proud bias in favor of those who work for a living rather than those who live from the value created by others.
Acknowledgments
Time has moved on since this work was first assembled. Any reasonably complete list of those meriting thanks for assisting in this book’s original creation is lost both to memory and to history. A tip of the hat to those gone on will have to suffice. Several libraries were of service in the compilation of the original text. Most notably: Kanawha County Public Library; Library of Congress; Marshall University Library; West Virginia State Archives; and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Law Library.
After more than half a century, many others were needed to enable the resurrection from scattered sources and the addition of photos and documents to the original text. This project was made possible in no small part through the kind assistance of James M. Cain; Douglas Estepp; Eric George; Heather George; Leesa McVay; Marguerite (Blizzard) Nekoranec; Harry O’Rourke and the Magnificent Seven from St. Louis University; Princeton University, Firestone Library; Tom Rhule; Rutgers University, John Cotton Dana Library, Roberta Tipton; Dana Spitzer; Jean Thomas; West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Greg Carroll and Gordon Simmons.
This second, expanded edition would not have been possible without support and encouragement from literally hundreds of miners and their families. Ross Ballard, former miner from Boone County, saw the import of When Miners March and transformed it into an eight CD audio drama that includes a powerful sixteen-cut music sound track. Kathryn Bowles (great granddaughter of Bill Derenge), Tracey Hughes, Paul Kees, Kenny King, Betty and Elwood Maples, John Payne (grandson of Charles “Tuck” Payne), Billy Rose, Dwight Siemiaczko, and Terry Whitlock (grand daughter of C.E. “Red” Jones) are among those who have provided both histories and artifacts that have confirmed the validity of WCB’s work and aided Appalachian Community Services in developing a traveling museum to share when peddling books.
The boost we received from Moore-Huntley Productions in selecting both Ross Ballard and William C. Blizzard to appear on the History Channel was much appreciated. William Cleaver has served as technical advisor for computer matters.
Finally, a parting thanks to William C. Blizzard (1916-2008). He was busy signing books up until the day before his death.
Author’s Note
Readers may observe that in When Miners March a few factual errors may occur as well as the usual typos and mechanical blunders common to unedited text. This in part, was not accidental. My publisher’s desire was that my Labor’s Daily text remains unchanged in this version so that the book could appear as an unedited historical document. Errors may also be due to the lack of careful proofing of my text as it appeared in Labor’s Daily, in serial form, for no person on that staff was assigned proofing duty. Such errors, if any, are retained in this version.
During the first half of my workday at Labor’s Daily, I was allowed to prepare a text version of this manuscript in my home, the same text to appear in that newspaper on the following day. I occasionally proofed the text from hot type galleys, but rarely. The second half of my busy workday was spent in the newspaper office or outside with routine journeyman tasks such as editorial writing and news gathering. This original serial-printed book was based upon several years of research and experience prior to the existence of Labor’s Daily.
Finally, for this current edition of When Miners March, I was unable to do much proofing because of an irritating eye condition. When Miners March now appears before you (figuratively) unshaven, uncombed, in time-worn garb and with coal dust on almost every page.
William C. Blizzard – Dec. 20, 2004
Photo by Lou Raines
Author photographed shortly after Labor’s Daily ended publication.
An old typing instruction book reads: “If you would not be forgotten when you are dead and rotten, do something worth writing about or write something worth reading.”
My father and other coal miners have lived the most important part of this advice. In this book, I try to accomplish the other.
William C. Blizzard
STRUGGLE AND LOSE…
STRUGGLE AND WIN!
Above is the title of the following work as originally published in Labor’s Daily.
Chapter One: Turner Finds Coal
11/18/1952 (First)
John P. Turner was excited and so might be forgiven for applying his willow switch a bit too hard to the rump of his bay stallion. The stallion quivered and his hoofs struck the rutted road to the salt mill at a frantic gallop. Turner patted the horse’s neck and grinned at the speeding scenery. “Sorry, old boy,” he said, “I guess I got too anxious. We’re on mighty important business.”
Turner swung off the foam-flecked animal at the office of the salt mill superintendent. He reached into a saddlebag and brought forth a head-sized chunk of something wrapped in an old sack. For a moment he looked at the chunk, eyes gleaming. Then he turned and strode rapidly into the clapboard office.
The superintendent was startled by the wide grin and flushed face of Turner. “Hell!” he said, “What’s up?”
“Plenty,” said Turner, holding out his mysterious bundle. “Look!”
“I’m looking,�
�� said the superintendent, “and all I see is a sack – a damn dirty sack – that looks like it might have a head of cabbage in it. What is it, Turner?”
Turner said nothing, but walked to the desk and turned his burden upside down. There was a thud as something black and dully gleaming fell out, rolled over on the desktop and stopped.
“My God!” said the superintendent. “It’s coal!”
Turner nodded. “That’s right. I’ve got a big seam of it right up the river, and I didn’t even know it. I’ve had a contract to give your salt mills all the wood you burn. I guess you wouldn’t object if I sold you coal instead.”
“You bet we wouldn’t,” said the superintendent. “I’ll call a conference and we can dicker. And don’t look so excited. You make me worry about your terms.”
John P. Turner had a right to be excited. Of course it had been known for years that coal was in the hills. It was even being mined commercially in what is now West Virginia, and had been since 1810 by Conrad Cotts. But that was at far-away Wheeling. And no one else had bothered with the coal deposits in the Kanawha Valley. Most everybody burned wood, even for large operations such as the salt mills which dotted the area. John Turner and those who followed him changed that.
For his discovery in 1817 was important not only for himself. The fact that coal was present in the Kanawha Valley was to affect the way of life of thousands of people, give impetus and strength to great organizations, be the basis of huge fortunes and grinding poverty, force some men to become merciless rulers and others rebellious slaves. Over this black bone of contention men were destined to fight with fist and guile, batter with club and blackjack, kill with rifle and machine gun. John Turner had made a portentous discovery.
The conflict over coal in the Kanawha Valley is interesting in itself, but it becomes much more so when it is appreciated that in this struggle can be found all the elements present in the many battles which coal miners and other workingmen have fought. The fight is unceasing, and it continues today. But it progresses in an uneven manner, at times outwardly calm, then exploding volcanically. The major explosion in this particular industrial battle happened in 1921. Both periods will be treated herein in some detail.
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