Battle of Matewan

Battle of Matewan
Battle of Matewan
Part of the West Virginia coal wars
Date	May 19, 1920
Location	Matewan, West Virginia, United States
Resulted in	A setback for miners' rights until the early 1930s when the Government finally recognized American labor unions. Eventual passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933
Parties
Matewan civilians;; United Mine Workers of America	Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency
Lead figures
	Sid Hatfield; Mayor Cabell Testerman † Albert Felts †
Number
Deputy Fred Burgraff,; local miners & residents	13 Baldwin–Felts detectives
Casualties and losses
Deaths: 3;; two miners and Mayor Cabell Testerman	Deaths: 7;; including Baldwin–Felts detectives brothers Albert and Lee Felts

The Battle of Matewan (also known as the Matewan Massacre) was a shootout in the town of Matewan in Mingo County and the Pocahontas Coalfield mining district, in southern West Virginia. It occurred on May 19, 1920 between local coal miners and their allies and the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. The dead included two brothers of the detective agency's founder and Matewan's mayor Cabell Testerman, who supported the union.

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