Reese B. CHAMBERS, Jr. b. 6 Jan 1865 Tazewell Co. VA d. 27 Aug 1958 Cabell Co, WV: Appalachian Aristocracy

1865 - 1958 (93 years)

Personal Information | PDF

Name	Reese B. CHAMBERS
Suffix	Jr.
Born	6 Jan 1865	Tazewell Co. VA
Gender	Male
_UID	B96FF63560F642CBA2AEAF9990A477BAB3BC
Died	27 Aug 1958	Cabell Co, WV
	West Virginia Death Certificate http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=1428065&Type=Death West Virginia Deaths, 1853-1970 Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah. Name: Reece B. Chambers Birth Date: abt 1865 Death Date: 26 Aug 1958 Death Place: Barboursville, Cabell, West Virginia Death Age: 93 Occupation: Farming Race: White Marital Status: Widowed Gender: Male Informant: hospital records [Barboursville State Hospital] FHL Film Number: 559885
Buried	Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, Pike Co. KY
Notes	CENSUS RECORDS 1880 Census Name: Reese Chambers Age: 15 Birth Year: abt 1865 Birthplace: Virginia Home in 1880: Maiden Spring, Tazewell, Virginia Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Son Marital Status: Single Father's name: Reese B. Chambers Father's Birthplace: Virginia Mother's name: Emma Chambers Mother's Birthplace: Virginia Occupation: Farm Laborer Household Members: Reese B. Chambers 48 Emma Chambers 49 Mary Chambers 21 Sarah Chambers 17 Reese Chambers 15 Hugh Chambers 12 James Chambers 11 1900 Census Name: Reece B Chambers Age: 35 Birth Date: Jan 1865 Birthplace: Virginia Home in 1900: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Head Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Mary Chambers Marriage Year: 1894 Years Married: 6 Father's Birthplace: Virginia Mother's Birthplace: Virginia Household Members: Name Age Reece B Chambers 35 Mary Chambers 30 ??Alt Chambers 5 Burgett Chambers 3 Edward Chambers 6 months Ace Runyon 20 [boarder] Don Runyon 24 [boarder] 1910 Census Name: Russ B Chambers [Reese B Chambers] Age in 1910: 45 Birth Year: abt 1865 Birthplace: Virginia Home in 1910: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Head Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Mary Chambers Father's Birthplace: Virginia Mother's Birthplace: Virginia Native Tongue: English Occupation: Farmer Industry: General Farm Employer, Employee or Other: Employer Home Owned or Rented: Rent Farm or House: Farm Able to Read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Years Married: 16 Out of Work: N Number of weeks out of work: 0 Household Members: Name Age Russ B Chambers 45 Mary Chambers 35 Talt Chambers 15 Edward Chambers 10 Elza Chambers 8 1920 Census Name: Reese Chambers Age: 54 Birth Year: abt 1866 Birthplace: Virginia Home in 1920: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia Street: Main Street Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Head Marital Status: Widowed Father's Birthplace: Virginia Mother's Birthplace: Virginia Able to Speak English: Yes Occupation: Carpenter Industry: House Employment Field: Wage or Salary Household Members: Name Age Reese Chambers 54 Talt Chambers 22 Edward Chambers 20 Elzia Chambers 17 HISTORY The Battle of Matewan or the Matewan Massacre was a shootout in the town of Matewan in Mingo County, West Virginia on May 19, 1920. It was between local miners and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. At this time miners worked long hours in unsafe and dismal working conditions, while being paid low wages. Adding to the hardship was the use of coal scrip by the Stone Mountain Coal Company, because the scrip could only be used for those goods the company sold through their company stores. The miners, under John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers of America and Mary Harris "Mother" Jones were organizing the miners. About 3000 had signed union cards, and the Stone Mountain Coal Corporation fought back with mass firings, harassment, and evictions. Tensions were high when the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency sent Albert C. Felts and 12 other men to evict families that had been living at the Stone Mountain Coal Camp just on the outskirts of town. After the evictions had been made, Felts and his men went to the Urias Hotel at Matewan for dinner, then they walked toward the train depot to catch the train back to Bluefield, West Virginia. They were stopped by Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield, who claimed to have arrest warrants from the Mingo County sheriff. Hatfield, a native of the Tug River Valley, was a supporter of the miners' attempts to unionize in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. Detective Felts and his brother Lee Felts then produced his own warrant for Sid Hatfield's arrest. News of the evictions soon spread around the town. The detectives were unaware they had been surrounded by armed miners, who watched intently from the windows, doorways, and roofs of the businesses that lined Mate Street. Sid Hatfield, his deputy,Fred Burgraff, and Mayor Cabell Testerman met with the detectives on the porch of the Chambers Hardware Store. It is still unknown whether it was Hatfield or the leading detective, Albert Felts, that shot Mayor Testerman first, though what followed was Sid Hatfield shooting Albert Felts. This began a gun battle that became known as the Matewan Massacre, or the Battle of Matewan leaving seven detectives and three townspeople dead, including the Felts brothers and the mayor of Matewan, Cabell Testerman. Some of the bullet holes from the battle can still be seen today in the old post office. Among the men who were indicted in the massacre were Reese Chambers, Ed Chambers, Talt Chambers, Hallie Chambers, Charles Kiser, Ben Mounts, Doug Mounts, Art Williams, William Bowman, Bowser Coleman, Jim Overstreet, Clare Overstreet, N. H. Atwood, Van Clay, Jess Boyd, Lee Toler, and John Patrick. [Note: Talt and Ed were his sons, and Hallie was his nephew.] The most important eye-witness to this shooting was one Anse Hatfield (not "Devil Anse" Hatfield of the feud fame), who knew most of the men who took part in it and who testified before the Grand Jury, which indicted Sid Hatfield and others. A very short time thereafter, and after dark, he was assassinated by being shot while sitting in front of his hotel. A few days before he was killed, authorities say he received a letter threatening his life. On September 9, 1920, the Mingo County Grand Jury returned indictments in connection with the killing of Anse Hatfield, at Matewan against Sid Hatfield, chief of police of Matewan, Hallie Chambers, Ed Chambers, and Talt Chambers. With the exception of Talt Chambers, the men indicted were charged with seven counts of murder in connection the Battle of Matewan on May 19. When the charges against Hatfield, and 22 other people, for the murder of Albert Felts were dismissed, Baldwin-Felts detectives assassinated Hatfield and his deputy Ed Chambers on August 1, 1921, on the steps of the McDowell County courthouse in Welch, West Virginia. Of those defendants whose charges were not dismissed, all were acquitted.
Person ID	I8201	Master File
Last Modified	29 May 2016

Father	Rees(e) CHAMBERS, b. Nov 1831, Russell Co. VA , d. Bef 1910, Wyoming Co. WV (Age ~ 78 years)
Mother	Emmazilla (Emily) Elizabeth WINGO, b. Abt 1831, Tazewell Co VA , d. Abt 1895, Tazewell Co. VA (Age ~ 64 years)
Married	27 Jul 1855	Tazewell Co VA
	Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940 Name: Rees Chambers Birth Date: 1833 Birthplace: Russell County, Va Age: 22 Spouse's Name: Emmagilla Elizabeth Wingo [Emmazilla] Spouse's Birth Date: 1831 Spouse's Birthplace: Tazwell County, Va Spouse's Age: 24 Event Date: 27 Feb 1855 Event Place: Tazewell, Virginia Father's Name: Thomas Chambers Mother's Name: Nancy Spouse's Father's Name: Squire Wingo Spouse's Mother's Name: Mary Marital Status: Single Spouse's Marital Status: Single Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01695-4 Tazewell County VA Marriages Book 3, Page 3, Line 10, Feb. 27, 1855 CHAMBERS, REES (21) Single. Born in Tazewell Co. Farmer. Son of Thomas & Nancy Christian WINGO, EMMAZILLA ELIZA (24) Single. Born in Tazewell Co. Daughter of Squire & Mary Wingo Minister: Bird Lockhart System Origin: Virginia-EASy GS Film number: 34214 Reference ID: Page 3 Line 10
Family ID	F2815	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Mary McCoy, b. 1875, Pike Co. KY , d. Aft 1910, Mingo Co. WV (Age 36 years)

Married 09 Jan 1896 Mingo Co. WV

West Virginia Vital Records
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=10733267&Type=Marriage

Children

	1. Talt CHAMBERS, b. 17 Apr 1895, Mingo Co. WV , d. 01 Mar 1972, Mingo Co. WV (Age 76 years)
	2. Edward W. CHAMBERS, b. 09 Dec 1898, Mingo Co. WV , d. 01 Aug 1921, Welch, McDowell Co. WV (Age 22 years)
+	3. Elsie CHAMBERS, b. 31 Dec 1901, Mingo Co. WV , d. 02 May 1993, Parkersburg, Wood Co. WV (Age 91 years)

Last Modified 28 May 2016

Family ID F6024 Group Sheet | Family Chart