Edward W. CHAMBERS

Other Events:

• _UID: 3D8E26FD8F39495DB55F6319D825C26A1522

Notes:

CENSUS RECORDS

1900 Census
Name: Edward Chambers
Age: 6 months
Birth Date: Nov 1899
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1900: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son (Child)
Marital Status: Single
Father's name: Reece B Chambers
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's name: Marg Chambers
Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky
Household Members:
Reece B Chambers 35
Marg Chambers 30
Alt Chambers 5
Burgett Chambers 3
Edward Chambers 6 months
Ace Runyon 20 [boarder]
Don Runyon 24 [boarder]

1910 Census
Name: Edward Chambers
Age in 1910: 10
Birth Year: abt 1900
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1910: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son (Child)
Father's name: Russ B Chambers
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's name: Mary Chambers
Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky
Household Members:
Russ B Chambers 45
Mary Chambers 35
Talt Chambers 15
Edward Chambers 10
Elza Chambers 8

1920 Census
Name: Edward Chambers
Age: 20
Birth Year: abt 1900
Birthplace: West Virginia
Home in 1920: Magnolia, Mingo, West Virginia
Street: Main Street
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son (Child)
Marital Status: Single
Father's name: Reese Chambers
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Clerk
Industry: Drug Store
Employment Field: Wage or Salary
Household Members:
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: Reese is his father, Talt is his brother, and Hallie is his cousin.]

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. This Anse Hatfield was the owner of the hotel where the Baldwin-Felts detectives stayed. 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. Of those defendants whose charges were not dismissed, all were acquitted.

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.

The two men were sent to stand trial on conspiracy charges for another incident, in Welch. Both men arrived in Welch on August 1, 1921, unarmed and accompanied by their wives. Several Baldwin-Felts men shot them on the McDowell County Courthouse steps. Hatfield was instantly killed. Ed was shot several more times, as his wife tried to defend him, and but Ed was finished off with a bullet in the head by Charles Everett Lively. None of the Baldwin-Felts detectives was ever convicted of Hatfield's assassination: they claimed they had acted "in self-defense".


Buried:
Grave location and portrait:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Chambers&GSiman=1&GScid=2309791&GRid=102732077&

Died:
West Virginia Death Certificate:
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=92399&Type=Death
Cause of death: killed instantly, gunshot wounds to head and chest, homicide.

Edward married Sallie Robinson 13 Jun 1920, McDowell Co. WV. Sallie was born ca 1899, Mingo Co. WV. [Group Sheet]