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1865 - 1958 (93 years)
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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
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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.
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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
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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 |
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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) |
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Last Modified |
28 May 2016 |
Family ID |
F6024 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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