Sid Hatfield-The Southern West Virginia Coal Wars

[HORNHost]

Nicely written and performed! Sid's memory deserves the honor you give it.

[cathead77]

@HORNHost Thank you much.

[silverwhistle]

PS:

We lived in a mining area of Stirlingshire during the 1980s miners' strike, and though life was tough for the mining families then,and their industry destroyed, there wasn't the hellish brutality of 1920s WVa. Even in early 20C here, there wasn't that level of violence against strikers: tanks were posted to Glasgow in 1919, but they weren't used. Your boys were heroes: I don't use that word lightly.

[cathead77]

@silverwhistle I agree with you totally about those boys being heroes. It was a brutal time no doubt. Thank you for your comments.

[silverwhistle]

I had only known of Sid through the film 'Matewan', but recently began reading up on the miners' uprising. It's a heartbreaking story - especially when one remembers just how young Sid and Ed were - 28 and 22 respectively. (I'm old enough to be their mum!)

[silverwhistle]

A great song, and a great tribute to a brave wee lad.

[cathead77]

@silverwhistle Thanks.

[death9719]

at least i can understand the words unlike the punk song

don't like this kind of music but love the story and think the miners were heroes

[cathead77]

@death9719 Thanks for watching.

[darkarm3rocks]

Makes me pround to be a Hatfield and a West Virginian

[cathead77]

@darkarm3rocks Cool!

[kjohns2001]

Y'all really need to post the lyrics to this song. I like it, but have a bit of trouble understanding all the words.

[cathead77]

@kjohns2001 Thanks for watching. The lyrics are now posted :-)

[cathead77]

@ctminarchist Cool. Thanks for watching.

[TheHeatherhatfield]

This is my family :) 

[cathead77]

@TheHeatherhatfield Cool!

[ekmmb]

sid hatfiled was like most radicals.  troublemakers

[madisonhack]

@ekmmb Too bad we don't have a few like him today.

[death9719]

@ekmmb really let me guess your moderately wealthy and in your free time you dress like a revolutionary and expect us to take you seriously

im an arnarcho-syndicalist

[brianredneckct]

great stuff!

[cathead77]

@brianredneckct Thank you!

[bugg255]

Haunting and deep..this song gives me goose bumps,and a tear for our beloved ones who have been lost to corporate greed. Thanx Alan you are a true artist.

[cathead77]

@bugg255 Thank you so very much.

[bigshu60]

Really enjoyed the video & music. I lived in Boone county WV till I got laid off from the mines & moved South about 22 years ago. Hopefully move back to retire. Noticed your daughters name was Shumate. Same as mine. Thanks for sharing this.

[cathead77]

Thank you very much. Too bad so many people had to leave here.

[evrmore0mine]

WOW! Great story, great sound, great voices!! Awesome! Thank you!

[cathead77]

Thank you. You are so kind.

[cathead77]

Thank you.

[dbl79]

nice video and great song! i grew up in Montcalm and I love to see things about the history of the area i grew up in. keep up the singing sounds good!!

[cathead77]

Thanks for watching. I used to play music with Randy Basham from Montcalm.

[dbl79]

Really?! I went to high school with a Randy Basham. hum small world

[cathead77]

Yep....and the internet makes it even smaller.

[Gunnarsguns]

Southern WVa was the real wild west during the coalfield wars. There is a great book about it called ``Bloodletting in appalachia`` by Howard B Lee an ex attorney general for WVa. Everybody was totin winchesters and six guns in those days and WVa was a very dangerous place. Those Baldwin Felts didnt play games

[WastedOne111]

Thunder in the mountains is a good one too.

[WastedOne111]

Sid Hatfield is what every West Virginian should strive to be.

[cathead77]

Thanks for watching.....

[dbl79]

every American should be!!

[jpendur]

this is great! I put it on my facebook page...

[cathead77]

Thank you so very much!

[RiverBirch1967]

Is there a way to find the lyrics?

[cathead77]

I will send you the lyrics in a message.

[RiverBirch1967]

I adore this type of music. Any recommendation?

[RiverBirch1967]

I absolutely cannot believe how good this video is.  I have the movie. How accurate is it, historically?

[cathead77]

According to research done this account is historically accurate. I perform this song every year in a play we do locally. My friend, David Grubb, and I wrote the song and my daughter, Jessi, is singing with me on this version. A lot of the pictures in the slide show are from that play. It's called Terror of the Tug. Thank you for watching.

[RiverBirch1967]

Have you considered putting out a CD of songs? You are very, very good. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[cathead77]

Actually, this song is from a CD we did called The McDowell County Project. I was born and raised in McDowell County, WV, and we did a whole CD about our home county. Thank you very much for the encouraging words.

[RiverBirch1967]

LOL, well don't just say that. Tell me how to buy one.

[Gunnarsguns]

Great vid and song. You guys really got talent.....Big time

[cathead77]

Thank you very much.

[wvhillgirl]

I collect books, magazines, music and various articles or what have you on West Virginia and it's history. I have done extensive reading on the southern wv coalfields, and the coal mine wars. Very interesting to me, but I have to say, this song just blew me away. I can tell that you know your heritage and you know your business. I AM IMPRESSED!!! Thanks for your compassion for this great state and it's history. You are a true hillbilly. That is a compliment as far as I am concerned!!!

[cathead77]

I must say that you helped make my day. I am "Appalachia Proud" to the core, and to have someone say it shows.....well, that does it for me. My heritage surfaces in about everything I try to do. Thank you so much to take the time to cheer me on. It means a lot.

[xytxccd]

I was born in Welch in 1955--our family lived at War.-- the Church's. My parents moved us to Cleveland OH and later to Missouri. They are both gone now, but I'm a hillbilly too--you never really leave those mountains. And hillbilly is not a bad word to us coal miner daughters. I was a sight to those in the city - 8 yr old girl skinning squirrl and rabbit on the porch.

[cathead77]

Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you.

[themask316]

Sid is my grandmothers great great uncle :)

[cathead77]

How cool! Thanks for stopping by and watching.

[everythinggirl12]

*gasp* my dad hacked my account! im so gonna kill him!

[everythinggirl12]

awesome

 cabel(terry)

[cathead77]

Thanks, man!

[Bonnie26101]

Truly awesome song. You all always do a great job with your music. I am always anxious to see you post new stuff. THANK YOU ALL so much.  It makes me truly proud to be a natural born West Virginia!!

[cathead77]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Bonnie. I appreciate ya.

[DAVIDDAMIENR]

First: There is some excellent guitar playing on this recording. I'm always impressed by the high quality of musicians from West Virginia.

Second: The music and the melody in the chorus is outstanding. That's GREAT GREAT Writing.

Third: It's always a challange to tell a Historical story in a song. You did a Wonderful job on this one because the Tempo, Haunting Melody and Direct lyrics combine to make this a Great Song.

*** 6 STARS ***

David

[cathead77]

Thanks, David. You are always such a great encouragement to me. By the way, that's Stacy's sister singing with me on this one.