The Night Riders

For other uses, see Night Riders (disambiguation).

Background Information

The Dark Patch Tobacco War (or the Great Tobacco strike) in southwestern Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee from 1904-1909 was the longest and most violent conflict from the end of the Civil War to the conflicts of the mid 1960s. The Night Riders were a vigilante group that used fear and intimidation against the American Tobacco Company, the Duke Trust, because they had put the price of tobacco at a low price that would ruin the farmers. As well the Night Riders’ purpose was to protest against some farmers in the Dark Patch (The color of tobacco leaves in this specific region in comparison to the bright, burley tobacco). Those farmers sold their tobacco to the Trust outside of the Association purchasing system, which angered other farmers. When the farmers failed in trying to solve the problem the Dark Patch Tobacco Association tried to use forcible intervention with their neighbours. The Night Riders were led by Dr. David Amoss, a medical doctor from the Cobb community in Caldwell County, Kentucky. These "masked riders" initiated what were called the Black Patch Wars because of the unfair price ceilings being generated by the Duke tobacco conglomerate. The Black Patch Wars developed into the most violent civil uprising since the Civil War. The price of tobacco had been artificially suppressed and as a consequence the people in these communities suffered greatly. However, the violent tactics of the Night Riders (whippings, murders, burning of buildings, and seizing of entire towns) set up an inevitable confrontation with the National Guard. Finally, in April 1908 a Kentucky National Guard element led by Captain Newton Jasper Wilburn forced the Night Riders out of the area with a series of daring raids against the leadership. Even though most of the Night Riders eventually escaped justice, Captain Wilburn's actions helped bring law and order to the region. The Amoss House in Caldwell County is dedicated to the history of Dr. Amoss and the Night Riders. Other area museums house numerous artefacts and personal histories regarding the era of the Night Riders.

Cause of the Conflict

The main cause of the Dark Patch Wars was the significant decrease in the price farmers were offered for their crop. In the last ten years of the Nineteenth Century, farmers would receive a profit of eight to twelve cents per pound, which was more than enough for a comfortable lifestyle. However, in the Twentieth Century, because of the creation of monopoly power among tobacco purchasers as well as the joining of domestic monopoly American Tobacco Company and foreign purchasing territories (Or “Regie”) it caused fixed low prices for tobacco. With little competition in bidding among tobacco buyers the prices dropped to an average of four cents a pound from 1901 to 1903, which was two cents per pound under the actual cost of producing tobacco. That was not enough for a farmer to support himself and his family. In some regions the prices fell as low as three, two or one cent(s) per pound. Originally the farmers had joined the Planter’s Protective Association, under the wealthy planter, Felix Ewing (a convincing and knowledgeable man) to go to against the monopoly buyers and producers. Under Ewing's plan, however, farmers would continue to grow tobacco, storing it in Ewing's association warehouses. Ewing and his followers stressed that their plan would require the cooperation of all tobacco growers; no "strike- breakers" would be tolerated. A farmer's "duties of a citizen" required that he join Ewing's organization.

Planter’s Protective Association and its Conflicts

The association was created in 1904 so farmers could sell their crop for a set price (originally set at eight cents per pound and two cents per pound over the cost of production). The Association would keep the tobacco in their own warehouses and pay the farmers when they sold its holdings. At the beginning between 70% to 95% of the population in the county was signing contracts to have their crop delivered only to the association (percentages varied in some regions). However in the first year of the Association it was unsuccessful, many non member producers and Association members ignored their pledges to the Association and undermined the attempt to meet the Tobacco Trust Trust (Monopoly) on an economic basis, instead they chose to seek a personal profit since the Trust gave ten to twelve cents per pound in an attempt to destroy the Association. For example, in 1906 non-members were selling to the Trust at ten to twelve cents a pound while Association members were receiving seven and one-eighth cents. This failure also occurred in the 1920s by the Burley [Bright Leaf] Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association. They also had a deep decline in the price of Bright Leaf Tobacco like the Dark Patch growers. Also similarly, they had a large number of voluntary membership expressed by a pledge by the growers saying that they would only sell to the Burley Association. The Burley Association would then keep the crop and sell it at an acceptable Price then use the money to pay the producers. This gave successful results, but it was followed by a decline in prices received by the Association and its members. In order to solve this problem a meeting was held at Stainback School House. At this meeting it was decided that some of the farmers belonging to the Association would become “Possum Hunters”. The Possum Hunters then were told to visit non-members to show them their way in groups (not less than five but not more than 2000). These nightly meetings eventually led to the violence of the Masked Silent Brigade (or the Night Riders).

American Tobacco Company (ATC)

The American Tobacco Company or the Tobacco Trust was one of the most sophisticated and highly financed industrial monopolies in the late 1890s. When the burley crop of 1906 and 1907 was boycotted by the ATC, farmers resulted to desperate measures. In the year 1908 over thirty-five thousand farmers in over thirty counties did not plant tobacco. This created a huge consequence since an entire year’s worth of crop was lost. Since there were drastic consequences the ATC agreed to the farmers demands in November of 1908.

Attacks

The Night Riders would attack individual farms and their crop. They eventually occupied whole towns and would destroy the Trust warehouses and machinery in the towns. Not only did they destroy the warehouses they also attacked individuals who supported the Trust. The Night Riders were known to be the most efficient association. It was in 1908 that the association had the most control, when they nearly had complete control of the Dark Lead tobacco crop. It is important to note however that the Night Riders received their success through violence and illegal actions. In order to protect themselves from the government, the Night Riders took membership into the governmental elite of the affected Dark Patch regions. By having memberships it allowed then to have control of machinery, the courts and officers of the counties and judicial districts. This was eventually stopped when attorneys for some victims began to move plaintiffs out of Kentucky to establish residency and qualify for suit in the federal courts that the Night Riders’ power in court was broken and they could be under the judicial process.

External links

• Night Riders and the Kentucky Black Patch