Sid Hatfield - Matewan Massacre to Grave - Old Jail - Mayor Testerman- Ed Chambers grave

We follow Sid Hatfield on his journey from the massacre to the grave. We also visit his best friend Mayor Testermans grave as well as Ed Chambers who died with Sid.

Local legend William Sidney “Sid” Hatfield was Police Chief of Matewan and one of the most popular figures of the West Virginia Mine Wars, a decades-long conflict between miners and coal operators. Hatfield was a leader for the miners during the Battle of Matewan, a shootout that followed a series of evictions carried out by detectives from the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency.

He received his nickname, “Smilin’ Sid”, because of the gold caps on several of his upper teeth. He was a staunch supporter of the United Mine Workers of America and was instrumental in leading the mining community’s resistance to the Baldwin-Felts operatives.

The Battle of Matewan took place on May 19, 1920 between Baldwin-Felts Detective Agents against Hatfield and his deputies. After the battle, ten men lay dead on Mate Street: seven Baldwin-Felts Detective Agents, two union-armed miners, and Matewan’s very own Mayor Testerman. To miners, he was a legend and hero. The bullets from the shootout are still lodged in the building on Mate Street.