▁private ▁coal ▁min ers ▁then ▁on ▁the ▁pay roll ▁with ▁conv ict ▁labor ers ▁le ased ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁state ▁prison ▁system . ▁ ▁These ▁former ▁w age - ear ning ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁coal ▁min ers ▁repeatedly ▁attacked ▁and ▁burn ed ▁both ▁state ▁prison ▁stock ades ▁and ▁mine ▁properties , ▁all ▁while ▁re le asing ▁hundreds ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁conv ict ▁labor ers ▁from ▁their ▁bond age ▁to ▁the ▁mine ▁companies . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁same ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁coal ▁min ers ▁were ▁also ▁wounded ▁or ▁killed ▁in ▁small - ar ms ▁sk irm ishes ▁during ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁War , ▁along ▁with ▁do z ens ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁state ▁milit iam en . ▁▁▁ ▁One ▁historian ▁describes ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁War ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dram atic ▁and ▁significant ▁episodes ▁in ▁all ▁American ▁labor ▁history ." ▁ ▁The ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁War ▁was ▁itself ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁greater ▁labor ▁struggle ▁across ▁Tennessee ▁that ▁was ▁launched ▁against ▁the ▁state ▁government ' s ▁controvers ial ▁conv ict - le asing ▁system , ▁which ▁allowed ▁the ▁state ▁prison ▁system ▁to ▁le ase ▁conv ict ▁labor ▁to ▁min ing ▁companies ▁( and ▁other ▁business ▁enter pr ises ) ▁with ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁suppress ing ▁employee ▁w ages ▁in ▁the ▁open ▁market ▁across ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁The ▁out break ▁of ▁this ▁labor ▁conflict ▁touched ▁off ▁a ▁part isan ▁media ▁fir est orm ▁between ▁the ▁min ers ' ▁supp or ters ▁and ▁det ract ors ▁and ▁brought ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁conv ict