▁le asing ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁debate . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁War ▁essentially ▁ended ▁with ▁the ▁arr ests ▁of ▁hundreds ▁of ▁former ▁company ▁coal ▁min ers ▁during ▁ 1 8 9 2 . ▁The ▁ad verse ▁expos ure ▁that ▁this ▁state ▁conflict ▁with ▁private ▁labor ▁generated ▁nation wide ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁Governor ▁John ▁P . ▁Buch an an , ▁and ▁forced ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁General ▁Assembly ▁to ▁re cons ider ▁its ▁state ▁conv ict ▁labor - le asing ▁system . ▁ ▁The ▁Tennessee ▁state ▁government ▁later ▁refused ▁to ▁renew ▁its ▁conv ict ▁labor - lease ▁contract s ▁with ▁private ▁business es ▁upon ▁the ▁arrival ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁exp iration ▁dates , ▁making ▁Tennessee ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁states ▁within ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁end ▁this ▁controvers ial ▁practice . ▁ ▁Ge ographical ▁setting ▁ ▁The ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁War ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁eastern ▁fr inge ▁of ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Mountains , ▁where ▁the ▁range ▁gives ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Valley . ▁ ▁Co al ▁Creek , ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁C lin ch ▁River , ▁flows ▁north ▁for ▁several ▁miles ▁from ▁its ▁source ▁in ▁the ▁mountains , ▁s lic ing ▁a ▁narrow ▁valley ▁between ▁the ▁back bone - like ▁Wal den ▁R idge ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁V ow ell ▁Mountain ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁before ▁exit ing ▁the ▁mountains ▁east ward ▁through ▁a ▁water ▁gap ▁in ▁Wal den ▁R idge . ▁ ▁A ▁fl ank ▁of ▁V ow ell ▁Mountain