▁labor ers . ▁Min ers ▁and ▁local ▁mer ch ants ▁met ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 4 ▁to ▁determine ▁a ▁course ▁of ▁action . ▁It ▁was ▁rum ored ▁a ▁larger ▁group ▁of ▁conv ict s ▁would ▁arrive ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁That ▁night ▁about ▁ 3 0 0 ▁armed ▁min ers — ▁probably ▁led ▁by ▁Kn ights ▁of ▁Labor ▁organiz ers ▁Eug ene ▁Mer rell , ▁George ▁Irish , ▁and ▁Marc ena ▁In gra ham — ▁surrounded ▁the ▁Br ice ville ▁stock ade . ▁The ▁stock ade ' s ▁gu ards ▁surrender ed ▁without ▁a ▁fight , ▁and ▁the ▁conv ict s ▁were ▁march ed ▁to ▁Co al ▁Creek , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁loaded ▁onto ▁a ▁train ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁Kno x ville . ▁ ▁Governor ' s ▁response ▁ ▁After ▁se izing ▁the ▁Br ice ville ▁stock ade , ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁min ers ▁sent ▁a ▁tele gram ▁to ▁Governor ▁Buch an an , ▁stating ▁their ▁actions ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁defend ▁their ▁property ▁and ▁w ages ▁and ▁asking ▁for ▁his ▁inter vention . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 6 , ▁Buch an an , ▁esc orted ▁by ▁three ▁Tennessee ▁state ▁milit ia ▁companies , ▁two ▁from ▁Ch att ano oga ▁and ▁one ▁from ▁Kno x ville , ▁led ▁the ▁conv ict s ▁back ▁to ▁Br ice ville . ▁ ▁At ▁Th ist le ▁Switch , ▁a ▁rail road ▁stop ▁near ▁Fr ater ville , ▁several ▁hundred ▁angry ▁min ers ▁confront ed ▁the ▁governor ▁and ▁demanded ▁he ▁address ▁them . ▁ ▁Buch an