The Night Riders

The Night Riders

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 artifacts and personal histories regarding the era of the Night Riders.