Thanks so much for your comments. I find this topic of African American miners very exciting also; I am sure my wife wonders about me sometimes! However it is a very significant piece of American history, as we played a critical role in the industrializing of America through our labor in the mines. In addition, it was a huge vehicle for us to gain some legitimate form of employment of a non-agricultural nature in the reconstruction period. One of the things I find most intriguing are the distinct initial and subsequent migration patterns that seem to be emerging among different groups of miners coming out of Alabama and Virginia. Hearing stories filled with intimate details passed on to the descendants of those miners will hopefully find their way to me and create a wonderful portrait of these workers.