4,500,000 Shares JAMES RIVER COAL COMPANY COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

4,500,000 Shares

XXXXX RIVER COAL COMPANY

COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

November 27, 2007

UBS Securities LLC

As representative of the several Underwriters

Named in Schedule I hereto

c/o UBS Securities LLC

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Dear Sirs and Mesdames:

Xxxxx River Coal Company, a Virginia corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), an aggregate of 4,500,000 shares of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Firm Shares”). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional 675,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Additional Shares”), if and to the extent that you, as Representatives, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriters in Section 3 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the issuance and sale contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.”

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-143563), including a prospectus, relating to the registration of certain shares of Common Stock (the “Shelf Securities”), to be sold from time to time by the Company. The registration statement, as it relates to the Shares being sold in this offering, as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”; and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities dated June 25, 2007 and in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shelf Securities (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” and the term “preliminary prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus.

For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus identified on Schedule II hereto, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule II hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Basic Prospectus,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of

Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or any free writing prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference therein.

1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act ; the Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or threatened by the Commission.

(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain and, each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement as of the date hereof does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iv) the Registration Statement complies, and the Prospectus, as of its date, will comply and the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), will comply, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Time of Sale Prospectus, at the time of the sale of the Shares and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (vi) each broadly available road show, if any, and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, when considered together as a whole with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (and to which the Underwriters have not objected in accordance with the provisions of Section 6(d) of this Agreement), or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

(c) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto forming part of the Time of Sale Prospectus, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole.

(e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized, is validly existing as a corporation or other entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole; except as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), all of the issued shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(f) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(g) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the Company has an outstanding capitalization as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(h) The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(i) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

(j) The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, will not, contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company and its subsidiaries and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

(k) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(l) There are no legal or governmental proceedings, including, without limitation, any proceedings pursuant to Environmental Laws (as defined below), pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus and are not so described or any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

(m) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(n) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(o) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, regulations, orders, decrees and judgments relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received or obtained all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole.

(p) Except as disclosed in the financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, there are not, with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries any costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures, any clean-up requirements or obligations, any costs or liabilities relating to closure of properties or mines or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities for off-site disposal or contamination, exposure to hazardous substances or other potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole.

(q) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company.

(r) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse affect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole.

(s) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement) or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property (including, without limitation, any subsurface rights) and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(t) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole.

(u) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(v) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), since December 31, 2006, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(w) The consolidated historical financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company, as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The selected financial data incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Registration Statement and set forth under the caption “Part II—Item 6—Selected Financial Data” from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2007 fairly present, on the basis stated therein, the information included therein.

(x) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, national, state or foreign regulatory authorities, including, without limitation, any permits or approvals required by the United States Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and corresponding state agencies, as are necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries or their prospects, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(y) There is and has been no material failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(z) All information related to the Company’s coal reserves (including, without limitation, the Company’s estimated reserves of recoverable coal in the aggregate and by mining complex location) included in the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus (collectively, the “Reserve Information”) (i) is accurate in all material respects, (ii) complies in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules thereunder, and (iii) when read together with the other information in the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Reserve Information has been calculated in accordance with standard mining engineering procedures used in the coal industry and applicable government reporting requirements and applicable law. All assumptions used in the calculation of the Reserve Information were and are reasonable.

(aa) All statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.

In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of the subsidiaries of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with this offering of the Shares and that specifically identifies this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company at $6.30 a share (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Firm Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm Shares to be issued and sold by the Company as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to 675,000 Additional Shares at the Purchase Price. You may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice of each election to exercise the option not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

The Company hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of UBS Securities LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The restrictions contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to:

(A) the Shares to be sold hereunder;

(B) the issuance by the Company of:

(i) shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing;

(ii) shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of Common Stock in exchange for equity or assets of another entity in connection with a merger, acquisition or strategic investment, provided that prior to any such issuance the recipient of such securities shall have agreed with UBS Securities LLC to be bound the terms of this Section 3 for the remainder of such 90-day period;

(iii) restricted Common Stock and options to purchase Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2004 Plan”) as in effect on the date hereof, provided that (1) the aggregate amount of restricted Common Stock and options issued by the Company pursuant to this clause (iii) shall not exceed the aggregate amount of securities reserved for issuance under the 2004 Plan as of the date hereof and (2) any restricted Common Stock or options issued by the Company pursuant to this clause (iii) shall neither vest nor become unrestricted, as applicable, for the remainder of such 90-day period; and

(iv) shares of Common Stock issued solely in an exchange for any of the Company’s outstanding bonds in an amount up to $25,000,000 at a nominal valuation per share not less than $1.00 per share above the last publicly traded price as quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market on November 27, 2007.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material even. The Company shall promptly notify UBS Securities LLC of any earnings release, news or event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 90-day restricted period.

3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by you that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $6.45 a share (the “Public Offering Price”).

4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares to be issued and sold by the Company shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on December 3, 2007, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than December 10, 2007, as shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than December 27, 2007, as shall be designated in writing by you.

The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.

5. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Company to issue and sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are subject to the condition that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in relation to the Shares, shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act; as of the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect or shall be pending or threatened by the Commission.

The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further conditions:

(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

(i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any of the Company’s securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and

(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement) that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i) the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

(ii) each subsidiary of the Company is validly existing as a corporation or other entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

(iii) the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(iv) the shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

(v) except as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement) and based solely on a review of the stock certificates set forth in Schedule III hereto and an officers’ certificate from the Company, the Company (or a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company) owns the number of shares of stock and membership interest of each subsidiary, as applicable, as set forth on Schedule III hereto, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for those held by (a) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Senior Funding, Inc., Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated and the Lenders from time to time parties to that certain $100,000,000 Term Credit Agreement by and among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries, such lenders, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Senior Funding, Inc., and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, dated as of February 26, 2007 and (b) General Electric Capital Corporation, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Senior Funding, Inc. and the Lenders from time to time parties to that certain $35,000,000 Revolving Credit Agreement by and among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries, such lenders, General Electric Capital Corporation, and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Senior Funding, Inc., dated as of February 26, 2007, pursuant to each such agreement;

(vi) the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights;

(vii) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(viii) the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement did not, and, if the Company were now to perform its obligations under this Agreement, such performance would not, result in any: (a) violation of the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company; (b) violation of any existing federal or state constitution, statute, regulation, rule, order or law to which the Company is subject; (c) breach of or default under any agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; or (d) violation of any judicial or administrative decree, writ, judgment or order to which, to such counsel’s knowledge, the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is subject;

(ix) no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with any governmental authority of the United States or the Commonwealth of Virginia is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares;

(x) the statements relating to legal matters, documents or proceedings included or incorporated by reference in (A) the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Part I— Item 1— Business— Customers and Coal Contracts,” “Part I—Item 2—Properties,” “Part I—Item 3—Legal Proceedings” incorporated by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2007 and “Description of Capital Stock” included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and (B) the Registration Statement in Item 15, in each case fairly summarize in all material respects such matters, documents or proceedings;

(xi) to such counsel’s knowledge, (a) there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and are not so described; and (b) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required;

(xii) the Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; and

(xiii) (A) in the opinion of such counsel, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules, other financial information and statistical information derived therefrom, and coal reserve information included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and (B) nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that causes such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus included therein (except for the financial statements and financial schedules, other financial information and statistical information derived therefrom, and coal reserve information, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) at the time the Registration Statement became effective contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules, other financial information and statistical information derived therefrom, and coal reserve information included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) as of its date or as of the Closing Date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules, other financial information and statistical information derived therefrom, and coal reserve information included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief), considered together, with the price per Share and number of Shares, as of the date hereof, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, the Company's General Counsel, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the statements made in the section entitled “Part I—Item 1—Business—Government Regulation” incorporated by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2007 in the Time of Sale Prospectus that purport to describe the provisions of the laws referred to therein fairly summarize in all material respects such matters.

(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Cravath, Swaine & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, covering the matters referred to in Sections 5(c)(vi), 5(c)(vii), 5(c)(x)(but only as to the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under “Description of Capital Stock” and “Underwriters”) and Section 5(c)(xiii) above.

With respect to Section 5(c)(xiii) above, Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP may state that their beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification, except as specified. With respect to Section 5(c)(xiii), Cravath, Swaine & Xxxxx LLP may state that their beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and upon review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification except as specified.

The opinions of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP and Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx described in Sections 5(c) and 5(d) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the consolidated financial statements and certain financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries, contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

(g) The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and certain officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule IV hereto, relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

If settlement for the Additional Shares occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Underwriters on the settlement date for the Additional Shares, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Additional Shares shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 5 hereof as well as the satisfaction of the conditions pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof.

6. Covenants of the Company. In further consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) To furnish to you, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto but including documents incorporated by reference) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

(c) To furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company in connection with this offering of Shares and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.

(d) Without the consent of the Representatives, not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(f) If, at any time during the period when a Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(g) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request.

(h) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earning statement covering the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2008 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

7. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such

qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., (v) all fees and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 9 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution”, and the last paragraph of Section 11 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

8. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

9. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.

(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 9(a) or 9(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriters and all persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act and (ii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriters and such control persons and affiliates of any Underwriters, such firm shall be designated in writing by UBS Securities LLC. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 9(a) or 9(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 9(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 9(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.

(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 9(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 9 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.

10. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by you to the Company if, after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (in the case of the Firm Shares) or any Option Closing Date (in the case of any Additional Shares), (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of The New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, or the Nasdaq National Market, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

11. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 11 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the purchase and sale of the Shares. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis, and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, stockholders or creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the purchase and sale of the Shares, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including, but not limited to, any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.

13. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

14. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

15. Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against any Underwriter or any indemnified party. Each Underwriter and the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) waive all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

16. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

17. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Department and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to 000 X. Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxx.

Very truly yours,

XXXXX RIVER COAL COMPANY

By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx

Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx

Title: CEO

Accepted as of the date hereof

UBS Securities LLC

Acting severally on behalf of themselves and

the several Underwriters named in

Schedule I hereto.

By: UBS Securities LLC

By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx

Name:Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx

Title:Director

SCHEDULE I

Underwriter		Number of Firm Shares To Be Purchased

UBS Securities LLC		4,500,000
Total		4,500,000

SCHEDULE II

Time of Sale Prospectus

1. Preliminary Prospectus dated November 27, 2007, including the Basic Prospectus dated June 25, 2007.

SCHEDULE III

LIST OF SUBSIDIARY STOCK CERTIFICATES

Subsidiary	Certificate Number	Number of Shares / Membership Interest Held by the Company or its Wholly- Owned Subsidiary

BDCC Holding Company, Inc.	1	100
Xxxx County Coal Corporation	5	1,000
Xxxxxxx Coal Corporation	9	100
Xxxxxxx Coal Leasing Company	2	100
Xxxxxxx Processing Company	1	100
Blue Diamond Coal Company	1	100
Eolia Resources, Inc.	1	2,500
Xxxxx River Coal Sales, Inc.	5	100
Xxxxx River Coal Service Company	5	200
Xxxxx Creek Coal Company	4	1,000
Xxxxx Creek Elkhorn Coal Corporation	4	600
Xxxxx Creek Processing Company	1	100
Leeco, Inc.	4	300
XxXxx Elkhorn Coal Corporation	1	29,609
Shamrock Coal Company, Incorporated	4	1,000
Triad Mining Inc.	24	411.31
Triad Underground Mining, LLC	N/A	100%

SCHEDULE IV

Lock-up Agreements

1. Xxxx X. Crown

2. Xxxxxx X. XxxxXxxxxx

3. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, XX

4. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx

5. Xxx X. Xxxx, Xx.

6. Xxxxx X. Xxxxx

7. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx

8. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx

EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER]

[•], 2007

UBS Securities LLC

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Dear Sirs and Mesdames:

The undersigned understands that UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) and certain other underwriters severally propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Xxxxx River Coal Company, a Virginia corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters, including UBS (the “Underwriters”), of shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of UBS on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to:

(a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (a “Section 16(a) Filing”), shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions;

(b) the transfer of any Shares as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that (i) the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing with the Underwriters by the restriction set forth herein and (ii) any Section 16(a) Filing made in connection therewith shall specify that such transfer is being made as a bona fide gift or gifts;

(c) the transfer of any Shares to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that (i) the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing with the Underwriters by the restrictions set forth herein, (ii) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and (iii) any Section 16(a) Filing made in connection therewith shall specify that such transfer is being made to a trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned and does not involve a disposition for value;

(d) the transfer of any Shares as a result of testate or intestate succession, provided that (i) the transferee agrees to be bound in writing with the Underwriters by the restrictions set forth herein and (ii) any Section 16(a) Filing made in connection therewith shall specify that such transfer is being made as a result of testate or intestate succession and does not involve a disposition for value; and

(e) the transfer of any Shares to a partnership, limited liability company or other entity, provided that (i) all the beneficial ownership interests of such partnership, limited liability company or other entity are held by the transferor, (ii) the transferor agrees on behalf of such partnership, limited liability company or other entity to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (iii) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and (iv) no Section 16(a) Filing shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer;

(f) the transfer of any Shares to the Company solely to satisfy tax withholding obligations incurred as a result of the vesting of restricted stock acquired by the undersigned pursuant to an incentive plan in effect as of the date of this agreement and disclosed in the Prospectus used to sell the Shares.

In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of UBS on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

If (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

The undersigned shall not engage in any transaction that may be restricted by this agreement during the 34-day period beginning on the last day of the initial 90-day restricted period unless the undersigned requests and receives prior written confirmation from the Company or UBS that the restrictions imposed by this agreement have expired.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

If for any reason the Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated prior to the Closing Date (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) or if either party delivers written notice to the other that it does not intend to enter into the Underwriting Agreement, the agreement set forth above shall likewise be terminated.

Very truly yours,

(Name)

(Address)

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4,500,000 Shares JAMES RIVER COAL COMPANY COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

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