Subject of the upcoming film Free State of Jones, this book provides
recollections of the man who took on the Confederacy during the Civil
War and established the liberated Mississippi county.
Soldier, Father, Rebel. Outlaw. A man of deep convictions, Captain Newt
Knight disagreed with the values of the South and was accused of
deserting the Confederate army. He was a believer in doing what was
just. During the Civil War, he formed his own band of deserters who
would rebel against the Confederacy and support the Union. In the spring
of 1864, the government in Jones County was effectively overthrown, and,
the county was dubbed "The Free State of Jones." Eventually, Knight
would establish a mixed race town for both whites and former slaves to
inhabit together.
This edition merges two rare books on the subject; Thomas Jefferson
Knight's The Life and Activities of Captain Newt Knight and Ethel
Knight's The Echo at the Black Horn. Each paints a singular portrait
of this elusive historical figure. Was he Civil War-Era Robin Hood or a
manipulative cult leader? Both surely have fictitious elements
determined by the authors' biases. Historian Jim Kelly provides a
forward that helps examine the importance of each position on Newt
Knight's role in the conflict and what his motivations truly were.
Now the subject of a new feature film, the experiences of Newt Knight
will be brought back to light. This highly informative book helps to
explore his life and give an in-depth look at the man--through the eyes
of his son and grand-niece.
