The Free State of Jones

The Free State of Jones was made up of a group of Confederate Army deserters, led by Newton Knight. Knight had been a farmer prior to the war. It is unknown why he deserted, but based on a quote by Knight, "he had a right to quit when he got ready." Following the Battle of Vicksburg, desertion in the Confederate ranks grew to be a huge problem. Most of the deserters followed Knight to Jones County, Mississippi. They called themselves the Knight Company, and they lived in the swamp on the banks of the Leaf River. The men acted much like guerrillas. They stole and plundered from Confederate sympathizers and gave their spoils to Union supporters. They defended these actions by saying that it was for "taxes." The swamp became known as "Devil's Den." They enlisted women and slaves to provide food for them. Some of the slave men actually joined the Knight Company. The women served as lookouts for Knight and his men. When a Confederate force would get close, the women would sound a cattle horn. From 1863, to the end of the war, the Knight Company engaged Confederate forces in fourteen skirmishes. Knight actually sent a letter to William Tecumseh Sherman telling him that Jones County had seceded from the Confederacy. Jones County functioned as their own state. Knight served as the governor, with his most trusted confidants as his advisors. The Knight Company was unable to hide out in "Devil's Den" forever. Confederate General Leonidas Polk sent Colonel Robert Lowry to Jones County to track down Knight and his deserters. Lowry and his men used bloodhounds to track down the deserters. They were able to round up ten members of the Knight Company. Among the ten, were Newton's cousins Benjamin Franklin Knight, and Sil Coleman. It is unknown how Newton escaped, but he claimed that he "tried to escape through Confederate lines and join the Union Army, but failed." Knight eventually surrendered, at the end of the Civil War. He and his company's last raiding mission was to free children who were still enslaved. They were successful in their raid. Knight petitioned the United States government for compensation for he and his men. Their request was denied, due to the fact that they were not "organized for military service." Newton eventually went back to being a simple farmer. He separated from his wife Serena, and married a freed slave named Rachel. This led to a genealogy made up of interracial marriages, that would stay with the Knight family forever. The Free State of Jones will go down in history as one of the most interesting stories of the Civil War.

Map showing where Jones County is located in Mississippi.

The grave of Newton Knight.

In June 2016, the film "Free State of Jones" was released. 

Stay tuned next week for another installment of Moore Historical Consulting's Throwback Thursday series. Go check out the Moore Historical Consulting section of the blog, and put me to work for you today!!