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Was Davis Knight a real person?
Davis Knight (8 January 1925 – 8 August 1959) was a Mississippi man of distant black descent who, in 1948, was charged with miscegenation for marrying a "white" woman, Junie Lee Spradley.
How many children did Newton Knight father?
After the Civil War, Knight took up with his grandfather's former slave Rachel; they had five children together. Knight also fathered nine children with his white wife, Serena, and the two families lived in different houses on the same 160-acre farm.
How old was Newton Knight when he died?
84 years (1837–1922)Newton Knight / Age at death
When did Newt Knight die?
February 16, 1922Newton Knight / Date of death
How accurate is the movie Free State of Jones?
Despite the film's real-life basis and its director's extensive research, Free State Of Jones isn't entirely historically accurate. One major deviation from reality the movie made was in its inclusion of fictional characters.
Are there any descendants of Newton Knight?
Davis Knight, a great-grandson of Newton Knight, Serena Knight and Rachel Knight, was tried in court on charges of illegal interracial marriage in 1948. Edgar and Randy Williamson, Newton Knight's great-great grandchildren, went to court in the 1960s after they were banned from a white school.
Was Newton Knight married?
Serena Turnerm. 1858–1922Rachel Knightm. ?–1889Newton Knight/Spouse
What happens at the end of Free State of Jones?
After the war ends, Rachel, now Newt's second wife, persuades him to move to Soso, Mississippi. Eventually his impoverished first wife and son — whom he abandoned and didn't bother looking for after the war — find them. Somehow, they all end up living happily ever after on Newt's farm in Soso.
What is on Moses neck in Free State of Jones?
One of them, Moses (Mahershala Ali), endures a tall, spiked iron collar around his neck, a punishment inflicted by a slave owner for his earlier attempts at escape.
How did Moses die in Free State of Jones?
Moses Washington's character proactively marches around Jones County after the war registering blacks to vote, resulting in his being lynched and castrated by a white mob.
Where is Newt Knight buried?
Newt Knight Family Cemetery, MSNewton Knight / Place of burial
Was Newton Knight married?
Serena Turnerm. 1858–1922Rachel Knightm. ?–1889Newton Knight/Spouse
Where is Newt Knight buried?
Newt Knight Family Cemetery, MSNewton Knight / Place of burial
Is Moses Washington a real person?
Moses Washington (died 1865) was the leader of a group of runaway slaves who helped to form the Free State of Jones in 1862. Washington led several slaves into the swamps of Jones County, Mississippi, where they were joined by Confederate deserter Newton Knight.
Who was Newton Knight?
Newton Knight, a white Mississippi farmer, led armed opposition to the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, creating “The Free State of Jones,” a county that supported the Union in the war.
Where was Newton Knight born?
Newton Knight was born in Jones County, Mississippi in 1837. His grandfather had owned a large number of slaves, but his father did not. The Knight family grew food crops and raised livestock on their farm, and did not align themselves with the slave-holding class that supported secession and the Civil War.
What did Newton Knight say about slavery?
Newton Knight opposed the state seceding from the United States, saying that white farmers like himself did not support slavery. After deserting from the Confederate army, he led a rebellion against the Confederacy in Jones County, according to lore and declaring it “The Free State of Jones.”. After the war, he lived with a woman who had been ...
What did the Knight Company do in 1864?
Their insurgent actions included impeding tax collectors, taking Confederate army supplies to redistribute to Jones County’s residents and even killing supporters of the Confederacy. By early 1864, Knight Company had raised a U.S. flag in Ellisville, although whether they actually declared “The Free State of Jones” is uncertain.
Who kidnapped Michelle Knight?
In 2002, Michelle Knight was kidnapped by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, Ohio. She was held captive and sexually abused by Castro for more than a decade. She was rescued in May 2013.
Who killed Amos McLemore?
It is generally believed that Knight killed him.
Who was Newton Knight?
Newton Knight was an American farmer, a southern Unionist, and a soldier in Mississippi, who was also the leader of the ‘Knight Company,’ a group of soldiers who fought in the Civil War and opposed the ‘Confederate’ government. The ‘Knight Company’ consisted of Lincoln loyalists. They were against slavery and formed the ‘Free State ...
Where was Newton Knight born?
Childhood & Early Life. Newton Knight was born Stuart Newton Knight, on November 10, 1829, in Jones County, Mississippi, to Albert Knight and his wife. Theirs was a relatively poor family of farmers. Some reports suggest that Newton was actually born in 1837, and this has been the subject of a never-ending debate.
What was Newton Knight's role in the Civil War?
The Civil War broke out in America in April 1861, and Newton Knight enlisted in the ‘Confederate Army,’ supporting the group of states that believed in slavery. This decision of his shocked everyone. It is still not known what compelled a man who was against slavery to join the ‘Confederate’ forces. Some accounts state that he wanted to fight ...
What party did Newton join?
Once the war was over, Newton joined the liberal ‘Republican Party’ and served as a US marshal in Mississippi. Newton may have been an iconic figure in America, but he divided his followers and haters in many groups over the years, owing to his doubtful motives and his tendency to change sides during the Civil War.
What happened to the Confederate Army in 1863?
To make matters worse, the ‘Confederate Army’ had declared that any soldier from their army could claim anything they desired and that it was farmers’ duty to help them. In 1863, Knight was captured, along with several other deserters, by the ‘Confederate Army.’. However, he was soon back in Jones County.
What movie was Newton in?
Several films and novels have been based on his life. The Gary Ross-directed 2016 film ‘Free State of Jones ’ starred Matthew McConaughey as Newton. The film was a major critical and commercial debacle. However, it was appreciated for its noble intentions of portraying an American hero in his true glory.
Who were the Knight Company?
The ‘Knight Company’ consisted of Lincoln loyalists. They were against slavery and formed the ‘Free State of Jones,’ which did not abide by national laws, in their home state of Mississippi. However, there is no exact historical record that shows the exact degree to which Newton opposed slavery. Once the war was over, Newton joined ...
Where was Newton Knight born?
Newton Knight was born in Jones County, Mississippi, in 1929. He was born into a poor farming family. Newton, on growing up, equally became a farmer. Even though his grandfather (John “Jackie” Knight) was a slaveholder, Newton (and his father, Albert) never took part in the inhumane practice. Unlike many farmers in the south, they did not rely on ...
Why did Newton Knight desert the army?
Some of the reasons for his desertion include the fact that the army was not being supplied with the provisions they needed, they were being sent to fight the enemy with no arms.
What county did Newton Knight free?
He did not only gather his own army to fight the separatist forces but also freed his home county of Jones County from the rule of the Confederate government. Newton Knight is however not without some controversies. He is one of the divisive figures in the history of the American civil war. While some regard him as a betrayer ...
How many clashes did the Knight Company have with the Confederate army?
They took many steps to undermine the Confederate army and were involved in at least 14 clashes with the army. The Knight Company’s efforts extended beyond Jones County and covered the south-east parts of Mississippi. The group was supported by the rural people who fed them not only food but also information.
How many children did Newton have?
They had nine children together. In the 1970s, Newton and his wife separated and he got married to Rachael, a woman who was previously his grandfather’s slave. This was against the segregation laws in Mississippi but Newton did not give a hoot. They went on to have five children.
What was Newton's role in the Civil War?
He was appointed by the new pro-union government to share food amongst the poor.
Who led the Knight Company?
The group consisted of fellow army deserters as well as runaway slaves numbering 125. Led by Newton Knight, the group fought and chased away Confederate officers sent to seize people’s properties or force them to join the army.
Where did Newton Knight live?
With former Confederates resuming positions of power, the Klan at his heels, and the passing of Jim Crow segregation laws, the real Newton Knight withdrew from white society and lived a quiet self-sufficient life with Rachel and his mixed-race family on his homestead on the Jasper County border.
Who played Newton Knight in Free State of Jones?
The Free State of Jones book author Victoria E. Bynum said that Daniel (Jacob Lofland), the character Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) tries to protect in battle, is at best a composite of various 7th Battalion men who were killed at the Battle of Corinth. Like in the movie, the battle and its casualties deepened the disillusionment ...
What happened in 1861?
When the American Civil War began in April 1861, anyone who opposed the state's new Confederate government was deemed a traitor and a coward. Immediate death was often the penalty for those who refused to join the Confederate Army. The Free State of Jones true story reveals that Newton Knight enlisted in the army in the early fall of 1861.
What did the Knight Company do in 1864?
In the spring of 1864, the Knight Company declared loyalty to the Union and overthrew the Confederate authorities in Jones County, Mississippi. In the process, they crippled the "tax in kind" system of the Confederacy and redistributed Confederate supplies. They also vowed to defend each other's farms and homes.
What happened on September 14 1863?
Death: September 14, 1863, Ellisville, Jones County Mississippi, USA (gunshot) We Stood firm to the union when secession swept as an avalanche over the state. For this cause alone we have been treated as savages instead of freeman by the rebel authorities.
Who did Newt father his daughter from?
During the first five years following Rachel's death in 1889, Newt fathered two kids with Rachel's daughter from another man, Georgeanne. The Free State of Jones book author Victoria E. Bynum suggests that this may have been what finally made Serena leave the household.
Who shot Amos McLemore?
Though there is no hard proof, it is widely believed that Newton Knight and two accomplices shot dead Confederate Major Amos McLemore on October 5, 1863 while McLemore was visiting the home of Confederate Representative Amos Deason.
Who was Newton Knight's grandson?
Not much is known about the details of Rachel's life. Towards the end of the American Civil War, she helped Newton Knight, grandson of John "Jackie" Knight, evade capture by Confederate forces after his desertion from the army. Newton's story was portrayed in the 2016 film Free State ...
Who was Rachel Knight?
(April 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Rachel Knight (1840 - February 11, 1889) was the African-American common-law wife to Confederate army deserter Newton Knight (1829-1922) . In 1881 she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Where was Rachel Knight born?
Early life. Rachel Knight was born into slavery to parents named Abraham and Viney in 1840 in Georgia. She was described as a 'Guinea Negro', "meaning she was racially mixed but did not look white nor was she light-skinned, but with 'nice hair' not kinky and shoulder length" similar to Australian aborigines.
Who played Newton in Free State of Jones?
Newton's story was portrayed in the 2016 film Free State of Jones where Newton was portrayed by Matthew McConaughey and Rachel was depicted by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. While Newton was initially married to Serena Turner, he eventually was separated from her and married Rachel.
