Free State Of Jones Essay

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The Free State of Jones The Free State of Jones took place during the Civil War in the spring of 1864. The Civil War was a long battle between the Confederates in the South and the Union in the North. The Free State of Jones was a rebellion movement led by the farmer Newton Knight against the Confederacy in Jones County, Mississippi. Newton Knight was a medic and was caring for the injured young men and even young boys who were no more than children, who were hurt while on the battlefield; risking their lives for the Confederates. Knight was constantly surrounded by death and did not have enough supplies to help every injured man that was brought to him. Newton realized that this was not his fight to fight. He decided to desert the army and barely escaped with his life. He …show more content…

“The people of Jones County know who of their number belonged to this company and don’t hesitate to tell who they are,” because they are ashamed of what they did (Montgomery). They had the courage to fight back against the Confederacy and stood up for what they believed in and supported the Union. They are not proud of their history and they feel like they disrespected the Confederacy which they apparently still view very highly. The Confederacy is still viewed highly to them because it is part of their culture and great numbers of people around them still view it highly. They are trying to fit in among everyone else. The Free State of Jones movement does not seem to have really changed the views on the Confederacy today in Jones County. If you go and visit Jones County “the grand old columned courthouse has a Confederate monument next to it, and no mention of the anti-Confederate rebellion that took place there,” (Grant). The people living there today seem to ignore this part of their county’s history and continue to admire the