Newton Knight - Legacy

Legacy

In 1935, Knight's son, Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Knight, published a book about his father, The Life and Activities of Captain Newton Knight. Tom Knight portrayed his father as a Civil War-era Robin Hood who refused to fight for a cause with which he did not agree. The book noticeably omits Newton Knight's post-war marriage to Rachel.

The 1942 James H. Street novel, Tap Roots, is loosely based on the Knight Company's actions. Though the book is a work of fiction, the novel's protagonist, Hoab Dabney, was inspired by Newton Knight. The book was the basis of the 1948 film, Tap Roots, which was directed by George Marshall, and starred Van Heflin and Susan Hayward.

In the late 1940s, Davis Knight, a great-grandson of Newton and Rachel Knight, was charged with miscegeny for marrying a white woman. Much of the trial focused on the background of Rachel, namely whether or not she was actually black. Davis Knight was found guilty, but the verdict was eventually overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

In 1951, Knight's grandniece, Ethel Knight, published The Echo of the Black Horn, a scathing denunciation of Knight and the Knight Company. Dedicating the book to the Confederate veterans of Jones County, Ethel Knight portrayed Newton as a backward, ignorant, murderous traitor. She argued that most members of the Knight Company were not Unionists, but had been manipulated by Knight into joining his cause.

During the latter half of the 20th century, much of the debate over the Knight Company shifted to whether or not Jones County was truly a pro-Union stronghold. In his 1984 book, The Legend of the Free State of Jones, Rudy Leverett argued that the Knight Company's actions were not representative of Jones County, and provided evidence that a majority of Jones Countians were loyal to the Confederacy.

In 2003, historian Victoria Bynum's book The Free State of Jones was published by the University of North Carolina Press. This book provides a broader view of the Knight Company, taking into account the economic, religious and genealogical factors that helped shape the views of Civil War-era residents of the Jones County area. Bynum provides numerous examples of Knight stating his pro-Union sentiments after the war, and notes the influence of the staunchly pro-Union Collins family, many of whom were members of the Knight Company. She also brings to light the many women and slaves who provided assistance to Knight and his men.

In 2010, Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer published The State of Jones, which elaborates on Knight's pro-Union sympathies, and suggests his views on race played a role in his actions during and after the war.