Webvictoria bynum traces the origins and legacy of the jones county uprising from the american revolution to the modern civil rights movement. In bridging the gap between. Webduring the civil war, a confederate deserter led a band of poor farmers and escaped slaves to defy the confederacy in mississippi. Writer and director gary ross. Webas the civil war raged on in mississippi, a confederate deserter named newton knight and his band of southern unionists evaded capture by hiding in the. Webnewton knight led a small army of slaves and confederate deserters to create the free state of jones in mississippi during the u. s. Known as the knight. Webhis scoop upset two governments and instead of being feted for his honest reporting he found himself denigrated by the pool of moscow foreign correspondents, blacklisted by. Webthe true story of the free state of jones started in 1860. Then, as southern states began seceding from the union following the election of abraham. What was the 'free state of jones'? For many years, the term “free state of jones” has been used to designate the.