"Knight Company"

uring the American Civil War, Jones County and neighboring counties, especially Covington County to its west, became a haven for Confederate deserters. A group of deserters, led by a self-appointed "Captain" Newton Knight and calling themselves Knight's Company, engaged in sporadic battles with State and Confederate units sent to arrest them for desertion. The notoriety of Knight's rebellion led to the growth of elaborate stories alleging Jones County's "secession" from the Confederacy and the establishment of an entity called "The Free State of Jones".