Interview with Newton Knight (1921)

[struggle4progress]

By James Karst, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on June 24, 2016 at 10:13 AM

By Meigs O. Frost
The New Orleans Item
March 20, 1921

... "Well, we'd voted agin secession, but the state voted to secede. Then next thing we know they were conscripting us. The rebels passed a law conscripting everybody between 18 and 35. They just come around with a squad of soldiers 'n' took you ...

"Well, I felt the same way about it. So I started back home. I felt like if they had a right to conscript me when I didn't want to fight the Union, I had a right to quit when I got ready ...

"How'd your company get its powder and lead?" I asked.

"Off the Johnny Rebs, mostly," grinned Uncle Newt. "We got word once of a Confederate wagon train goin' through Jones County. There warn't many of us, but we scouted up on 'em and got 'em surrounded. The boys all had big drive-horns. (These were the horns used in rounding up stock, summoning the men to dinner from the fields, driving cattle, etc.) Well, there'd be a big blast up in the woods, to one side. Then another on the other side. Then another in front and one in back. These drivers must have thought we had an army in the woods. Then when we came a-shootin', they cut and run ...

http://www.nola.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/06/free_state_of_jones_leader_new_1.html

[JustAnotherGen]

1. We are going to see this -

This weekend! Thanks for the interview/article