The Butler weekly times., 1886-11-03
THE JONES CONFEDERACY.
A queer Chapter Of War History-A
Mississippi County that Set Up in
BUSINESS for Itself and Main
tained Itself a Belligerent
to the End.
From the Forum.

IL - Hot geneTailY known, or re-
membe,ed, If eve- known, that IN the
second year of the late civil war
county III Mississippi formally seced-
ed from Its parent state and the south.
ern contederacy and organized
distinct government OF its own. JEFF
terson Davis was much mortified
when the news reached him of such
rebellous proceedings in his own
commonwealth, therefore as little
publicity was gwen to the affair at
the time as possible.
1t was in the latter par. OF lSo.
that convention assembled at The
court house IN Ellisville, the seat OF
justice of Jones county, ,and passed an
ordinance OF secession, severing the
county from the southern government
| altogether declaring that as par: OF
a state which had established a pre-
cedent by Its recent action. the county
had perfect right TO exercise similar
power. 1t called itself the "Jones
County Confederacy." Its ordinance
OF secession was weighty document
and read as follows: ''Whereas the
State of Mississippi has seen fit to
withdraw from the Federal Union,
tor reasons which appear ,ustifiable :;
and whereas we, the citizens OF tones
county, clam the same right, think
Our grievances are sufficient bv rea-
son of an unjust law passed by the
Congress of the Confederate States of
America, forcing US to go to distant
parts, etc, etc. Therefore, be it re-
solved, that we sever the UNION here
tofore existing between Jones county
and the State of Miss,sslppl and pro-
CLAIM our independence of SAID State
and of the Confederate States OF
Amerlca-and we solemnly call
upon Almighty Good to witness and
bless this act
A resolution was offered IN the
convention to Join "the United State.
OF Amortization offensive and de-
fensve measures" but almost i'm
mediately voted down-many mem.
bers Of the convention declaring
that "such an act would be extreme
ly inconsistent, as the United State
were now pursuing coerCiy
measure towards the Confederat
States" The president chosen WA
Nathan Knight-"Nate" Knight. a
he was tamillarly known, a man c
intense force of character, bold, de
l fiant, and without fear, but one q
the most i.literate cit. zens of one
county. AS is generally the cas-
with such characters, his homes,
was doubtful; yet he would ha,
made an able commander in the fiel
had the opportunity offered in Il
gitimate way. and he was exceedin
ly popular with the people Of h
little confederacv. The new go
eminent had Its congress-bo
branches-and Knight chose
cabinet from among the most arde
secessionists IN the county: and t
numerous small Offices IN his e
were taken in groups: in many
n stances one man performed
duties of several. A code of la'
was prepared to meet the requi'
ments of the miniature confedera;
Conscrip,ion and confscation 4
were passed, and then written out
common paper, and nailed to
trees in the vicinity, as not new
paper existed in the entire county
that time.
The community was mixture
all sorts of people. Many were
posed to the war, at least SO tar
taking a gun or hand as concern
Its vast and almost lmpenetra
swamps made the county forbld'
ground for recruiting agents;
deserters from the Confedel
armies IN the field found haven
retreat from the storm of conf
and there was plenty OF work