El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-01-17

THE great war has called INTO eA-
, fstence a number OF small ma
tons. just as the civil war gave birth
20 the now practically forgotten Re
nublic OF Jones' The nations newly
born in the great couflioe promise to
survive with the AID OF their older
and larger brothers. while the Re
public Of Jones" died with the war
of 1876. The records Of the small
American country are concealed In
one Of the forsaken hyways OF his
torv Text books contain no mention
Of the republic its story must De
dug out from letters and newspapers
OF the civil war period. in which rel
erences to the Republic Of Jones
are not numerous
But the Republic of Jones existed
and maintained its existence as a tree
and independent nation II was
fuu-fledged republic in the years
1926. It had a president. a
cabinet. two houses OF congress, an
army and a commandments. Be
ing an inland republic, like Bolivia
and Switzerland. il had no navy, and
no need for one.
The Republic Of Jones" lasted just
as long as did the Confed crate states
OF America When the greater civil
war ended the smaller war OF the
s'Renublic Of Jones with the state
Of Mississippi and with the Confed-
crate States Of America ended also
Ultimately Mississippi went back into
the union and Jones went back into
Mississippi There was a reconstruc-
ton period for the state and also for
the county.
Jefferson Dav5s was the only presi-
dent OF the Confederate States OF
America and Nathan Knight was the
=
public OF Jones" knight. who was
known through Jones as Nate was
q man OF bravery and determination
a good fighter and popular. He was
prominent in the affairs OF Jones
county even before II seeded from
the state
Just as the north fought hard to
bring the seeding states back into
the union. so sissippi-perhaps
somewhat tly--fought 20
keep the county Of Jones. or the
Republic Of Jones'" in the state
In the efforts OF Mississippi 70 put
down the rebellion in Jones the state
received aid from the rest Of the
ederacy-that is, Mississippi re-
ceived such aid when the confederate
leaders found time among their nu-
mer0us other worries 20 give thought
10 the little rebellion within a re-
bellion."
knight and his followers fought
hard against the efforts TO bring
them back within the state In the
main their fight was successful Il
was not until after Lee surrendered
and the confederacy collapsed that I
the Republic OF Jones' oapitulated 7
TO the state OF Mississippi
For years after the war Knight and I
his principal supporters had 70 keep
quiet and secluded Relatives Of men
killed 10 the fighting between the I
Republic Of Jones" ana the state 4
Of Mississippi sought vengeance or
the men who had been active in the
affairs Of the little republic. There
had been much bloodshed.
Sometimes considerable forces were
sent by confederate leaders against
The men Of Jones One estimate, OF
guess placed the number % Jones's
soldiers in the field at one time as
high as 10000, but that Is undoUbt-
sdly q gross exaggeratiou. since the
population Of Jones in 1850 was. ac-
cording to the United States census,
only 1928, OF whom 1882 were white
males At times, however. the army
D. the Republic OF Jones' was aug
nented by de6erters from the con-
Tolerate forces and fugitlves from
he confederate draft
Il was in the latter part OF 1852
hat Jones seeded from the state OF
mississippi and decided TO go fl
alone" as The Jones County Con-
-ederacy-" Just Why Jones cut loose
rom the mother state Is not known.
but It is believed that It did not ap-