Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-03
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAS
 HISTORY
A ooNFEDEBAcY WITHIN A cor
FEDERACY

A oONFEDERACY WITHIN 4 CON-
 FEDERACY
 It is generally known that in the sec ond year of the late civil war, county in Mississippi, formally seeded from it's parent state and the Southern Confedera- cy. and organized @ distinct government of it's own. Jeffer& on Davis was much mortified when the news reached him.
 It was in the latter part of 1862 that a convention assembled at the court house in EIisville the seat of justice of Jones County, Mississippi, and passed an ordf- nance of secession, severing the county from the Southern government. altogether, declaring that as a part of Q state which had established it's independence, the county had perfect right to exercise similar power.
 It called itself the Jones County Confederacy'' It's ordinance of secession was weighty document and read as follows:
 Whereas the State of Mississippi las seen it to withdraw from the federal Union for reasons which appear justified, and whereas we, the citizens of Jones County claim the same right, thinking our grievances are sufficient by reason of an unjust law passed by the Congress of [ ing us to go to distant parts, etc. There fore, be it resolved, That we sever the union heretofore existing between Jons County and the State of Mississippi, and proclaim our independence of the said State, and ot the Confederate States of America D
 \ resolution was offered in the con- ventiCn to joint the United States of America-for offensive and defensive measures, but almost immediately vot- ! ed down." The president chosen was Nathan Knight-'Nate" Knight, as he was famiharly known, was a man of in tense force of character, yet one of the l most iIliterate men of Jones county.
 The new government had it's congress- l both branches-and Knights chose his 1 cabinet from among the most ardent se- 1 cessionists> in the county, and in several | instances one man held several offices, A 1 code of laws was prepared to meet the re- | quirements of the miniature confederacy. i Conscription and confscation acts were i passed and then written out on paper and mailed to the trees in the vicinity. as ] not a newspaper existed in the entire county at the tirle
 In 1860 the total population of the county was 3,323--the white male portion being l, 1,492. Tn a little more than a year 1t had increased to 29,U0D through an 1n- ISlux Of undesirable clements from Southern states who were trying tc ] avade taking part in the war, and es- peciaIIy after the Richmond fathers had passed the ConscriDtion Act.
 Then followed what was styled "th6 reign of terror" in Jones County. Pres ident Knight issued an order requiring all alians-enemies-t leave the county
 An act of conscription was passed 1T 1863 by Knights government, calling int
 service all ablerbodied citizens of Jcne: County, between the ages of eighteen anC
 forty-ffve, and ordered them to repor
 at once to Knight; this order was strict ly enforced. Confscation of horses
 mules and cattle were unceremoniousE
 secuted
 Gen Lowery, later governor of Mfssis
 sip, commanded that the Confederat
 forces be sent to crush out the lone
 County rebellion, but they met with stub
 born and WelI-planned resistance. Bu for the timely arrival of the artiIler.
 he woUW have had much more serlou
 work.
 Knight and his men took to tb
 swamps and carried on their warfar from these fastnesses until after the sur