This Confederate Soldier Fought to Free Slaves

This Confederate Soldier Fought to Free Slaves

Trista - December 7, 2018

This Confederate Soldier Fought to Free Slaves
Slaves in the cotton fields. Lightfoot/Getty/The Daily Beast.

9. Newton Knight And The Confederacy Never Got Along

By now, it is well known that Newton Knight was not supportive of the institution of slavery. Newton never owned slaves and never believed in slavery. However, once he became a part of the Confederate Army, it was very obvious to Newton that he was fighting to try to keep slavery alive for the slaveholding states. While Newton fought for the Confederate Army for a good year before he finally decided to leave, Newton never believed in what the Confederacy was fighting for from the beginning.

However, the goal of the Confederacy, to keep the institution of slavery, was very clear from the beginning. Therefore, it is clear that Newton Knight and the Confederacy were never on the same page from the start. However, then why did Newton enroll as a member of the Confederacy? No one knows this answer; nevertheless, some people believe Newton felt he had no choice, especially with talk of a draft coming. Newton lived in Mississippi, and he could not uproot his family because of the Civil War so they could live in a Union state.

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