In January 1874, the Mississippi legislature elected Blanche K. Bruce to the United States Senate, making him the
second African American from the state to be elected to that body, and the first to serve a full term. Bruce served in the Senate from 1875 - 1881, and during his time in that body he was a tireless supporter of the rights of African Americans. The Senator had a particular interest in protecting the rights of those who had fought to preserve the nation during the Civil War. A biography of Bruce on the United States House of Representatives website had this to say about him:
"Bruce's advocacy for African Americans was most evident in issues affecting black war veterans. He was a staunch defender of black servicemen, promoting integration of the armed forces and fair treatment. On April 10, 1878, he unsuccessfully attempted to desegregate the U.S. Army, citing the U.S. Navy as precedent. Two years later, Bruce delivered a speech asking the War Department to investigate the brutal hazing of black West Point cadet Johnson C. Whittaker. The following year, he supported legislation that prevented discrimination against the heirs to black soldiers' Civil war pensions. He also submitted a bill in 1879 to distribute money unclaimed by black Civil War soldiers to five African-American colleges." (https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/10029)
In February 1880, Senator Bruce introduced a bill "For the relief of Newton Knight and others, citizens of Mississippi, therein named." This legislation would have provided a cash appropriation to Knight and his followers, who had put up a strenuous resistance to the Confederacy in the Piney Woods region of south Mississippi during the war. This legislation was very controversial in Mississippi, as the thought of rewarding white Mississippians for fighting against the Confederacy was anathema to many in the state. White Democrats had recently "redeemed" the state with the Mississippi Plan using violence and intimidation to rob African Americans of their hard-won right to vote. They had no desire to see anyone promoting someone like Newton Knight, who clashed with their "lost cause" view of the war that promoted the idea of a united White citizenry fighting against the invaders of Mississippi.
The Mississippi press was very quick to excoriate Bruce in the newspapers. One such article was the following, which was published in the Fayette Chronicle on March 19, 1880:
Newton Knight, Bruce’s Protégé
We see that Senator Bruce has put a bill in Congress for the benefit of one Newton Knight and his coadjutors for
their services during the war as United States Infantry. The Senator comes late with his bill, but we suppose this precious document could not be evolved any sooner. Considering the source from whence it comes, it is probably in on time, only seventeen years and ‘nothing more.’
It certainly gives a grateful country ample time to consider of the splendid achievements of its would be heroes. What we know of this military hero is, that during the war he became a deserter from the Confederate army in company with many others and had a sort of semi organization of deserters and those stay at home fellows liable to conscription. This delectable organization consisted of seven hundred men, and operated mostly in Jones County, Miss., at least that was their head quarters. Knight lived about the line of Jones and Jasper Counties.
His command was considered by the military, as bushwhackers. They had no regular camp or training ground, but debouched at intervals from their hiding holes and robbed their better neighbors of whatever they took a fancy to, generally supplies, stock etc. They also raided on the depots of supplies accumulated by the Tax in kind officials when not strongly guarded.
When their depredations were fully made known, a detachment of cavalry under Maj. McLemore was sent to disperse them, or send them to their commands, and enroll those liable to conscription. But instead of availing themselves of those mild measures they resisted to the death every effort of the gallant Major, finally ambuscading him and a small party of his command at a bridge in the Southern part of the county, killing the Major on the spot, and wounding some of his men, driving the whole detachment from the county.
Brig. Gen. Harry Maury of Forrest’s command, with the Fifteenth Confederate Cavalry and about two hundred and fifty Mississippi sharp shooters and also Capt. Tobin’s battery was then sent to attend to them. The gallant Maury found them in full possession of the country, but by his energy soon dispersed them, capturing about one hundred of them and sending them to the military prison at Hitchcoe’s Press in the city of Mobile. Some returned to their commands. General Maury hung some of them that fired on his detachment, but he did not succeed in capturing the redoubtable ‘Knight.’
No sooner was it ascertained that Maury had been ordered to Florida than Knight collected the remnant of his scattered forces and renewed his depredations. The government was now so exasperated with this state of affairs that Gen. Robert Lowry was ordered to Jones and Jasper counties to exterminate the miserable crew. He succeeded in driving them out of the country, killing many, some going to Honey Island at the mouth of Pearl River.
Newton Knight was a self constituted officer of this vile and ignorant command, not one of whose officers had a commission, and were not recognized as having any connection with the United States army, and if they had held a commission, from what the writer of this knew of them, they could not have read it.
And now after a lapse of nearly a quarter of a century for Bruce to present such claims to the government is unworthy of his Senatorial robes. ‘Verily the mills of the gods grind slowly.’
Mississippi Democratic newspapers had a long history of bashing Newton Knight in print. In an 1872 article on a Republican Party district nominating convention, the Clarion-Ledger reported: "Newton Knight, chief of the South-east Mississippi Mossy-backs, during the war, and his 1st Lieutenant Collins were delegates, but were only seen, not heard." (Clarion-Ledger, 8 August 1872)
Nothing ever came of the legislation that Bruce had introduced to the Senate, and Newton Knight and his followers never received any compensation from the government. For a more detailed look into Blanche K. Bruce and his support of Newton Knight, I highly recommend the two-part series written by my good friend and fellow Bolton native, Ed Payne. Part one of Ed's story can be found here: https://renegadesouth.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/newt-knight-the-story-goes-on-forever/