Newt's land adjoined my Great Great Grandfather's farm. As a matter of fact, much of the existing anecdotal info about Newt came from my Great Grandfather who actually witnessed Newt kill Bill Morgan and also saw the Confederates execute Ben Knight. The movie adds characters and events that never existed or happened. If you really want to know the true story, read Victoria Bynum's book, The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War.
Here is a
link to an interview with Uncle Newt conducted shortly before his death.