http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/free-state-of-jones/

Even their attempt to show what was real and not real in the movie is full of fiction and doubt. They claim Major Mclemore was sent to "execute" deserters. With what?...he had no known force. He was sent to convince local deserters to return to the army...not kill them.

They claim that "tax in kind" was the reason Knight deserted and that Confederate forces "raided Jones County to take property to pay this "tax in kind". Knight and many Jones County people did not make enough money or have enough property to fall under this law.