This following is noted in a site referred by you in an earlier post:
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/articles/309/newton-knight-and-the-legend-of-the-free-state-of-jones

"Newt retreated to his farm in Jasper County after 1875 and brought his wartime ally, the former slave Rachel, with him. His white wife, Serena, soon left and Newt and Rachel were married. She bore him several children. Newt faced danger for living openly with a black woman. But, as he liked to say, “There’s [sic] a lots of ways I’d ruther [sic] die than be scared to death.”

I'm sure we can expect Hollywood to put their spin on this new movie.