Keri Russel wife lobotomized or WHAT?

"Rachel and her daughters converted to Mormonism at some point during Reconstruction and Newt gave an interview late in life and described himself as a Mormon."

It seems ole Newt had a tendency to become something after the fact to give a rationale for his behavior. After deserting he became a "southern Unionist" though he had no such sentiments prior to deserting. After shacking up with another woman...he became a Mormon.

Wow. That's awesome. Thanks for sharing all of these great details...truth is more fascinating than fiction...I love the complexity (which came through in the eyes of the photos throughout the film).

WOW, interesting reading, all of you. Thanks much.

I happen to subscribe my husband to Smithsonian as his Xmas gift(have yet to read their article on this film yet, often will peruse issues myself when mood hits me) but when asked (since I see others quoting Smithsonian piece) he mentioned they stated this movie was faithful to the actual story.

This is not to state they weren't but IF all is true that you both write, then it has to be noted they were woefully inept & left out very noteworthy aspects of these characters' lives.

Yes, I basically extrapolated that most slaves (being slaves!) were commonly raped, that's been evidenced in most documentation we have of those years.

And I just imagined it a given there likely wasn't an "abortion" option then, so the slave-masters kept the slaved children as new slaves ..............(though, think about it.... HOW was that explained to these rich men's wives there too? husband: BTW...we need more help, so I am going to be raping our slaves? ".....wife: OK, dear!")
????!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because even IF they acted they weren't the biological fathers, there certainly had to be clear & convincing evidence otherwise, of MANY "mixed" race children at the time of slavery.
Though yes, I GET it...if you had even a drop of suspected-Black-blood, they were deemed Black. I know it. But I'm just sayin''...how could it NOT be point of contention in families that "Dad" is actual father to the younger slaves? No biggie, eh?

But yes, I suspected the slave girls probably had many children, product of their rapes.

At any rate, all that aside, what I found MOST illuminating was to read of ALL the many children both women had.
Honestly, didn't think it could be worse but seems it can.

Makes him even MORE a monster if he leaves wife (in horrible circumstance) with NINE kids--like a serious psychopath (even more so, IF it's in any way true, both their responses when she shows up with her kid...OR really, NINE in tow).

Found it fascinating to read his Grandfather had money & plenty of slaves but neither he nor his father (as usually money, land & slaves would be passed to next generations!) given he didn't strike me as inordinately ANTI-slave initially but acting out of self-preservation for his crops & such. (so I'll simply suspect perhaps his father did something to maybe tick off his grandfather).

ADD in the Mormon aspect, and man...have you got a story there!! Story rich with surprises.

Surely they can't fit it ALL in, true, but that's kinda important & certainly I think MIGHT belong before adding in son's situation/marriage issue for their ending.

But also highly amusing if you consider many of their (back to Mormon issue) sects DO promote their twisted, sexist polygamy (of course ONLY for the husband)--even today, but clearly, HAD To be worse then.

Next, all this inter-marriages of persons (sure reads as if some were marrying their relatives, maybe even their siblings!) when race was a HUGE hot-button issue is confounding to me.

NO wonder anyone from the South is disavowing this film with vengeance, rightfully believing it reflects horribly on them (because IF true, it promotes stereotypes we "Yankees" have joked about probably SINCE the CW). And that is without even including this additional incendiary character information.

And please, NO need to remind me the North had its racists & so on & so forth.....because that is NOT what I'm trying to incite, bring up or even converse about, truly NOT my intention with the direction of my post...BUT will add in case someone bites there: while absolutely true that racists exist everywhere even today--- still, there is simply NO comparison in THIS time frame, with widely held, widespread common beliefs & systematic atrocities of the South, that THIS region was reprehensible as for the conduct of many.

BTW, also OFF topic!!
I take HUGE offense to Lincoln-bashers out there!! Are you KIDDING me...HE, a noble man, WAS the reason slavery ended when it did, no argument otherwise & he was reviled by the South! He had such a profound impact on history, there almost aren't adequate words to give him the credit he deserves.

Was a racist ideology everyone in the south?!!
Of course not (as the movie indicated!) but it was the prevailing sentiment & conduct of many!
Let's be HONEST about history, it's the only way to move forward.
NO point in sticking your head in the sand about the South during the Civil War. You could witness brother against brother in the battlefield & one of the saddest, harshest & worst moments in history. Bloodiest, goriest, certainly, pitiful war.

But again, heck...given the critical nature of your race living BACK then, you certainly must've had a HECK of a lot of mixed race persons all labeled Black ----back when labels carried hefty weight; now we are frowned on even assigning labels to most anything.

Lastly, I found previous reads entirely fascinating!
So must repeat. I am appreciative of the additional information as it's proved immensely insightful & makes this more complex than what was outlined in the film's narrative. I'd prefer films sticking extremely close to facts as they exist but other than what they chose to leave out, will assume the plot reliable enough (or so I hope! I KNOW others feel otherwise).

Almost incidental at this point, I gotta end with adding how I am even MORE convinced this desperate wife might've preferred being lobotomized now.
I know in her sorry shoes, it's what I'd have preferred...just CHECK OUTED entirely! That is NOT survival strength but seriously mentally crippling misfortune.

Don't forget Newt Knight was a real-life hunk. In the photographs of him he looks uncannily like McConaughey. And someone who knew him described him as being 6'4" tall, powerfully built but "as lithe as a cat" with long curly black hair. A Civil War hottie.

The kid in the trenches calls him uncle Newt for Pete's sake.
One hour thirty minutes in, and I was still wondering if they were brother and sister.

(above)--not that I recall. IF so, missed that.

Again...understandably, he HAD to leave initially to survive (and yet leave his wife & kid in quite the lurch, houses burned down, treated like prey & traitors & all on account of HIS actions) then it got even weirder when wife FINALLY shows (notice he never once either looks or even WORRIES for her)....& SHE'S the one demure at door, with her head hung low acting like SHE'S a bother! HUH? again...THAT's when I had enough thinking...WTH!!!!? Scene stopped me cold. Even for Civil War time when women had FAR less rights. Indefensible, reprehensible!
Obviously....I don't care if he was actually a "hottie" then (reference to earlier post, I will take that on faith as it's very likely valid about his looks)... hardly any logical excuse!
So to me anyhow, more than a bit of a cad where it REALLY matters (war aside!) & not insignificant story detail.

Lol! Sure hope you're kidding (hard to tell in context of writing of course).
Savage strange? I'm about as FAR from PC as one gets but sounds pretty racist. And nothing frigid about Kerry Russel I imagine (better looking than 99% of any women I know anyhow). the only thing crusty there must be what's rumbling around in that brain of yours there...lol!!

@crotchsplitter





He got some of that savage strange that had been trained in the ways of pleasing men. You expect him to go back to his old crusty frigid wife?


What the hell are you talking about? Do you even know? What you said sounds very ignorant and just plain stupid,period.

Nothing confusing about any of what you wrote.

Happens to be entirely wrong.
Maybe watch film again, comprehension lacking there.
You literally are ENTIRELY wrong; Kinda hard to manage that.