While I certainly support your right to your own feelings and opinions concerning Confederate protagonists, I think you've entirely misunderstood the scene you describe in the beginning of News of the World. Having read the book as well, it was perhaps clearer to me that a Black man had been trying to return Johanna to her family, and had been paid to do so, but because of the general lawlessness of post Civil War Texas, and the rampant racism, he was prevented from doing this by virtue of being lynched for simply existing. Captain Kidd had to take on this job that he really didn't want to do as a direct result of these issues. That's why that scene was there at all - to convey that.

Perhaps that doesn't impact your larger thesis, but despite having fought for the Confederacy, Kidd wasn't indifferent to this man's plight. In fact, if I'm remembering correctly, it was actually someone he knew and that he felt bad about this happening to.

Just my two cents....