Aaron had hurried on to visit other families, but his final comment was that never again could the Continental Congress send a conciliatory message to London, pledging to remain loyal to the king. He added that within a few months every colonist would be faced with a clear-cut decision. Ethan recalled Epsey’s comment afterward, with which he agreed: “We’ll just have to stay here and mind our own business.”

Most people in Georgia would have agreed with the Pratts. Except in Savannah and a few settlements along the coast, the movement toward possible independence had little effect on families in the colony, which had been settled less than forty-five years and still had strong family ties with the mother country. The earlier settlers had always been loyal British subjects, and they cherished their ownership of the land granted by the British government. The young colony had received more financial assistance than any other, and most Georgians had not been dissatisfied with the honest and beneficent administration of Governor James Wright. The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, and Intolerable Act had little effect on them, and most were put off by the relatively violent and sometimes brutal activities of the Sons of Liberty. Although few citizens were deeply religious themselves, they were often in contact with the Anglicans, Salzburgers, Quakers, and other Christian groups, who were outspoken in their loyalty to England or their condemnation of any acts of violence.

Settlers on the frontier feared that rogue Indians would attack their relatively isolated farms, and a major factor in determining loyalty was what force could best guarantee safety from the marauders. There was increasing justification for this concern as the war gained momentum in the north. Actions of the more militant separatists increased animosity between the natives and some of the ne’er-do-wells who resented not having more land of their own and were determined to do everything possible to drive the Indians ever farther westward. They considered any abuse of the Indians to be justified, and retaliation by the natives was easily blamed on the cowardice of the Redcoats or as having been deliberately instigated by Indian Superintendent John Stuart.

CHAPTER 26

Georgians Expel the British Governor

MARCH 1776