After a brief exchange of greetings, Brown said, “I come to you from St. Augustine with full approval of Governor Tonyn. All of us realize that John Stuart retains the title of Indian superintendent, but he is confining his personal movements to Florida, seems to be in ill health, and is no longer as vigorous in the pursuit of his duties as has been his custom.”

Cameron, who had long chafed under the distant command of his superior, found these first words encouraging but was careful not to express his own opinion except to nod as a signal that he understood what had been said.

Brown continued, “As you know, the rebellious Whigs seem to have made progress in both Savannah and Charles Town in taking almost all power from the officers of the king, and they are now trying to induce the backwoods families to follow their lead in this treasonous activity. But the fact is that British troops dominate Florida in its entirety, and my men and I control almost all of Georgia south and west of Savannah. However, the settlers around Augusta seem to be moving toward support of the Whigs, and some of their militia leaders have even been joining in the fruitless forays toward Florida. We need to move against them.”

Naturally cautious, Cameron asked, “How can this best be done?”

“Of the two hundred Indians who serve under my command, a number are Creek and Cherokee from this area. They tell me of the constant encroachment of these same settlers into their native lands, and seem certain that many warriors would like to protect their families.”

“After the terrible Cherokee war, what can they do?”

Despite his normal impatience, Brown decided to share some information that he had accumulated about the status of the native people. He wanted to demonstrate to Cameron his interest and involvement with the Indians, and also make a strong concluding argument.

“It is very interesting how many Indians there are in the region of the southern colonies—a total of about forty thousand. My best estimate is twelve thousand Cherokees, two thousand Chickasaw, twelve thousand five hundred Choctaw, and fourteen thousand Creeks, with a few other scattered tribes. As you know, the greedy leaders of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and other natives have swapped most of western Virginia and the Carolinas for a few wagonloads of trade goods. It is obvious to the Indians that the British have attempted to protect Indian lands, and that greedy settlers are always pressing westward, convinced that they are superior to the natives both in law and in the eyes of God. With so few white men prepared to fight, the natives hold in their hands the balance of power. With proper encouragement and leadership, they are too powerful a force to remain dormant.”

Cameron asked another question: “What can I do?”