Hopewell, which was very near Savannah, had never been targeted by the Rangers’ raiding parties. The elder Mr. Singleton had been a close friend of Governor Wright and a helpful source of information for the Rangers even after the Whigs gained control of Savannah. But the situation had begun to change after his death, and one of the Negro Rangers brought word to Brown that young Singleton had been consorting with members of the Sons of Liberty. On his next visit to the coastal area, Brown decided to visit Hopewell, and he and about twenty of his Rangers camped on the riverbank several miles upstream from the plantation.

It was a week before Christmas, and Brown was sitting near a small fire in front of his tent, eating some venison that had been roasted for his traveling party. Just at dusk, one of his men walked to within a few yards of the commander and waited to be recognized. He was an older Negro who had adopted the name Liverpool, from the home port of the slave ship that had brought him to America. Having worked for several years in the local rice fields before he and his former master had moved to St. Augustine, he had many friends among the slaves near their present campsite. Brown finally looked up and asked, “What is it, Liverpool?”

“De head driver from Hopewell want to see you.”

“What does he want?”

“Don’t know, sah, but he be a good man, name Big William.”

“Let him come, then.”

“He be here now.”

Liverpool turned and beckoned with his hand, and Big William stepped from the shadows. He approached Brown and informed him without preliminary discussion that he had some information that might be useful.

Brown decided to ask a few questions, to assess the intelligence and reliability of the man.

“Do you know how many slaves are on the plantation?”

“Yassuh, they’s one hundred twenty-eight right now, able to work.”

“How much rice do you produce?”

“This year, better’n fifty bushels to the acre on ’bout three hundred acres.”

To test the slave, Brown asked, as though he didn’t know, “And how many pounds to a bushel?”

“Forty-five, sah.”

Big William was not at all uncomfortable, answered without delay, and was obviously familiar with the farming operation on the plantation.

Brown then asked, “And do the Singletons have many visitors at Hopewell?”

“Yassuh, mostly in the wintertime, with hunting good.”

“Who comes?”

“Wal, de governor have been, and other mens from Savannah.”

“Do they come together, at the same time?”

“Nosah, they mostly comes separate.”

There was a long pause, and then Brown asked, “What brings you to see me?”

“A woman work in de big house, heard de British come to Savannah.”

“That may be right, but what’s that got to do with me?”

“You works wid the British, and she may help.”

Brown was skeptical but decided to waste a few more minutes.