Finally, Ethan was able to consider his current situation, and what he should do in the future. By the time he returned to his cabin, long after sundown, he had decided on the unpleasant prospect of traveling to Augusta, which was now the Georgia militia headquarters. He was ready to report for service under Elijah Clarke. The memory of the British bayonet in Kindred’s back had overshadowed the slayings and scalpings in Big Elk’s camp.

CHAPTER 37

Ethan Pratt Goes to War

Back home, Epsey was surprised when Ethan told her that he was going to talk to Elijah Clarke about serving with the militia. Her husband knew how opposed she was to violence and that she considered the killing of another human to be a mortal sin. She could tell that Ethan was also troubled about the prospect of violating what had been a basic principle of life for both of them but, typically, she decided not to comment.

Early the next morning Ethan mounted their remaining horse and went to Wrightsborough, where he learned that Clarke was still in Augusta. He rode the thirty miles with some trepidation, not knowing what to expect when he offered his services to a strong-willed man with whom he had an unforgettable confrontation when they had last been together. He knew of Clarke’s growing reputation as an effective military commander, and of his demanding and officious attitude toward the men who served under him. Ethan was willing to accept his subordinate place in the militia ranks, but there were limits on personal subservience. When he arrived in Augusta he was directed to the most prominent dwelling in town, known locally as McKay’s Trading Post. It had become the center of what government Georgia still had remaining, and Clarke and other militia leaders used two rooms in the large white building as their headquarters when they were not in the Wilkes County forests.

There were several men lounging on the porch when Ethan arrived, and he nodded to some whom he had met before.

He asked, “Where can I find Elijah Clarke?”

One of the men responded, “I reckon you’re looking for Colonel Clarke. If so, he’s inside, in the back room.”

Ethan entered the building and walked in to where Elijah was seated behind a table, talking to John Twiggs and another militiamen named William Few. Clarke looked up and seemed surprised to see Ethan. He didn’t rise, but leaned back from the table and said, “I guess you were at Briar Creek.”