Grierson was taken aback by this unaccustomed condemnation and replied, “Although I’ve always disagreed with this policy, my best efforts have been to keep our men out of the Quaker area.”

“Do you deny this information that I have received directly from Joseph Maddock?”

“Sir, there was one exception just east of the Ogeechee River, and it involved a non-Quaker named Pratt who is a full-time militiaman that is right now fighting with Elijah Clarke against our troops in Carolina. I was just going to burn the buildings, but some of the Cherokees got out of hand and killed a boy that was there. We searched the place, and no one else was around.”

“That’s the same name Maddock gave me, but I didn’t know anything about him. I’ll have to make a report to the governor, and what you told me had better be right.”

After Grierson left, Brown felt that his general policy of harassing only members of the American militia had not been violated. It was his purpose to punish both the traitors and their families as severely as possible, but always to draw a line between the committed revolutionary militants and others who might be forced or enticed to join and support the loyalists. It required only a few minutes with his notebooks for him to confirm the information about Ethan Pratt, and he felt certain that he could assuage the concerns of the Quaker leader and that there was no need for a report to Savannah. In fact, he decided to let it be known that the Rangers had been responsible for the incident, in order to send a clear message of intimidation to still-doubtful settler families.

•  •  •

It was not in Epsey’s nature to remain idle, and she soon rented a small shack near her new home, in which she placed her spinning wheel and loom and began weaving cloth and making women’s dresses and men’s shirts. She had no trouble selling everything she produced, but her even more attractive items were soft and pliable leather goods, as she resurrected the skills she had known when working in Henry’s cobbler shop in Hillsborough. Epsey fitted easily into the religious life of the Quaker community and was active in the community projects of the other women. She grieved over Henry, was concerned about her husband, and prayed with equal fervor and devotion that his life would be spared and that he would not be guilty of taking the lives of others. She had written him a letter telling him about their son’s death, including the report that the raiders had been members of the Rangers.

Almost six weeks later, Ethan arrived in Wrightsborough, and he and Epsey greeted each other with a brief embrace.

Ethan said, “I came as soon as I could. We were in North Carolina when I got the message.”

“Well, there was nothing that could be done, once it happened.”