Ethan offered to go to the Wrightsborough settlement and bring back his own wife and any others who were willing to come. When he arrived in Wrightsborough, he paid a courtesy call on Joseph Maddock, whom he found at his home. Instead of inviting him into the house, Maddock joined Ethan in the front yard, in the shade of an enormous magnolia tree, where several chairs were arranged in a semicircle.

Maddock said, “Here is where I usually meet with other Friends who come to discuss the business of our town. Tell me, Brother Pratt, how is it with thee? I understand thou hast been involved in some of the fighting further north.”

Ethan responded, “I am doing well and have been fortunate myself, but have seen many others suffer. I understand that this settlement has been spared the worst of the war.”

“Yes, we have been fortunate. A number of our families have already left for Savannah, most of them hoping to reach Pennsylvania in the future. Only half as many Friends now attend the weekly meetings as before the war began. The British leaders seem to recognize that our faith prevents involvement in violence, and the governor has directed that we be spared. Thy homestead is the only one that has been attacked. Once more, let me express my sorrow over the loss of thy son. May I ask what has brought thee back to Wrightsborough?”

“I have come to visit with my wife, and the wives of two other men who have been with me, Mrs. Hume and Mrs. Houstown.”

“And not Mrs. Morris?”

“No, only the ones whose husbands have sent messages.”

Maddock told Ethan where the women were living and offered to accompany him, but Ethan preferred to visit them alone. First, he found Epsey, and they greeted each other with a brief embrace.

“Ethan, it is good to see thee—you,” Epsey said, smiling at her use of the Quaker pronoun. “Tell me how you are doing, and what brings you here.”

“You seem to be doing well, Epsey, and so am I. We have been in the western Carolinas much of the time, and most of us are back in Wilkes County now. I have come to see you and the two other good wives to describe the situation and to learn what your desires might be. Colonel Clarke and the other officers have decided that we should move all our families to the Watauga Valley area in the western mountains, to stay there until the war is over. We will be assembling the entire group and moving together.”

He paused to see if she had any reaction, but she was obviously waiting to hear him first voice his opinion.