“The Regulators were mostly good men, and the cause was right—for freedom and against oppression. The problem was that there were too many leaders, and a few hotheads who violated the law and committed crimes against people and property. Their words and actions looked like an attack on the crown and not just against some local crooks. This turned many people against us.”

Epsey noticed that he said “us.” “What can you do? What can we do?” she asked.

“I just don’t know. None of us ever thought that Tryon would go to such lengths against the Regulators, but it seems obvious that our strength has been concentrated in just a few western counties and there is less support than we thought in most of the colony. It may be that the king and Parliament will react against what Tryon has done and give another opening for citizens to take action.”

In a few days, these opinions proved to be excessively optimistic. When Ethan and Epsey rode into Hillsborough to take care of what was left at the shoemaker’s shop and to order a grave marker from the stonecutter, they found a group assembled around the public posting board. An official notice, signed by Governor Tryon, stated that pursuant to a ruling by the state council, every male inhabitant would be required to swear an oath of allegiance to the colonial government and to the crown. The penalty for refusal to do so would be arrest and trial for subversion. State and county officials would visit every home to secure the written pledges.

Back home, Ethan was now in a quandary. He had always considered himself to be a good British citizen, loyal to his king. Although the administration of Governor Tryon had proved to be abusive and many of the local officials were obviously corrupt, he had heard that a new royal governor was coming to North Carolina who would be representing the more moderate policies of the prime minister, Lord North. Rather than consider swearing allegiance to the government, several hundred of the more ardent Regulators were leaving Orange County and moving westward to a remote settlement area known as the Watauga Valley, which was almost completely independent of control by officials in New Bern. Ethan had no desire to join them, both because he preferred to stay where he was and because he had never felt at ease with the more militant Regulators. Finally, he told Epsey he would join most other citizens in confirming allegiance, and then await the arrival of officials who would seek this assurance.