Ethan had already noticed while in Wrightsborough that the settlers seemed to have much more fear of Indians than back in North Carolina, and he soon realized that their concern might be justified. Although British maps showed Georgia’s western boundary to be the Mississippi River, Indian tribes legally controlled all except a narrow strip paralleling the Atlantic Coast and the Savannah River, beginning just a few miles from his assigned homestead. The terms of the 1763 treaty between Indian chiefs and Governor Wright had not been approved by some of the young Creeks, and a few braves had tried to intimidate the settlers whose homes were established near the boundary of the ceded land. They would beat drums at night and on a few occasions had stolen livestock and burned some outbuildings. The king’s Indian superintendent, John Stuart, was competent and respected by most of the settlers and native leaders. He did everything possible to prevent any altercations between the whites and the Indians, and the older tribal chiefs joined in this effort to preserve peace.

The few British soldiers who served under Governor Wright were stationed in or near Savannah and played a small role in controlling the natives. Even more important to the Creeks and Cherokees than any military threat was the possibility of an interruption in trade. The natives were fascinated with the goods of the white man, including salt, sugar, rum, blankets, and relatively worthless trinkets. Steel knives and muskets were the most prized possessions. For all these they traded the cured hides of deer, beaver, raccoons, and foxes—but because of the real difference in value and the shrewdness of the white traders, the Indians slowly accumulated a substantial debt. In fact, the Indians owed so much and were so eager to continue trading that they were already exploring the possibility of ceding more land in order to settle the back debts so that trade could continue.

Ethan had no fear of the Indians, but at the same time it was his responsibility to get to know them and for them to understand that he would treat them as good neighbors. The nearest Creek village, he had seen from Maddock’s map, was only five miles from where he intended to build his home. He knew from experience that his skill and his tools, particularly his forge and anvil, could be of great benefit to the Indians. Also, Epsey was familiar with the use of rudimentary medicines and was imbued with a genuine desire, derived from her parents, to be of help to the natives. Although these plans for building mutual trust and respect were limited, they contrasted vividly with the attitude of many of the settlers, who looked upon the Indians as subhuman and felt that they were inherently criminal in character. Pioneer farmers believed almost unanimously that the Indians should be pushed farther west, away from the land that they felt was ordained by God to be used exclusively by the colonists.

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