Decision at Fletcher’s Mill

Book excerpt: The American revolution has no end in sight. Slavery has plagued the southern colonies as long as anyone can remember. The British have opened a second front in the south. Southern society is fragmented as rebels strive to throw off British tyranny, while loyalists fight to remain under English rule. Neighbor turns against neighbor. Families are torn apart. Young Billy Morgan enters this chaotic world as a militiaman during the decisive battle of Cowpens. He becomes the butt of many jokes before the battle by trying to gain acceptance from his comrades through a foolish boastful lie. At Cowpens, the other men learn that there is much more to Billy Morgan than any of them thought possible when he leads them into the fiercest part of the fight. He is rewarded with a promotion and given a task that is much larger than his limited experience and apparently questionable character would seem to support. Ira Fletcher is one of the richest men in South Carolina. He has powerful political connections. Fletcher is a complex man with a fiery past, and a passion for the Gospel. He owns Fletcher’s Mill and almost everything around it for miles. Rumors abound regarding vast treasure hidden in or under the mill. Ira abhors slavery. He elevates former slave, Ezekiel, to a position of authority at the mill. Elizabeth, Ira’s orphaned granddaughter, is raised by the widowed Ira, Ezekiel, and family friend Mona Partridge. The jealousy of His planter neighbors explodes into cruel violence that threatens everything Ira holds dear. He is forced to choose what is truly valuable. Love and loyalty, greed and violence, courage and grace all abound as these people and many others are drawn together. Choices must be made. Change is coming. It is a time of weighty decision at Fletcher’s Mill.