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The Work of Our Hands Ephaphras Lord Phelps, from an oil painting. Phelps, the schoolteacher son of a Continental Army officer arrived in Upper Canada c1790 at age 20 and taught school at Long Point, Blenheim, and Brant's Mohawk village. An intimate friend of Joseph Brant, he was Brant's white secretary (1800-1812), and in 1807 was given Power of Attorney to act for the Six Nations. His elegant handwriting appears on early Mount Pleasant 999-year leases. The Indians gave him the name "Onasquesakon", "onas" being an Indian word for quill or pen. Phelps located his family in 1802 on what would become the Phelps Tract, and is believed to have established a log school there. Courtesy Linda (Phelps) Guest. began Epaphras, who had been secretary to Joseph Brant and had Power of Attorney to handle Six Nations business such as issuing leases, vocalised his sympathy with the American cause, believing, as did many, that the new colony of Canada could not withstand American might. Epaphras' father had fought on the American side in the Revolution and Epaphras believed that Canada's weak defences could not prevent annexation by the new and powerful United States. As one of his brothers later noted, Epaphras "was obliged to leave unceremoniously to save his neck." He fled across the border with his young daughter Lydia, with apparent help from the Mohawks, his in-laws, leaving behind his wife Esther and six other children, Solomon, Hiram, Crisena, Amelia, Audelia and Elizabeth. For this action the government charged him with high treason. As a result of this charge, Epaphras and others were listed in a "Commission to inquire of lands forfeited on an outlawry for High Treason Dec 24, 1817." Thomas Perrin served as a witness to this Commission. The issue remained as to the fate of Esther and her rights to the land granted to Epaphras by Joseph Brant in 1804. William Baldwin acted as attorney for the natives to defend Esther's right to the land. Baldwin argued that she was not a subject of the