I had rented the store house from Mr. Billy Smith where he and Slade had
done business before the war, in Sandersville, and opened up business in
heavy and family groceries. In the meantime my team was making the trip
between Sandersville and the Central terminal, which had not
considerably advanced, owing to the demoralized condition of labor. So I
concluded at this particular time it would accelerate matters by hauling
a load of merchandise with my team; hence I drove through all the way to
Savannah. While there, on passing Congress street, I met an old friend
named Abe Einstein, of the firm of Einstein and Erkman, wholesale
drygoods merchants. He was speaking to one Mr. Cohen from New York, who
had just arrived by steamer with a cargo of drygoods. He wanted to
locate in Augusta, but owing to the Federals having torn up that branch
of the railroad at Millen the Augusta trains run no further than
Waynesboro. Hence he was trying to fill in the gap with teams. Mr.
Einstein told him that I had a splendid team and that I would be a good
man for him to employ. So he asked me if I would haul a load for him. I
replied I would if he would pay me enough for it. He said, How much can
you pull at a load? I said, My mules can pull all that the wagon can
hold up. What do you ask? Four hundred dollars. Whiz, I did not want to
buy your team, I only wanted to hire it. I said to him, Well, that is my
price. I said, You fellows up North tore up the road, you ought to be
able to pay for such accommodations as you can get. He studied over the
situation a little. Turning to Mr. Einstein, Do you know this man; can I
rely on him? Mr. Einstein replied, Perfectly reliable, I stand sponsor.
He said, I tell you what I'll do, I'll pay you down $200.00 and Mr.
Einstein will pay you $200.00 when you return. Mr. Einstein agreed to
it, so I said, That is satisfactory, I shall deliver so many boxes as
you put on to the agent, take his receipt for the same and Mr. Einstein
will pay me $200.00 due. I had, to my regret, had to discharge my
teamster Perry, owing to the neglect of duty, and engaged another named
Bill Flagg. He was an old conscientious negro, very religiously
inclined. We loaded our team and followed instructions. On arrival at
Waynesboro, I never had been there before, so I inquired for the depot
and found an improvised little house beside the railroad track and a man
claiming to be the railroad agent. I have a load of goods here for
Augusta. Put them in the car, said he. I said, count the boxes and make
me out a receipt. He said all right. After my business with the agent
was concluded, I asked him to show me the Louisville route, which he
pointed out to me, with several explanations as to the right and left
intervening roads. Waynesboro was at that time, as it is now, the county
site of Burke county, a town of about 1000 inhabitants. It has greatly
improved since and is quite a prosperous city of some importance now.
Before we got out of the incorporation a detachment of Federal troops
surrounded my team and ordered my driver to dismount. I was a few paces
behind my wagon and I hurried to the front. One of the soldiers had hold
of my mules' bridle and ordered my driver to dismount. I said to my man,
If you dismount I will kill you; you sit where you are, you are under my
orders. I ordered the trooper to let go my mule. He turned loose the
bridle, but held his position with others in front of the team. The
commotion brought together the balance of the garrison and some
citizens. I remarked right here, I'll sell out; you shall not deprive me
of the means to make an honest living. So the Captain remarked, We are
ordered to take up all Confederate property. I said, I have no
objection for you to take up Confederate property, but this is my
individual property and your action is highway robbery, which I do not
propose to submit to. There is a way to prove those things; I am a
citizen of Sandersville and have been wagoning for a living. There is a
garrison of troops in my town and if this is Confederate property they
have had a chance to confiscate it long ago. He said, What is your name?
I answered, I. Hermann, Sandersville, Washington County, is my home. He
pretended to make a note of it and told me to drive on. I was glad to
have gotten out of that scrape. On reaching home Flagg came to me,
saying, Boss, I have to quit you. What is the matter, Bill? said I, have
I not always treated you right. Oh yes, but I am afraid of you. How so
Bill? I am afraid some day you might get mad with me and kill me: Any
man that can stand before a whole company of Yankees like you and keep
them from taking his team, is a dangerous man. You must get you another
man. I said, all right, Bill. When Perry heard that Bill Flagg had left
my employment he came to me, asking to be re-instated and promising to
be more attentive to his duties. So I took him back and he remained with
me for several years.